Senior Principal Software Systems Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 22, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 28, 2026. General Dynamics Mission Systems scores A on the Alion truth index.
Basic Qualifications
Education Requirements:
Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, or a related Science, Engineering, Technology or Mathematics field. Also requires 10+ years of job-related experience, or a Master's degree plus 8 years of job-related experience. Agile experience preferred.
Clearance Requirements:
Department of Defense Secret security clearance is required at time of hire. Top Secret preferred. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.
Responsibilities for this Position
ROLE AND POSITION OBJECTIVES:
Developing mission-critical systems that help keep people safe is what we do. At General Dynamics Mission Systems, you’ll be part of the team that helps heroes make a true impact. The work we do is important. The challenges we face are career-defining. The opportunity we can offer is one-of-a-kind.
As a Senior Principal Software Systems Engineer, you will provide architectural recommendations and design inputs to a cross functional team that develops complex software systems that support some of our nation’s core defense/intelligence services and systems. General Dynamics Mission Systems employees work closely with esteemed customers to develop solutions that allow them to carry out high-stakes national security missions.
The ideal candidate is a systems engineer with a strong software background and has experience on large solution programs which includes both Hardware and Software. We highly recommend you apply if you have any of the following job experience: Have worked as a Lead SE or Chief Engineer on a complex software system. Or is someone who understands DOD domain/programs well, has a demonstrated capability to think at a Systems Level, and has a growth mindset.
Our Senior Principal Software Systems Engineers typically work in the following areas:
- Lead customer requirements analysis, develop system requirements and define allocations to lower levels (elements and components)
- Lead and perform functional analysis, performance analysis, system design, detail trade studies, systems integration and test, interface definition studies of subsystem or system elements
- Lead and support the generation of technical engineering products by using appropriate standards, processes, procedures, and tools throughout the system development life cycle
- Lead and develop software architecture artifacts that provide a common understanding of the solution behind complex systems to various stakeholders
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES AND TASKS
- Lead all phases of software system development by providing technical strategy, operational concept development, system architecture definition, requirements analysis, use cases, trade studies, and leadership throughout the product lifecycle.
- Participate in new business pursuits by supporting briefings and demonstrations of our capabilities and supporting the proposal development process by preparing solutions, authoring technical content, providing cost estimates, participating in reviews, and helping to deliver the final proposal.
- Be a clear and enthusiastic communicator to customers, users, subcontractors, and cross functional project teams to define, analyze, and meet project goals. You will coordinate across design, development, test, project leadership, program management, and customer representatives, creating a collaborative environment that focuses on the big picture.
- Work towards a high-level vision while also understanding the importance of details. You will proactively identify and mitigate risks and define reasonable trade spaces from which the team can operate.
- Proactively define your own tasks and execute with little oversight. You will accomplish program goals despite obstacles, ambiguity, and changing requirements in a fast-paced environment.
- Apply systems thinking to software, processes, people, and organizations. You will help harden software and processes into mature, mission-critical, “must-work” products.
- Lead reviews of software systems and provide input on software design decisions based on your prior experience and familiarity with the problem domain, similar work, or related technologies.
- Mentor and guide less experienced engineers, because you are motivated to improve our work environment and help others.
Other Beneficial Experience:
- Use of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to document and support system requirements, design, and analysis.
- Experience working with, or familiarity with public (AWS, Azure), private (RHOSP, VIO), and mixed cloud environments
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) technologies such as Identify and Access Management, Kubernetes, Rancher, Docker, or OpenShift
- Cloud automation tooling such as Ansible, Terraform, Terragrunt, or Packer
- Experience or familiarity with cyber security practices such as encryption, certificate/key management, patch management, STIG, RMF, or security hardening, and auditing
- Multi-level security domain expertise (and cross-domain)
- Experience or familiarity with DevOps concepts and practices
What sets you apart:
- Creative thinker with demonstrated success leading the systems development life cycle
- Collaborative team player eager to provide technical leadership and position others for success
- Thorough knowledge of technology trends and willingness to champion new ideas and process improvements
- Strong presentation and communications skills with experience in the art of negotiation and the ability to meet challenging customer requirements with win-win solutions
- Commitment to ongoing professional development for yourself and others
- Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation
Our Commitment to You:
- An exciting career path with opportunities for continuous learning and development.
- Research oriented work, alongside award winning teams developing practical solutions for our nation’s security
- Flexible schedules with every other Friday off work, if desired (9/80 schedule)
- Competitive benefits, including 401k matching, flex time off, paid parental leave, healthcare benefits, health & wellness programs, employee resource and social groups, and more
- See more at gdmissionsystems.com/careers/why-work-for-us/benefits
Workplace Options:
This position is flex but requires at least 3-5 days per week of onsite support at the customer's facility in Boulder, CO.
Salary Note
This estimate represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors (geographic location, etc.). Actual pay may vary. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.Combined Salary Range
USD $183,381.00 - USD $193,409.00 /Yr.Company Overview
General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!
Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans