Software Engineer – SME

Unity Compass; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Unity Compass is seeking an experienced Software Engineer – SME to lead design, development, and implementation of mission-critical software for GEOINT operations. The role uses Agile, DevSecOps, and cloud-native practices in secure environments.

You will guide scalable, secure applications and data services powering GEOINT production and user interfaces, collaborating with product owners, solution architects, and cross-functional agile teams.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required for contract
• 12–15 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or 10–13 years with a Master’s degree
• Proficient with web technologies (HTML, CSS, JSON, Ajax, REST APIs) and programming languages (Python, Java, JavaScript)
• Experience building microservices/APIs and cloud-native, secure solutions
• Strong DevSecOps, Agile, and cybersecurity standards knowledge
• Experience in classified AWS/GovCloud environments and CI/CD tooling

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of mission-critical software for GEOINT
• Build and maintain enterprise microservices and APIs for GEOINT data workflows
• Lead agile sprints and enforce DevSecOps best practices
• Deploy containerized services in classified cloud environments
• Mentor engineers and contribute to technical roadmaps

Skills

GEOINT

AWS.GovCloud

DevSecOps

Docker

Kubernetes

REST APIs

CI/CD

Agile/Scrum

Jira/Confluence

JavaScript/Python/Java

Education

Bachelors in CS/Software Engineering or related

Tools

Docker/Kubernetes

Terraform/CloudFormation

GitLab CI/CD/Jenkins

SonarQube/Nexus/Keycloak/Vault

REST API design

HTML/CSS/JSON/Ajax

SQL (MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQL Server)

Windows/Linux

Git

Job description

• [e-mail]
• Job Type: On-site
• Pay Range: $110,000 - $215,000
• Clearance Required: Top Secret/SCI

Job Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer – Subject Matter Expert (SME) to lead the design, development, and implementation of advanced, mission-critical software solutions. This position supports enterprise-level geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) operations through modern Agile, DevSecOps, and cloud-native practices. In this role, you will guide the development of scalable, secure applications and data services that power GEOINT production and mission user interfaces. You will collaborate closely with product owners, solution architects, and cross-functional agile teams to deliver high-performance solutions within secure, classified cloud environments.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead software engineer and technical advisor for mission applications under the Chinook program.
• Design, build, and maintain enterprise-grade microservices and APIs that support GEOINT data workflows.
• Lead agile development sprints, provide guidance on architectural decisions, and enforce DevSecOps best practices.
• Build and optimize containerized applications for deployment in classified AWS (C2S/GovCloud) or IC ITE environments.
• Collaborate with customer stakeholders, analysts, and development teams to translate mission needs into software solutions.
• Ensure solutions comply with customer and IC-wide cybersecurity, data governance, and open standards (OGC, NSG, etc.).
• Mentor junior engineers, provide code reviews, and contribute to technical roadmap and documentation.

Basic Qualifications:

• US citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Master’s with 10-13 years of prior relevant experience.
• Proficient with the following technologies:
  • Web: HTML, CSS, JSON, Ajax, and REST APIs
  • Object-oriented Programming: Python, Java, and JavaScript
  • Advanced Programming: Go
  • Front-end and Back-end Frameworks: React, Angular, Vue.js, jQuery, Spring Boot, Django, Node.js, Flask, or Svelte.
  • Cloud Development: AWS, Azure, or similar cloud platforms
  • Relational Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server
  • Operating System: Windows, Linux
  • Version Control System: Git
• Proficiency with AWS (C2S/GovCloud) and Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CloudFormation).
• Established experience building and deploying containerized services (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Solid understanding of DevSecOps tools: GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, SonarQube, Nexus, Keycloak, Vault.
• In depth knowledge of Agile/Scrum practices and tools (JIRA, Confluence)
• Solid understanding of customer specific data types and standards, such as OGC WMS/WFS, NSG, and GEOINT workflows.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Frontend Web Development: UI/UX
• NoSQL Database: OpenSearch/Elasticsearch.
• Multi-cloud architectures: AWS, IBM, Google, Azure, and Oracle.
• Specific AWS Services: S3, SQS, SNS, EC2, CloudFormation and RDS.
• Knowledge of Customer’s GEOINT Functional Requirements, or related IC systems.
• Advanced certifications such as AWS Certified Developer or Solutions Architect, CISSP, SAFe Agile or similar.