Principal Software Engineer (Onsite)

Date Posted:

2026-05-21

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-AL-HUNTSVILLE-401 ~ 401 Jan Davis Dr NW ~ JAN DAVIS 401

Position Role Type:

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.​ U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance​

Security Clearance Type:

DoD Clearance: Secret

Security Clearance Status:

Ability to obtain INTERIM U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date

At Raytheon, the foundation of everything we do is rooted in our values and a higher calling – to help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression. We bring the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. Our team solves tough, meaningful problems that create a safer, more secure world.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will support one or more phases of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) - requirements, design, development (using C and C++), test, validation, and maintenance.

This is an onsite role based in Huntsville, AL.

What You Will Do

• Collaborate with cross-functional, agile teams to define, design, and implement new features, ensuring system integration and scalability.

• Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize existing code for performance and efficiency in complex environments.

• Write and maintain comprehensive documentation for software applications, including system architecture and design specifications.

• Participate in product reviews and ensure adherence to engineering standards and best practices.

• Stay current with industry trends and advancements in modern languages, Artificial Intelligence (AI), DevSecOps, and other methodologies and technologies, especially in relation to complex systems.

• Exhibit leadership behaviors and practices and serve (part-time or full-time) in leadership roles 

• Travel and off hours testing (2nd or 3rd shift) may occasionally be required.

What You Will Learn

• Agile methodology and the associated tools.

• Leadership tools associated with Proposal efforts and Earned Value (EV)

• Modern DevSecOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery techniques.

• Test-Driven Multi-Disciplined Capability (TDMC) Product Development methodology.

• A variety of domains such as battle management, command & control, communications, radar, missile, and/or modeling & simulation

• Work across engineering disciplines to develop solutions to complex problems in support of defense systems.

• Use AI to increase efficiency, resulting in higher quality products, across the SDLC.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Typically requires a minimum of a bachelor’s in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 8 years of experience.

• Experience in leading a small team (e.g., estimating effort, decomposing tasks, tracking and reporting progress).

• Experience in developing complex systems and applications using an object-oriented (OO) programming language (in particular, C++).

• Experience in a Unix/Linux operating system.

• Experience with data structures, software design principles, and coding algorithms, particularly in high-concurrency and distributed systems.

• Experience in embedded systems, real-time systems, or large-scale applications.

• Experience with multithreading, memory management, and performance optimization in complex environments.

• Experience with Shell Scripting (tcsh, csh, bash), software development tools like Git/Clearcase, and software debuggers

• Experience with software development methodologies (Agile, Scrum, etc.).

• The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued interim secret security clearance is required prior to start. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Qualifications We Prefer

• Active Secret security clearance.

• Experience in the role as a Scrum Master (SM) and/or a Product Owner (PO). 

• Experience with Network Communication Protocols and using embedded Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS), such as VxWorks and Integrity.

• Experience in OO languages such as Java, C#, and Ada.

• Competency with Red Hat Enterprise Linux Opera