Software Engineer

Core4ce; Kentucky; On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Training and certifications

Tuition assistance

Paid parental leave

PTO and holidays

The Forge innovation program

Job summary

Core4ce is seeking a highly experienced Software Engineer IV to provide technical leadership in the design, development, and implementation of complex software solutions supporting mission-critical government programs.

The role requires advanced software engineering expertise and the ability to lead technical teams, mentor junior engineers, and interface with government stakeholders. Candidates should apply independent judgment and strong problem-solving skills to deliver tailored solutions.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance preferred; Public Trust or higher may be considered if eligible to obtain TS/SCI.
• 10+ years in software engineering with strong backend or full-stack experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python for developing, debugging, and maintaining applications, scripts, and tooling.
• Solid working knowledge of Git and distributed version-control concepts.
• Practical experience building, running, debugging, and troubleshooting containerized applications.
• Experience leading software development efforts and providing technical guidance to engineering teams.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain scalable, secure software applications and backend services.
• Develop and support microservices, REST APIs, event-driven systems, and containerized apps using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Debug and troubleshoot complex application, integration, container, and distributed-system issues.
• Write clean, well-documented code following engineering standards and best practices.
• Participate in code reviews and automated testing (unit, integration, regression, smoke).
• Collaborate with engineers, cybersecurity personnel, leadership, and government stakeholders on mission-focused solutions.
• Provide technical direction, mentorship, and guidance to junior and mid-level engineers.

Skills

Python

Leadership

Code reviews

Debugging

Software design

Documentation

Git

Education

Master's degree in Engineering/CS/IT

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced Software Engineer IV to provide technical leadership in the design, development, and implementation of complex software solutions supporting mission-critical government programs.

This role requires advanced expertise in software engineering, computer science, and information technology, along with the ability to lead technical teams, mentor junior engineers, and interface directly with government stakeholders. The ideal candidate will apply independent judgment, strong software engineering fundamentals, and innovative problem-solving skills to develop solutions tailored to unique government and mission requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain scalable, secure, and reliable software applications and backend services.
• Develop and support microservices, REST APIs, event-driven systems, and containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Debug and troubleshoot complex application, integration, container, and distributed-system issues.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code in accordance with established engineering standards and best practices.
• Participate in code reviews and automated testing, including unit, integration, regression, and smoke testing.
• Collaborate with software engineers, systems engineers, cybersecurity personnel, program leadership, and government stakeholders to deliver mission-focused technical solutions.
• Provide technical direction, mentorship, and guidance to junior and mid-level software engineers.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, engineering artifacts, deployment documentation, reports, and other program deliverables.
• Support Agile development processes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Independently investigate technical problems, identify root causes, evaluate solutions, and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure software solutions meet applicable security, performance, reliability, and mission requirements.

*This position is designed to be flexible, with responsibilities evolving to meet business needs and enable individual growth.

Requirements

• Active TS/SCI clearance preferred. Candidates with an active Public Trust clearance or higher may be considered if eligible to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.
• 10 years in software engineering, with strong background in backend or full-stack development.
• Strong proficiency with Python, including the ability to independently develop, debug, and maintain Python applications, scripts, and development tooling.
• Strong working knowledge of Git and distributed version-control concepts.
• Practical experience building, running, debugging, and troubleshooting applications using containerized development tools.
• Demonstrated experience leading software development efforts and providing technical guidance to engineering teams.
• Strong technical writing and documentation skills.

Highly Desired Qualifications

• Experience developing in WSL, Linux, or comparable Unix-based development environments.
• Experience designing, developing, and deploying cloud-native applications.
• Experience implementing and supporting event-driven architectures.
• Strong understanding of secure software development practices and cybersecurity principles.
• Practical experience working in Agile environments utilizing the Scrum framework.
• Scrum-related developer certifications and demonstrated Agile development experience.
• Kubernetes certifications such as:
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
• Experience developing and deploying containerized applications using Kubernetes and related technologies.
• Master's of Science degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field.

Why Work for Us?

Core4ce is a team of innovators, self-starters, and critical thinkers-driven by a shared mission to strengthen national security and advance warfighting outcomes.

We offer:

• 401(k) with 100% company match on the first 6% deferred, with immediate vesting
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage-employee portion paid 100% by Core4ce
• Unlimited access to training and certifications, with no pre-set cap on eligible professional development
• Tuition assistance for job-related degrees and courses
• Paid parental leave, PTO that grows with tenure, and generous holiday schedules
• Got a big idea? At Core4ce, The Forge gives every employee the chance to propose bold innovations and help bring them to life with internal backing.

Join us to build a career that matters-supported by a company that invests in you.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, veteran status, age, genetic information, or other legally protected status.
*Core4ce provides the listed pay range for this position as a general guideline only and not as a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final offers may take into account a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, market data alignment, any applicable collective bargaining agreement, and other legal requirements.