Sr. Principal Software Engineer - Full-stack application developement

Cornerstone Defense; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornerstone Defense LLC seeks cleared Sr. Principal Software Engineers to lead a team building cloud-based full-stack mission applications that deliver decision support and analytics.

You will own the architecture and design of advanced systems, and guide the development of microservices, APIs, and data pipelines turning disparate data into actionable insight. The role requires strong full-stack engineering skills, experience with cloud, containers, CI/CD, and familiarity with SysML/UML.

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in CS/CE with 8+ years programming experience (or MS with 6+).
• Proven Python, C, or C++ software development experience.
• Experience with full software lifecycle of fielded systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers on cloud-based, full-stack mission applications.
• Own architecture and design of decision support systems.
• Build microservices, APIs, and data pipelines from disparate data.
• Develop web UIs integrated with backend processes.
• Work with cloud services, containers, CI/CD in real-world ops.

Skills

Python

C

C++

Leadership

US Government clearance

Education

B.S. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

M.S. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Ph.D. in related field

Tools

SysML

UML

SysML/UML

Git

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

Cameo

Job description

We are seeking cleared Sr. Principal Software Engineers who are self‑motivated and energetic, with a background in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical disciplines.

Responsibilities:

This position is to lead a team of software engineers implementing cloud-based, full-stack software applications that incorporate advanced algorithms, decision support processing, and data fusion. The Software Engineer serves on a team that creates, evolves, and maintains the architecture of the software to meet operational needs across the full stack (front-end, back-end, data, and cloud infrastructure).

The cloud-native solution will include:

• Decision support system processing and orchestration
• Algorithm development and integration (e.g., optimization, analytics, and automated reasoning)
• Producing knowledge from disparate data sources and sensors via scalable data services and APIs
• Implementation of user-facing components and services that expose these capabilities to operators and analytic users

The position requires strong full-stack software engineering skills and solid understanding of modern cloud architectures. Desired knowledge includes computer networking and optimization, modern software development environments, cloud integration, and virtualized/containerized computing environments such as Docker or VMware. Experience developing solutions using SysML/UML is a plus.

What You’ll Get to Do

• Be part of a team building cloud-based, full-stack mission applications that directly impact national security
• Own the architecture and design of advanced decision support systems and analytic services
• Build and integrate microservices, APIs, and data pipelines that turn disparate data into actionable insight
• Develop web-based user interfaces that integrate with backend processes and databases
• Work with modern tech (cloud services, containers, CI/CD) in a real‑world, operational environment

Essential Functions:

• Full-stack Software Engineering, to include design, development, integration, testing, deployment, and operations of cloud-based mission applications and services
• Design and implementation of cloud-hosted microservices, APIs, and data pipelines to support decision support and analytic workflows
• Evaluation of commercial solutions as part of make/buy analyses, including cloud services and COTS/GOTS components
• Development of custom algorithms and analytic services for decision making and situational awareness
• Integration of custom analytic tools and decision support capabilities into an overall system and enterprise architecture
• Development of data products and knowledge services for automated and manual consumers of generated data (dashboards, UIs, external systems, and APIs)

Basic Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field and 8 years of programming experience; or M.S. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field and 6 years of programming experience or Ph.D and 3 years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing software solutions using Python, C, or C++
• Demonstrated experience integrating commercial software products as part of a custom software solution
• Proven experience with the full lifecycle of software engineering including the operations and maintenance of fielded systems
• Experience as a team lead directing the tasking of other engineers to accomplish milestones.
• Active Top-Secret clearance is required
• US Citizenship is required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active SCI security clearance
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Experience developing software solutions for US government classified environments
• Hands‑on experience developing full-stack software solutions hosted in cloud environments such as AWS or Azure (e.g., microservices, serverless, containerized workloads, managed data services)
• Experience integrating COTS/GOTS software tools into a deliverable software product
• Experience with Agile methodology
• Experience with software development utilizing UML or SysML within Cameo
• Familiarity with modern source control platforms (e.g., Git, GitHub, GitLab) and CI/CD workflows using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and GitLab CI.

This position offers the option of a 9/80 work schedule. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.