Principal Software Engineer

Hanscom Afb, United States | Posted on 05/05/2026 McBride is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) management and IT consulting firm with significant professional services experience that includes IT transformation, project management, digital transformation, strategic planning, business process improvement, change management, human capital management, disaster recovery, and operations. Job Description McBride Consulting has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer providing support to the Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management Division (C3BM). Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management (C3BM) has been tasked with delivering an integrated Department of the Air Force (DAF) Battle Network providing resilient decision advantage and enabling the USAF, USSF, Joint, and Coalition Force to win against the pacing challenge. C3BM supports execution in many different focus areas. C3BM’s main efforts are Architecture and Systems Engineering (ASE), Operational Response Team (ORT), and multiple mission integration teams such as Air, Maritime and multiple acquisitions consisting of both the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and Space. This is a full-time position that can be worked out of Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA. Duties include, but not limited to: General Software Engineering & Development Assess feasibility through analysis, problem definition, and solution evaluation. Document and demonstrate solutions using diagrams, code, and documentation. Improve operations by analyzing systems and recommending procedural changes. Acquire and license software by coordinating with vendors and testing products. Analyze and summarize development and service issues to inform stakeholders. Support mission goals by completing engineering tasks as required. Perform SQA to ensure software meets defined quality standards. Collaborate in Agile teams to design, code, test, and review software and scripts. Contribute to build, deployment, and documentation tasks as needed. Support all phases of the acquisition lifecycle through engineering activities and documentation (e.g., AoA, SEP, CDR). Conduct system architecture analysis, including feasibility studies and state-of-the-art assessments. Develop and document system architectures, identify gaps, and recommend solutions using traditional or MBSE approaches. Maintain system architecture and interoperability requirements. Define operational requirements and interactions to support system development. Translate user needs into system-level requirements using DoD acquisition practices. Analyze training systems and simulators, and evaluate their designs. Acquisition Support Apply DoD acquisition and sustainment engineering processes across product life cycles. Prepare/review specifications and apply modeling/simulation to optimize performance. Develop and integrate milestone documentation and reports per DoD/AF policies. Review contractor drawings for compliance with specifications and standards. Technical Management Support all system engineering activities: requirements, design, verification, risk, interfaces, and configuration management. Share lessons learned and best practices while respecting proprietary constraints. Conduct market research, trade studies, and system evaluations to guide decisions. Analyze performance, cost, reliability, and risk to support technical recommendations. Develop and execute test plans and evaluate test results for acquisition support. Support logistics, maintenance, configuration, and supply chain efforts, including alternate sourcing for obsolescence issues. Requirements Citizenship: Must be a US citizen Minimum Required Qualifications Clearance: Must have and be able to maintain a Top Secret Level Clearance with current SCI eligibility Preferred Qualifications Education: Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a related field Years of experience: 20+ years of experience with 12+ years of experience in the DoD Experience with Information Technology (IT) systems and the design, development, testing, evaluation, and maintenance of software, including software Verification and Validation (V&V). Personnel must meet Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II certification requirements per DoD 8570.01-M. Experience across the full software development lifecycle for DoD systems, including architecture, design, implementation, testing, documentation, delivery, and sustainment, with knowledge of software engineering best practices (coding standards, code reviews, source control, build processes, and configuration management). Familiarity with Electronic Warfare and/or Air Combat operations, including live aircrew training, tactics development, and range infrastructure systems (desired). Experience developing networked protocols in Windows and Linux environments (desired). Additional Information Location: Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA 401(k) Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Referral program Vision insurance Our people and culture McBride is an Equal Opportunity Employer. McBride Consulting does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. #J-18808-Ljbffr