Principal Software Engineer

Location: Overland Park, United States of AmericaThales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning, to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems, to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

Principal Software Engineer

Overland Park, KS (Hybrid)

Position Summary

Thales is seeking a Principal Software Engineer, whose role involves providing technical leadership in system safety, software assurance, and embedded software engineering within its Navigation and non-radar Surveillance (NAS) business.

In this position, you will serve as a subject matter expert, leading safety and software assurance activities for complex products, projects, and bids while resolving technical and compliance challenges and supporting key project milestones, product releases, and customer acceptance. You will also provide advanced embedded software engineering expertise for NAVAID and non-radar surveillance products, working across engineering, quality, cybersecurity, and program teams to ensure applicable safety, assurance, and lifecycle objectives are successfully achieved.

Referral Bonus Eligibility: Tier 1 - $2,500

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Must be a US Person as defined in applicable law.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined in applicable law, or otherwise authorized or eligible for authorization, to access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Serve as the technical focal point for system safety and software assurance across assigned products, projects, and bids, defining assurance approaches and applying relevant standards, contractual requirements, and internal engineering processes.
• Lead safety and software assurance activities throughout the product lifecycle, including requirements, architecture, verification, compliance evidence, reviews, audits, release readiness, and resolution of assurance risks or gaps.
• Provide advanced embedded software engineering leadership for navigation and non-radar surveillance products, including the design, development, integration, verification, and lifecycle support of complex software in C and C++ across RTOS, Linux/Unix, and Windows environments.
• Resolve complex technical issues involving software architecture, hardware/software interfaces, timing, performance, safety, cybersecurity, and compliance, using structured analysis and evidence-based recommendations.
• Coordinate and influence multidisciplinary teams across Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Verification and Validation, Quality, Cybersecurity, and Program Management to align technical activities, risks, schedules, and customer or approval-authority requirements.
• Mentor engineers and drive continuous improvement in software development, safety, assurance, technical review practices, reusable evidence, and engineering methods while communicating technical status, risks, and recommendations to leadership and key stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, with 8+ years of progressively responsible engineering experience.
• 5+ years of experience performing or leading system safety and/or software assurance activities for Air Traffic Management, aviation, or similarly complex safety-related systems.
• 5+ years of embedded software development experience in RTOS environments, with strong proficiency in C and C++, microprocessor-based systems, and hardware/software integration.
• Advanced working knowledge of applicable safety and software assurance standards, including DO-278A/ED-109A and, where relevant, ED-153 or MIL-STD-882; experience with DO-178B/C or ARP4761 may also be considered where applicable principles can be transferred to ground-system assurance.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating safety and assurance requirements, developing or reviewing compliance evidence, applying system safety analysis methods, and managing requirements traceability, configuration, defects, technical reviews, and verification activities.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership with substantial autonomy, resolve complex engineering issues, assess software change impacts, guide multidisciplinary teams, and communicate technical recommendations effectively through strong writing, stakeholder engagement, and mentoring.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future.

Special Position Requirements

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience leading preparation for and participation in FAA, customer, or other approval-authority safety and software assurance reviews or audits, including support for Department of Defense and/or FAA programs.
• Experience with NAVAIDs such as ILS, DME, TACAN, or VOR, and/or non-radar surveillance products such as ADS-B, with familiarity in related hardware/software assurance interfaces, including DO-254 where applicable.
• Experience with specialized software and platform environments, including Digital Signal Processor development, Linux kernel modification or administration, cybersecurity assessments, and/or Windows application development using Microsoft Visual Studio C++.
• Proficiency with requirements management, issue tracking, and engineering lifecycle tools and processes, such as DOORS, Jira, Thales engineering tools, Chorus processes, and product lifecycle practices; additional language capabilities supporting international collaboration are preferred.
• Approximately 45% part-time salaried position based primarily in the Overland Park, Kansas office on a hybrid work schedule, with a Monday-Thursday 9/80 or 5/40 schedule and less than 10% annual domestic and international travel.

If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!

Why Join Us?

Say HI and learn more about working at Thales click here.

This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with [a] criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances.

Thales champions inclusion and we believe diversity strengthens the fabric of our culture. Thales is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at [email protected].

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between

Total Target Cash (TTC) 131,086.77 - 220,640.08 USD Annual

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including - but not limited to - the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

(For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please raise HR request through MyThales)

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance

• Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period
• Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off
• Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program