Principal Software Engineer

Mystic Spear, LLC; Mission (KS); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Mystic Spear, LLC in Mission, KS seeks a Principal Software Engineer to act as chief architect and tech lead on government programs, designing secure, scalable data platforms and containerized, cloud-agnostic stacks that span frontends and backends.

You will guide architecture, mentor engineers, and drive DevSecOps with CI/CD, Docker/Kubernetes, IAM, and compliance to deliver mission-ready, auditable systems.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Engineering.
• Certifications in Security+, Cloud Architecture (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect Professional) or System Security (CISSP) are a plus.
• Total Experience: 10–15+ years in software engineering.
• Role-Specific: 4+ years in Principal, Staff, or high-level Architectural role.
• Strategic Impact: Led 2+ cross-departmental technical initiatives (e.g., migrating to microservices).
• Leadership: Mentoring Senior Engineers and partnering with VP/CTO to define roadmaps.
• Scale: Experience with high-traffic, low-latency systems and build-vs-buy decisions.

Responsibilities

• Multi-Tier Architecture: Design and oversee extensible, multi-tier stacks including frontends (React/Angular/Next.js) and backends (Java/Spring Boot or Node.js).
• DataEngineering & Persistence: Lead data persistence strategies in SQL and NoSQL with Schema-as-Code and ORM layers.
• Security-First Engineering: Architect IAM integrations (SSO, MFA CAC/PIV, OIDC/OAuth2) with audit-ready deployments.
• Modern DevSecOps: Drive CI/CD pipelines and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) for cloud-agnostic environments (AWS, Azure, On-Prem).
• AI & Advanced Analytics Integration: Design gateways for LLMs, deep learning, or real-time sensor processing.
• Automated Workflows & APIs: Build secure RESTful and WebSocket APIs for real-time data exchange and BPM.
• Compliance & Governance: Ensure artifacts meet standards for version control, audit logging, and data retention.

Skills

Architectural leadership

Cloud architecture

Security engineering

DevSecOps

AI integration

Mentoring

API design (REST/WebSocket)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Security+ or CISSP or Cloud Architecture cert.

AWS Solutions Architect Professional

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Java/Spring Boot

React/Angular/Next.js

SQL/NoSQL databases

Job description

PrincipalSoftwareEngineer(Must be eligible for clearance)

Position Summary

As aPrincipalSoftwareEngineer, you will serve as the primary Architect and Technical Lead across multiple high-priority government programs. In this role, you will design and oversee mission-critical, containerized, and cloud-agnostic data-management platforms operating in high-security environments. You will be responsible for architecting and deploying sophisticated technical stacks that range from high-throughput Java-based data ingestion engines to advanced full-stack web applications. The position ensures seamless integration between modern web frontends, secure backends, automated workflows, and internal Large Language Models (LLMs).

The ideal candidate serves as the technical bridge between complex mission requirements and hardened, audit-ready deployments, providing the architectural vision and technical leadership necessary to deliver secure, scalable, and resilient solutions.

Core Responsibilities(includes but not limited to):

Multi-Tier Architecture: Design and oversee extensible, multi-tiersoftwarestacks. This includes architecting decoupled frontends (e.g., React, Angular, Next.js) and robust backends (e.g., Java/Spring Boot for high-concurrency or Node.js for rapid API orchestration).

DataEngineering & Persistence: Lead the strategy for data persistence using both SQL and NoSQL environments. Implement Schema-as-Code and ORM/Data-Access layers to ensure data integrity, portability, and "Mission-Ready" interoperability between legacy and modern systems.

Security-First Engineering: Architect Identity and Access Management (IAM) integrations utilizing SSO, MFA (CAC/PIV), and OIDC/OAuth2. Ensure all development meets stringent security accreditation paths (IL4/IL5) through RBAC and ABAC implementation.

Modern DevSecOps: Drive the adoption of Git-based CI/CD pipelines and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) to ensure code is portable, scanned for vulnerabilities, and rapidly deployable across cloud-agnostic environments (AWS, Azure, or On-Prem).

AI & Advanced Analytics Integration: Design secure "gateways" for integrating advanced capabilities, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), deep learning features, or real-time sensor stream processing.

Automated Workflows & APIs: Build secure, scalable RESTful and WebSocket APIs to facilitate real-time data exchange, automated business logic (BPM), and seamless third-party system integration.

Compliance & Governance: Ensure allsoftwareartifacts meet federal standards for version control, audit logging, and data retention (e.g., NARA standards).

Education

Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science orEngineering.

Certifications: Professional certifications in Security+, Cloud Architecture (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect Professional) or System Security (CISSP) are a significant plus.

Experience

Total Experience: 10–15+ years insoftwareengineering.

Role-Specific: 4+ years in aPrincipal, Staff, or high-level Architectural role.

Strategic Impact: Demonstrated track record of leading 2+ cross-departmental technical initiatives (e.g., migrating a legacy monolith to microservices or implementing an org-wide AI integration).

Leadership: Experience mentoring SeniorEngineers and partnering with executive leadership (VP ofEngineering/CTO) to define technical roadmaps.

Scale: Extensive experience with high-traffic, low-latency systems and "Build vs. Buy" decision-making.

Mystic Spear, LLC is an equal opportunity employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable. All applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, physical/mental disability, medical condition, military/veteran status, genetic information, marital status, ethnicity, alienage or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. By completing this application, you are seeking to join a team of hardworking professionals dedicated to consistently delivering outstanding service to our customers and contributing to the financial success of the organization, its clients, and its employees. Equal access to programs, services, and employment is available to all qualified persons. Those applicants requiring accommodation to complete the application and/or interview process should contact a management representative.