Software Engineering Manger

Peraton; New Mexico; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton’s White Sands Complex near Las Cruces, NM seeks a Software Engineering Manager to lead the WSC Software Engineering Department, overseeing three groups and about 30 engineers. You will steer day-to-day operations, align with NASA, and drive modernization initiatives.

You will champion agile practices, mentor staff, participate in reviews, and coordinate with multiple site teams to meet the customer’s evolving needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS or engineering.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible software engineering experience.
• 5 years managing medium/large teams (20–30 engineers).
• Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle).
• Proficiency with version control (GitLab, GitHub).
• Experience establishing or operating CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins).
• Ability to communicate effectively with subordinates, peers, and the NASA customer.
• Must be able to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance (Interim Secret acceptable).
• US citizenship and ability to access government worksite.

Responsibilities

• Manage and direct day-to-day operations of the department, prioritizing tasks and ensuring customer expectations are met.
• Collaborate with all WSC departments to meet technical, operational, budgetary, schedule, and maintenance requirements.
• Lead a team of software engineers through modernization and platform rehost, leveraging AI tools to gain efficiency.
• Drive adoption of agile methodologies including sprint planning and Definition of Done enforcement.
• Participate in candidate selection and hiring recommendations.
• Identify and manage risks within the Software Engineering Department.
• Promote continuous improvement and mentor subordinates; conduct performance evaluations.
• Participate in lifecycle reviews and customer briefings; report progress with metrics.

Skills

People management

Communication

Agile methodologies

CI/CD pipelines

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

GitLab

GitHub

Jenkins

PostgreSQL

Oracle

Job description

Required

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Engineering
• 10+ years of demonstrated work experience with increasing levels of responsibility
• 5 years of demonstrated experience managing medium/large sized group(s) of engineers (20 - 30 people)
• 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)
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with subordinates, peers, and upper-level management including the NASA customer
• Must be able to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance and to maintain the clearance thereafter. An Interim Secret clearance is acceptable to start.
• Must be a US Citizen and show proof of citizenship.
• Must be able to maintain ability to access government worksite.

Desired

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering or other engineering discipline
• Demonstrated knowledge of NASA's Space Network (SN)
• Hands-on experience with Linux/Unix-based development environments
• 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
• Demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft suite of computer applications (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint), MS Project etc.

Peraton has an immediate need for a Software Engineering Manager to manage new and existing NASA Space Network projects at the White Sands Complex (WSC) near Las Cruces, New Mexico. You'll serve as the Manager of the WSC Software Engineering Department, which consists of three groups: The User Services/Tracking, Telemetry, and Command Group, the Service Management and Interfaces Group, and the Software Test Group. This position manages a department of 30 software development and test engineers.

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.

This position will be responsibile for the following:

• Manage and direct the day-to-day operations of the department by assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks, projects and demands, to ensure customer expectations are met in a timely manner, including sustainment, development, and integration activities.
• Work closely with all WSC departments to ensure that all technical, operational, budgetary, schedule, and maintenance requirements are met
• Lead a team of software engineers through a structured modernization and platform rehost effort, especially using AI tools and methods to gain efficiency.
• Drive adoption of agile methodologies including sprint planning, peer estimation, and Definition of Done enforcement
• Participate in the candidate selection process and make hiring recommendations
• Identify and manage risk within the Software Engineering Department.
• Proactively identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Train and mentor subordinates, conduct performance evaluations, recommend salary actions and promotions, interpret and apply organizational policies and monitor/resolve personnel issues
• Participate in project lifecycle reviews such as Preliminary Design Reviews, Critical Design Reviews, Test Readiness Reviews, Operational Readiness Reviews, as well as weekly, monthly, and quarterly briefings to the customer.
• Create and report metrics about Software Engineering processes and progress to Site Management and to the NASA customer.
• Participate in the Corrective Action Report (CAR) and the Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) processes for problem resolution.
• Assist in the enhancement of communications by facilitating departmental meetings and attending meetings of interest to the Software Engineering Department
• High possibility of emergency on-call status during non-work hours (nights & weekends)
• Perform other duties as delegated/assigned by Site Management