Chief Engineer/Principal Software Engineer

CACI International Inc; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 115,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

CACI International Inc. seeks a Chief Engineer/Principal Software Engineer to lead the execution of a large-scale government data lake project.

You will drive delivery strategy, mentor 45+ engineers, and ensure robust software development standards within classified environments. You will translate architecture into scalable outputs, manage APIs and data ingestion, and partner with the Chief Architect to align mission goals with technical delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, with 10+ years of software engineering experience.
• Clearance: Active TS/SCI Security Clearance.
• Proven experience leading large-scale teams (35+ personnel) in classified environments.
• Extensive AWS cloud deployments, data engineering, distributed systems, and Kubernetes-based deployments.
• Experience leading Agile initiatives, distributed teams, code quality assessments, and testing validation.

Responsibilities

• Own the implementation plans, technical roadmaps and delivery schedules, translating high-level designs into actionable development sprints and releases.
• Lead, mentor, and upskill a distributed team across the full SDLC in classified environments.
• Establish robust coding standards, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps workflows for consistent delivery across squads.
• Oversee API development, integration, and security for data ingestion and external APIs.
• Drive Continuous Delivery, automated testing, infrastructure-as-code, and container orchestration while balancing feature delivery with technical debt reduction.
• Serve as primary technical interface to leadership, government customers, and subcontractor teams.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional comms

Agile

Delivery management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD

Job description

Job Title: Chief Engineer/Principal Software Engineer

Job Category: Engineering

Time Type: Full time

Minimum Clearance Required to Start: TS/SCI

Employee Type: Regular

Percentage of Travel Required: Up to 25%

Type of Travel: Continental US

Anticipated Posting End: 10/30/2026

The Opportunity

We are seeking a talented and motivated Chief Engineer to lead the \"how\" and \"when\" of technical execution for a large-scale government program. Partnering closely with our Chief Architect - who defines the long-term technical vision and system design - you will focus on delivery management, operational rigor, engineering standards, and team enablement. Leading a distributed team of 45+ engineers, you will provide end-to-end technical execution oversight for a modern data lake system supporting national critical operations.

In this role, you will translate architectural blueprints and complex requirements into scalable, disciplined, and predictable delivery—cultivating strong customer relationships to deeply understand mission needs and successfully realize them through execution.

Tech Ecosystem & Domain Scope

• Modern Data Lake Platform: Drive the execution and delivery of a high-throughput, scalable data lake solution utilizing a modern technology stack hosted on AWS.
• Massive Scale & Integration: Oversee the operational execution for a large volume of diverse data inputs, a broad user base, and an even larger downstream consumer community.
• External Interfaces: Oversee the development, integration, and ongoing maintenance of various APIs supporting external data users and producers.

Responsibilities

• Execution & Delivery Strategy: Own the implementation plans, technical roadmaps and delivery schedules, translating the Chief Architect's high-level designs into actionable, high-quality development sprints and releases.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead, mentor, and upskill a team of engineers across the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) within classified government environments.
• Engineering Standards & Processes: Establish robust coding standards, code review practices, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps workflows to ensure consistent, repeatable software delivery across all squads.
• API & Integration Oversight: Ensure high availability, performance, and security for critical data ingestion pipelines and external producer/consumer APIs through rigorous engineering management.
• Quality & Technical Debt Management: Drive Continuous Delivery, automated testing, infrastructure-as-code, and container orchestration while balancing feature delivery with technical debt reduction.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a primary technical interface to leadership, government customers, and subcontractor teams, leading Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) and aligning execution with mission goals.
• Risk & Resource Management: Proactively identify and mitigate technical, operational, and cross-team dependency risks while championing engineering best practices.

Qualifications

Required:

• Clearance: Active TS/SCI Security Clearance.
• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, with 10+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Leadership Track Record: Proven experience as a Chief Engineer or senior technical delivery leader guiding large-scale teams (35+ personnel) through full SDLC in classified environments (Note: architectural vision is covered by our Chief Architect, so this role centers on execution, delivery, and team enablement).
• Technical Execution & Operations: Extensive experience managing large-scale system deployments on cloud platforms (AWS), data engineering, distributed system principles, and Kubernetes-based deployments.
• Methodologies: Proven experience leading Agile initiatives, distributed engineering teams, code quality assessments, and testing validation across multi-site workforces.
• Additional Skills: Strong cross-functional communication, interpersonal collaboration, and the ability to manage multiple technical delivery tasks under tight deadlines.

Desired

• Clearance: Active TS/SCI with adjudicated Polygraph.
• Business Acumen: Ability to align engineering execution with programmatic and organizational goals.
• Advanced Tech: Hands-on experience with modern data stack tooling, containerization (Docker), DevOps pipelines, and serverless computing.
• Domain Expertise: Direct experience in intelligence community data systems, SIGINT/GEOINT mission processing, satellite tasking, or large-scale data lake implementations.
• Mission Experience: Direct experience in one or more mission areas:
  • GEOINT mission planning and processing
  • Satellite command and control systems
  • Advanced mission and payload planning for satellite operations

What You Can Expect

A culture of integrity.

At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you’ll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer’s missions and driven by a higher purpose – to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust.

CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You’ll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth.

Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground — in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications. Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as;

• healthcare
• wellness
• financial
• retirement
• family support
• continuing education
• time off benefits

Since this position can be worked in more than one location, the range shown is the national average for the position.

The Proposed Salary Range For This Position Is

$114,600-$252,100

CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.