SME Computer Software Engineer

Prescient Edge; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Prescient Edge is seeking a Software Engineer SME to support a federal government client in a mission-critical environment. The role emphasizes leadership in design, development, integration, and sustainment of software solutions for real-time systems and data pipelines.

Ideal candidates bring military experience and strong engineering background, with active Secret/ability to obtain Secret clearance. Hybrid work in San Diego with up to 25% travel.

Qualifications

• Degree optional; experience may substitute.
• U.S. government/DoD context experience is valued.
• Proven software design, development, and testing skills.
• Experience with real-time and mission-critical systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, integration, and sustainment of software solutions.
• Develop and maintain software applications for tactical and enterprise environments.
• Translate military requirements into practical software solutions.
• Lead software integration, testing, and troubleshooting across environments.
• Provide mentorship bridging operational and software engineering practices.

Skills

Military experience

Software engineering

System integration

Technical leadership

Education

CS/Engineering degree

Tools

MS Office

Visio

AutoCAD

Job description

Description

Prescient Edge is seeking SME Computer Software Engineer to support a federal government client.

Benefits & Compensation

• A competitive salary with performance bonus opportunities.
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits, including medical, vision, dental, and orthodontia coverage.
• A substantial retirement plan with no vesting schedule. Career development opportunities, including on-the-job training, tuition reimbursement, and networking.
• A positive work environment where employees are respected, supported, and engaged.
• Salary range: $97,000 - $150,000. Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills and the abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Description

• Software Engineering Subject Matter Expert (SME)/Engineer supporting mission-critical systems, providing technical leadership in the design, development, integration, and sustainment of operational software solutions.
• Design, develop, and maintain software applications and services for tactical and enterprise environments, including real-time systems, data processing pipelines, and mission system interfaces.
• Leverage prior military operational experience to translate mission requirements, CONOPS, and operator needs into practical software solutions that improve mission effectiveness, reliability, and usability.
• Lead software integration, testing, and troubleshooting activities across development, lab, and operational environments, ensuring systems remain mission-ready and compliant with operational requirements.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders, engineers, and operators to support system architecture design, capability enhancements, and technology insertion across existing mission platforms.
• Support software lifecycle activities including requirements development, configuration management, version control, cybersecurity compliance, and documentation in accordance with government and DoD development standards.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to development teams, helping bridge operational experience with modern software engineering practices to ensure mission-focused solutions.

Requirements

• US Navy, USCG, Marine Corps, or SOCOM experience required.
• Military unmanned or manned aircraft, ships, or equipment experience is required.
• Petty Officers, Marines, or Coast Guard personnel with communications, network, system admin, engineering, or software experience.
• Computer Software SME/Engineer with engineering, systems, technical degree and 4+ years military experience OR SME in technical field with some college and 12+ years military experience.
• 10+ years military experience may substitute for degree (SME level).
• Testing or hands-on experience with network, computer, and tactical systems (operations of GCCS, MSS, other common operating systems are a plus).
• Understanding of System Engineering Life Cycle (SELC).
• Proficiency with MS products (Excel, Word, PPT).
• Proficiency with Visio, AutoCAD, or similar diagram tools.
• Familiarity with AI model usage (LLMs).
• Hands-on software engineering, integration, testing, troubleshooting, or tactical system experience within military operational environments.

Education

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems, or Technical discipline preferred but not required. Experience may substitute.
• Degree preferred but not required, experience over degree.

Security Clearance

• Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain a Secret (or higher).

Location

• San Diego, CA
• Travel: Up to 25%
• Work Schedule: Hybrid – 3 days in Government facility and 2 days remote