Principal Engineer, Mission Software

Quindar; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Healthcare benefits

401(k) matching

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Quindar is seeking a Principal Engineer, Mission Systems to lead C2 and Ground Systems Integration teams. You will guide technical strategy, architecture, and hands-on development for mission-critical space operations programs with government and commercial customers.

The role blends systems engineering, software development, and people leadership in a hybrid work setting with three days in the office. You will influence product direction and drive scalable solutions across complex programs.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex software engineering efforts in aerospace, defense, mission operations, autonomy, robotics, or other high-reliability domains.
• Strong software architecture experience across distributed systems, backend infrastructure, APIs, operator tooling, and mission-critical applications.
• Experience serving as a technical lead or chief engineer on large-scale government or customer programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary engineering team focused on C2 software and Ground Systems Integration.
• Drive technical execution across mission systems programs balancing delivery timelines, reliability, and architectural scalability.
• Define and evolve software architecture across distributed systems and operator tooling.

Skills

Leadership

Software architecture

Mission systems

Systems integration

Mentorship

Education

Bachelors degree

Tools

Git

Linux

Job description

What You'll Be Doing

We're looking for a Principal Engineer, Mission Systems to lead Quindar's Command & Control (C2) and Ground Systems Integration teams. This role combines technical leadership, software and systems architecture, and people management to deliver mission-critical capabilities for commercial and government space operations.

You’ll lead a focused team of engineers building world-class command and control software while also serving as a systems and software architect on strategic customer programs that apply Quindar's platform to complex government and defense use cases. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong program leadership, and the ability to bridge product development with mission-specific integration efforts.

This is a hybrid role with 3 days in office. We aim to maximize the benefits of in-person collaboration while maintaining flexibility through a remote-friendly work environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary engineering team focused on Command & Control (C2) software and Ground Systems Integration capabilities
• Drive technical execution across mission systems programs, balancing delivery timelines, system reliability, and long-term architectural scalability
• Serve as system and software architect for strategic government and defense programs leveraging Quindar's platform
• Define and evolve software architecture across distributed systems, mission operations tooling, integration layers, and operator-facing applications
• Collaborate closely with product, mission operations, customer success, and executive leadership to translate mission requirements into scalable technical solutions
• Guide the team through complex integration efforts involving third-party systems, mission partners, and government stakeholders
• Maintain hands-on involvement in technical design and software development, contributing directly to architecture reviews, implementation strategy, and critical code paths
• Support hiring and organizational growth for mission software engineering functions
• Mentor engineers and technical leads, helping develop technical depth, ownership, and leadership across the organization
• Coordinate with Engineering and Product leadership to proactively identify architectural gaps, technical risks, and cross-team dependencies
• Contribute to engineering standards, operational excellence, incident response processes, and post-mortem reviews
• Communicate technical concepts, program status, and architectural decisions clearly across technical and non-technical stakeholders

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex software engineering efforts in aerospace, defense, mission operations, autonomy, robotics, or other high-reliability domains
• Strong software architecture experience across distributed systems, backend infrastructure, APIs, operator tooling, and mission-critical applications
• Experience serving as a technical lead, systems architect, or chief engineer on large-scale customer or government programs
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor engineering teams while remaining deeply technical and hands-on
• Experience integrating software systems across multiple teams, vendors, or external mission partners
• Strong understanding of software development life cycles, systems engineering principles, and Agile development methodologies
• Ability to code and review production-quality code in languages relevant to Quindar's technology stack
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to align technical execution with strategic mission objectives
• Strong organizational and program leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive execution across parallel efforts
• Experience working with government customers, defense programs, or regulated environments is a strong plus
• Ability to obtain U.S. Security Clearance (Active clearance strongly preferred)

ITAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Why You’ll Love Working at Quindar

• We take work-life balance seriously. We require employees to take 15 days off while offering unlimited PTO and observing most U.S. federal holidays.
• Mental health is just as important as physical health, so we provide quarterly wellness benefits.
• Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family with 100% employee coverage.
• 4% 401(k) matching to help employees invest in their future.
• Quarterly 4-day company offsites. Previous locations include San Francisco, Nashville, Denver, Santa Fe, New Orleans, and San Diego.
• Our culture and company are evolving rapidly - you'll play a major role in shaping the future of mission operations software at Quindar.