Lead, Software Engineer
The Lead Software Engineer at Confidential Client leads the design and development of advanced electro-optical software systems for military applications, guiding a team through the full software development lifecycle. This role combines technical expertise with strategic leadership to deliver high-quality, mission-critical software solutions that enhance national security, while fostering a collaborative and productive team environment.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, a Confidential Client in the Technology, Information and Media industry.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
About the Client
Confidential Client is a leading provider in the Technology, Information and Media industry delivering mission-focused software solutions. They design and ship high-reliability electro‑optical and embedded systems used in defense and aerospace contexts. This role will support projects that require close collaboration with systems and hardware teams and adherence to DoD security practices.
About the Role
You will lead a software engineering team responsible for designing, developing, integrating, and delivering electro‑optical software systems. This is a hands-on leadership role combining technical direction, architecture, engineering execution, and team development. The position supports a 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off) and requires U.S. citizenship due to DoD security clearance requirements.
What You’ll Do
- Lead design, development, and integration of electro‑optical and embedded software systems, converting customer/system requirements into technical deliverables.
- Drive the full software lifecycle: requirements analysis, architecture, implementation, verification, and deployment.
- Define and enforce coding standards, quality processes, and best practices.
- Conduct design and code reviews and mentor engineers to raise team capability.
- Collaborate with electrical, systems, test, and product teams to ensure successful system integration.
- Manage team operations including performance feedback, resource planning, and hiring support.
- Participate in engineering proposals, cost estimating, and Basis of Estimate (BOE) development.
- Work with EVMS (Earned Value Management Systems) and contribute to technical/cost proposal inputs.
- Employ modern DevSecOps practices: CI/CD, containerization, and cloud-native tools where applicable.
- Prepare technical documentation, status updates, and stakeholder presentations.
- Travel up to 20% for customer engagements, testing, and occasional international work.
Qualifications
- U.S. citizenship required and ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) security clearance.
- Education / experience: bachelor’s degree + 9 years relevant experience, or graduate degree + 7 years; OR 13+ years related experience without a degree.
- Ability to obtain Security+ certification within 60 days of hire.
- Strong programming experience in one or more of: C++, Java, QNX, and Python.
- Experience with embedded systems, electro‑optical software, or real‑time OS environments.
- Familiarity with EVMS, proposal development, and cost estimating is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated people leadership: mentoring, hiring, performance management.
- Experience applying DevSecOps tooling (CI/CD pipelines, containerization) in production workflows.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and experience presenting technical content to stakeholders.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $117,000 — $218,000 per year (range reflects variations by location, experience, and qualifications).
- Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability coverage, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), tuition assistance, paid time off, parental leave, and company holidays.
- Flexible 9/80 schedule for improved work-life balance.
Location & Work Authorization
- Primary work location: Colorado Springs, CO (on-site or as required for system integration/testing).
- U.S. citizenship and eligibility for DoD security clearance are required.
- Occasional travel (up to 20%), domestic and possible international assignments.
Why Apply via Careertakes
Careertakes is a third‑party recruiting partner for this role. Applying through the Careertakes platform connects you to this opportunity with a Confidential Client and may surface additional matched roles based on your profile. We follow best-practice candidate communications and work with the hiring team to ensure a fair, timely process.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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