Software Architect / Space Communications Program

Peraton; New Mexico; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton is seeking a Senior Software Architect SME to lead the architecture review and modernization of a large-scale legacy ground system for NASA at White Sands, NM. The role requires guiding a team of engineers, developing living technical documentation, and coordinating with NASA program leadership.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience with legacy systems, formal review gates, and a track record of 5+ engineers led in government programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/SE or related field with 8 years of experience.
• Active Secret security clearance; US citizenship required.
• Ability to access government worksite.
• Experience reading, analyzing, and reverse-engineering legacy codebases in C, C++, Fortran, Ada.

Responsibilities

• Co-lead Architecture Definition Review of legacy codebase (Fortran, Ada, C, C++).
• Develop and update architecture documentation for long-term sustainment.
• Mentor engineers through modernization using AI tools and methods to gain efficiency.
• Define and implement software development processes, toolchain standards, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Drive adoption of agile methodologies including sprint planning and Definition of Done.
• Coordinate with NASA task monitors on technical progress and formal review gates.

Skills

C

C++

Fortran

Ada

AI tools

Architecture reviews

Leadership

Linux/Unix

Agile

JIRA

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/SE or related field

Master's degree in CS/SE or related field

Tools

GitLab

GitHub

Jenkins

CI/CD pipelines

PostgreSQL

Oracle

Confluence

Job description

REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field and 8 years of experience; Master's degree and 6 years of experience.
• Must have an active Secret security clearance and maintain the clearance thereafter.Must be a US Citizen and show proof of citizenship.
• Must be able to maintain ability to access government worksite.
• Demonstrated experience reading, analyzing, and reverse-engineering legacy codebases in one or more of the following languages: C, C++, Fortran, Ada.
• Demonstrated experience using AI to assist in code comprehension and documentation is a plus
• Experience leading formal architecture reviews of systems the candidate did not originally build, including undocumented or minimally documented systems
• Hands-on experience with Linux/Unix-based development environments
• Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle, or equivalent)
• Proficiency with version control systems (GitLab, GitHub, or equivalent)
• Experience establishing or operating within CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins, or equivalent)
• Experience with agile/iterative development methodologies including sprint planning, backlog management, and Definition of Done
• Experience with JIRA or equivalent agile project tracking tools
• Demonstrated experience leading software development or architecture teams of 5 or more engineers
• Experience on programs with formal configuration management, change request processes, and review gates in a government or DoD/NASA environment
• Ability to develop and maintain technical documentation for legacy systems with little or no existing documentation

PREFERRED

• Experience with NASA ground systems, space relay systems, or mission-critical ground software
• Familiarity with AI-assisted code comprehension tools (e.g., AskSage or equivalent approved government AI platforms)
• Experience building or directing API-driven or RAG-based code analysis workflows using Python
• Experience with Oracle, MSSQL; Postgres preferred
• Experience migrating legacy codebases from end-of-life platforms (hardware or OS) to modern environments
• Familiarity with MBSE tools (e.g., MagicDraw/Cameo)
• Experience with Confluence for technical knowledge management

Peraton is seeking a Senior Software Architect SME to support a highly visible program at NASA's White Sands Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This role will lead the architecture review, documentation, and modernization of a large-scale legacy ground system codebase supporting NASA Space Relay network operations. The right candidate brings deep experience with legacy systems, a track record of leading technical teams through complex software recoveries and the ability to operate effectively in a structured government program environment.

Peraton is the prime contractor for NASA at the White Sands Complex (WSC) near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Operating here are two functionally identical satellite ground terminals: The White Sands Ground Terminal, and the Second TDRSS Ground Terminal. These ground terminals ensure uninterrupted communications between various ground stations, NASA's orbiting fleet of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), customer spacecraft (satellites), and the computer systems that support such spacecraft. WSC serves as an interface for distributing satellite data to control centers and scientists who then use the daily influx of data to expand our ever-growing knowledge of the Earth and the universe.

Responsibilities / What you'll do...

• Co-lead the Architecture Definition Review of legacy codebase which is a 35-year-old ground system written in Fortran, Ada, C, and C++
• Develop and update technical architecture documentation for a legacy system to close knowledge gaps and support long-term sustainment
• Mentor a team of software engineers through a structured modernization and platform rehost effort, especially using AI tools and methods to gain efficiency.
• Define and implement software development processes, toolchain standards, and CI/CD pipelines
• Drive adoption of agile methodologies including sprint planning, peer estimation, and Definition of Done enforcement
• Direct AI-assisted code comprehension workflows using NASA-approved tools
• Support the development of backend effort estimates grounded in architecture analysis
• Coordinate with NASA task monitors and program leadership on technical progress and formal review gates
• Maintain and evolve technical documentation as a living knowledge base in support of long-term program sustainment