Software Engineer
US$133,000 / yr base salary
Posted 1 Oct 2026
Advertised as “Senior Principal Software Engineer (APKWS)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 8+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$133,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
Study levelMaster's
Job Description
Build Something That Matters
Join the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Software Team within our Precision Strike & Sensing Solutions (PGSS) business. This is an opportunity to move beyond theoretical coding and work on capabilities critical to the defense of our nation.
We are a franchise program in multiple stages of development from production to high-impact prototyping. This means we aren't just maintaining old code—we are building, testing, and refining new capabilities as we maintain our existing production. We are looking for engineers who are ready to take ownership of features and help translate complex architecture into software running on real-world target hardware.
We need people who can help us go from the prototype phase to creating dependable software for our products as they go into production to protect the war-fighter.
The Challenge
You will be an individual contributor focused on the design and implementation of embedded and production support software. You will work at the cutting edge of hardware-software integration, utilizing System-on-Chip (SoC), FPGA, and System-on-a-Module (SOM) architectures leveraging ARM processors. This role is perfect for an engineer who loves seeing their code interact with physical hardware in high-precision environments.
Your Impact
- Architectural Vision: Define software architectures, ensuring they meet mission requirements and are adaptable for future upgrades.
- Risk Mitigation: Identify technical risks early in the prototyping phase and develop mitigation strategies to keep the program on track.
- Cross-Functional Strategy: Collaborate with Systems and Hardware leads to align the software roadmap with the overall weapon system design.
- Technical Governance: Establish coding standards and architectural guidelines to ensure consistency across the entire software codebase.
- Expert Consultancy: Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Xilinx SoC and ARM-based embedded systems.
Required Education, Experience, & Skills
- 8+ years of professional experience, with a track record of delivering complex embedded systems.
- Bachelor’s degree in CS, Computer Engineering, EE, or related field (Master's preferred).
- Ability to obtain and maintain a US Secret Security Clearance.
- Expert-level proficiency in embedded C/C++ and system-level design.
Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills
- Extensive experience with high-reliability, mission-critical software.