Principal Software Engineer, Group Lead (HHS)

About Skylight

Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services. We’re at the forefront of a civic movement to reinvent how all levels of government serve families, patients, and many others in today's digital world.

If you want to play a part in driving this critical movement forward, we’d love for you to join our growing team of public interest technologists. The work we do matters.

About the job

At Skylight, group leads combine hands-on technical expertise with leadership across multiple teams. They set direction, guide engineering practices, and create the conditions for technical delivery that is secure, resilient, and scalable.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching one of the most ambitious transformations in government — and this is a rare chance to be part of it. You’ll join a high-impact team of product managers, researchers, designers, engineers, and security experts working side-by-side with HHS leadership to modernize the systems people rely on to access healthcare, strengthen cybersecurity that protects personal data, launch secure digital services used by tens of millions every day, and integrate data and AI responsibly into daily work across the department so teams at every level can make smarter, safer decisions that protect both people and systems.

As a software engineering group lead on this project, you’ll set the technical direction across squads while staying hands-on with the work. You’ll mentor and support technical leads and engineers specializing in DevOps, security, and data; uphold modern engineering and security standards; and partner with product and design leadership to deliver secure, user-centered solutions. Just as importantly, you’ll enable federal teams to sustain improvements by embedding modern practices, automation, and reusable playbooks that continue delivering value long after the contract ends.

What you’ll do

• Manage and mentor technical leads and engineers specializing in DevOps, security, and data across squads
• Provide architectural guidance and technical oversight for cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Appian)
• Standardize engineering practices across squads, including continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), infrastructure as code (IaC), observability, and secure DevOps
• Partner with product and design leads to ensure technical delivery aligns with user needs and HHS OCIO priorities
• Embed compliance and security into delivery from the start, supporting evidence automation and continuous Authority to Operate (ATO) practices
• Translate leadership direction from HHS CIO/CTO into practical, secure technical solutions
• Collaborate with government technical leaders as a trusted peer, advising on enterprise modernization
• Help federal staff sustain improvements by providing training, mentoring, and reusable tools

What we're looking for

Minimum qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams delivering complex, production systems at enterprise scale
• Hands-on skills in modern engineering practices such as CI/CD, automated testing, infrastructure as code, and observability
• Deep knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, Salesforce, ServiceNow, or similar)
• Clear communication skills with both executives and cross-functional teams
• Ability to mentor engineers, provide architectural direction, and uphold the engineering bar
• Ability to work effectively in a professional services environment
• Passion for improving public outcomes through great government services
• A mindset and work approach that align with Skylight’s core values

Nice-to-have qualifications

• Experience building and scaling engineering teams or founding new teams
• Familiarity with secure software practices and compliance frameworks (e.g., the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program [FedRAMP], NIST 800-53, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act [FISMA])
• Experience with containers and orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Background in platform engineering, application modernization, or enterprise shared services
• Familiarity with continuous ATO and evidence automation
• Experience guiding cost, performance, and reliability tradeoffs across multiple teams
• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing engineering practices across organizations
• Experience working effectively on hybrid or distributed teams
• Ability to spend time on-site at HHS in Washington, DC — either by being based locally or by traveling