Senior Software Developer Lead (Chantilly)

Position Overview: An opportunity is available for a Contract Senior Software Developer Lead to support a Space Mission Systems team, leading a small software development team located in Chantilly, VA, or Seal Beach, CA.This position focuses on leading Mission Management and Mission Planning Java software development while collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop solutions that enable stakeholders to advance mission objectives. The selected candidate will be involved in the entire product development lifecycle, from conceptualization and development to maintenance and support of delivered systems. This role provides opportunities to influence project outcomes, mentor team members, and contribute to the development of mission-critical software solutions within a collaborative engineering environment.

Position Responsibilities: Lead the planning of software development tasks, including detailed software design, coding, and unit, integration, functional, and system testing of customer-requested features and user stories, ensuring successful achievement of acceptance criteria. Partner with stakeholders to support system definition and review the translation of system-level requirements into software requirements and models that meet customer, operational, and performance requirements, with clear traceability to design, code, and test artifacts. Review completion of software system-level analyses to identify risks, issues, and opportunities; lead the integration and deployment of mitigation actions throughout the software lifecycle. Lead code reviews to ensure alignment with requirements and established standards. Lead the monitoring and review of test completion, verification processes, and issue resresolution for software systems. Lead reviews of products and processes to ensure alignment with project plans and industry standards by tracking and evaluating internal team and supplier performance.

Basic Qualifications: (Required Skills/Experience)5+ years of experience with foundational Computer Science knowledge, object-oriented design, and software patterns. Experience with Java, C++, and/or Python object-oriented programming on full-stack software projects or programs. Experience leading projects and/or individuals in software development lifecycle activities.*Active Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) eligibility.*Successful completion of a CI Polygraph after starting employment.

Preferred Qualifications: (Desired Skills/Experience) Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited course of study in engineering, engineering technology (including manufacturing engineering technology), chemistry, physics, mathematics, data science, or computer science. Experience with one or more of the following: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JavaScript frameworks (React, OpenLayers, etc.), Spring Framework, Hibernate, RDBMS, NoSQL, REST/Open API.Experience with Agile or SAFe practices, including daily standups, user stories, sprints, and release planning. Familiarity with test-driven development (TDD), Agile software development, DevSecOps, and Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) management. Experience using CI/CD tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI to automate build, test, and deployment processes. Demonstrated experience with middleware technologies, particularly Java Message Service (JMS) and WebLogic, including the design, implementation, and troubleshooting of messaging solutions. Experience using dependency management and automation services such as Ivy, Maven, Gradle, Git, and Jenkins. Experience with relational database management systems (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL) and NoSQL data systems (MongoDB).Experience writing and executing test cases, including unit, integration, and system testing, to ensure software functionality and performance meet specifications. Experience with systems engineering or software development on space-based or ground-based systems.