Senior Software Engineer

Description

Are you passionate about building secure, mission-critical software that directly supports some of our nation's toughest space challenges?

Do you enjoy solving complex engineering problems involving distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, DevSecOps, and high-performance applications?

Are you excited to collaborate with talented engineers to develop resilient software solutions where reliability, security, and mission impact truly matter?

Then we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL!

We are seeking a skilled Senior Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain critical software applications supporting National Security Space in a TS/SCI environment. You will build scalable, secure, and observable software systems for space domain applications, including command and control, data processing, mission planning, and multi-domain integration tools. We are passionate about creating software engineering solutions that address our sponsors' toughest problems.

This role emphasizes DevSecOps practices, cloud-native architectures, and secure development/deployment in classified environments. You will work on complex, distributed systems where reliability, security, and performance are paramount.

As a Senior Software Engineer you will...

• Design and implement robust backend services, APIs, and data pipelines for space operations software.
• Build and maintain containerized, orchestrated applications with full CI/CD pipelines.
• Integrate security controls throughout the development lifecycle (DevSecOps).
• Develop and optimize distributed systems with messaging, event-driven architectures, and resilient communication patterns.
• Ensure applications meet compliance requirements for classified environments, including air-gapped deployments and controlled updates.
• Identify and solve issues, monitor, and improve system performance and observability in production-like environments.
• Collaborate via code reviews, contribute to architecture decisions, and mentor on modern practices.

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Possess a B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
• Have 5+ years of full software engineering experience, including software design methodology, requirements development, configuration management, trade studies, and product defect tracking
• Strong proficiency in at least one modern language/stack (Java/Spring Boot, Python, C++, or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience with Docker/Podman (multi-stage builds, optimization) and Kubernetes (Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets, Helm/Kustomize).
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins) including build, test, security scanning, and deployment stages.
• Solid understanding of REST APIs, OpenAPI/Swagger, and JSON (Protobuf a plus).
• Experience with testing practices: unit, integration, and API testing in containerized environments.
• Strong Git workflow skills, including feature branches, pull requests, and code reviews.
• Experience working in secure or classified computing environments (air-gapped, STIG compliance, RMF, controlled artifact management, offline dependencies).
• Possess interpersonal skills and are an effective communicator.
• Have the ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.
• Are able to obtain a Top-Secret Clearance. You will be subjected to a government security investigation, and you should meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified information up to the Top-Secret level. Eligibility requirements include US citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

• Possess a Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Have experience with messaging & distributed systems; Kafka (preferred), RabbitMQ.
• Practical experience working with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
• Experience with space-related software, real-time systems, or large-scale data processing.
• Knowledge of cross-domain solutions or high-assurance system integration.

This is a high-impact role building resilient software that directly supports space superiority missions in a secure, forward-leaning development environment.

About Us

Why Work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation's most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL's campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please View email address on click.appcast.io.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Minimum Rate

$105,000 Annually


Maximum Rate

$290,000 Annually