Principal Software Engineer 4 with TS/SCI + Poly

Aperio Global; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 207,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan

Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Disability - Short & Long Term

Professional Development

Job summary

Aperio Global, based in the Fort Meade area, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to join the Advanced Analytics Team. The role focuses on analyzing software requirements, designing innovative solutions, and delivering high-performance applications that advance mission objectives.

The ideal candidate has a TS/SCI with Poly clearance, a strong background in low-level software development, and experience with operating system internals, C/C++, and Python.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus 11-years of relevant experience or equivalent.
• Proficiency with Python, and ability to read/understand C/C++, and Assembly (x86).
• Experience with software architecture, operating system internals, compilers, and debugging.
• Comfortable working with operating system internals, low-level software development, file I/O, system APIs, memory management, and executable program analysis.

Responsibilities

• Analyze software requirements, design innovative technical solutions, develop software applications.
• Implement high-performance capabilities supporting advanced mission objectives.
• Design, develop, test, debug, and maintain software applications.
• Translate conceptual designs into scalable software architectures.

Skills

Python

C/C++

Assembly (x86)

Software architecture

Operating system design

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

How We’re Different

We believe the highest-impact work in national security and technology is a team sport. At Aperio Global, we operate as a single, cohesive force aligned on a handful of mission-critical efforts where our work truly moves the needle. We don’t chase small wins. We solve for next.

We view the intersection of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analytics as an empirical discipline as rigorous and consequential as any field in science or engineering. That means we bring intellectual honesty, accountability, and transparency to every problem we take on. Our team includes tech innovators, Intelligence Community veterans, and security professionals who know that the best solutions come from diverse minds working toward a common mission. We value our people, those working quietly behind the scenes, doing the hard work that keeps our nation secure.

The best way to understand how we think is to see what we’ve built. From full-spectrum cyber operations and de-biased AI platforms to quantum networking and cloud-native software systems, our work speaks for itself.

Come solve with us

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package — including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, generous paid time off, short and long-term disability, professional development, and much more. We invest in our people because they are our most important asset — and because the mission demands the best.

Aperio Global is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to support the exciting Advanced Analytics Team mission. Engineer will work closely with mission stakeholders to analyze software requirements, design innovative technical solutions, develop software applications, and implement high-performance capabilities supporting advanced mission objectives.

Mission Focus: Design, develop, test, debug, and maintain software applications supporting mission requirements. Analyze customer needs, develop software prototypes, engineer technical solutions, implement algorithms, and translate conceptual designs into scalable software architectures.

Technical Proficiency: Develop and debug software using object-oriented programming languages; perform software engineering and technical design activities; analyze and understand legacy code; develop efficient algorithms utilizing data structures, dynamic programming, heuristics, and modeling techniques; conduct software testing and troubleshooting; work at the operating system level, including file I/O, system interfaces, and low-level programming concepts; and develop advanced tools for binary analysis, shellcode detection, malware analysis, function identification, and reverse engineering of compiled software.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree plus 11-years of relevant experience or equivalent. Proficiency with Python, and ability to read/understand C/C++, and Assembly (x86). Experience with software architecture, operating system design, compilers, and debugging. Comfortable working with operating system internals, low-level software development, file I/O, system APIs, memory management, and executable program analysis.

Security Clearance: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph required.

Nice to Have:
Familiarity with malware analysis, reverse engineering, and protocol analysis.

Salary range: 207-227

The salary range for this role represents Aperio’s good‑faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting. Placement within the range is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to an individual’s qualifications, relevant experience, education, certifications, technical skills, contract labor categories and/or rates, work location, market conditions, and business needs.

Benefits

At Aperio Global, we understand the value of investing in our most important asset—our employees. That’s why we have crafted a comprehensive benefits package designed to help you make the best decision for yourself, your family and your lifestyle. For additional details, contact our talent acquisition team.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA) with 100% employer match up to 6%
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Professional Development
• (and much more)

Aperio Global is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive workforce where all employees and applicants are treated with respect and fairness. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs — never on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy/childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ethnicity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.