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, Defense & Government Technology.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is seeking a senior-level Software Engineer (Level 5) with an active or obtainable U.S. security clearance to design, build, and maintain mission-focused software for defense and government programs. As part of a cross-functional engineering team, you will deliver secure, high-quality solutions used in operational environments.

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure software systems for mission-critical applications
• Architect and review software for performance, reliability, and security best practices
• Mentor and provide technical leadership to junior and mid-level engineers
• Collaborate with systems engineers, product owners, and security teams to define technical requirements and deliverables
• Contribute to continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines and automation to accelerate delivery
• Participate in design reviews, threat modeling, and secure development lifecycle activities

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Who We’re Looking For

We’re recruiting an experienced software engineer who thrives in mission-driven environments and understands the unique requirements of classified or cleared programs.

• Proven track record building software in production environments
• Experience working on secure, mission-critical, or government-focused systems
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate technical concepts to stakeholders
• Comfortable leading technical efforts and making architectural trade-offs in complex systems
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the required U.S. security clearance for the role (U.S. citizenship may be required)

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Required Qualifications

(Requirements reflect typical expectations for this senior-level, cleared role.)

• Several years of professional software development experience with demonstrated leadership or technical lead responsibilities
• Proficiency in one or more common development languages (for example: Python, Java, C++, or similar)
• Solid software engineering fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, testing, debugging, and version control
• Familiarity with secure coding practices and the secure software development lifecycle
• Experience with modern development workflows (unit testing, code reviews, CI/CD)
• Active security clearance OR ability to successfully obtain the necessary U.S. clearance

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Preferred / Nice to Have

• Prior experience on defense, intelligence, or government programs
• Experience with cloud or containerized environments, distributed systems, or real-time/embedded systems
• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and automated security testing
• Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to team-level process improvements

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Location & Employment Type

This role is based in Washington, Washington, D.C. and is posted as a full-time position. Remote work policies will follow the client’s program requirements.

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Why Join

Join a mission-focused engineering team supporting critical national priorities. Confidential Client offers the opportunity to work on impactful programs, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and advance your career on cleared programs.

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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.