Principal Software Engineer, Geospatial Mission Systems

MAG Aerospace is seeking a Principal Software Engineer, Geospatial Mission Systems to design, build, integrate, and sustain mission-critical situational-awareness software. This person will serve as a technical lead and subject-matter expert for applications that ingest radar and sensor data, manage geospatial information, and present air and surface tracks through intuitive map-based interfaces.

 

The role remains close to implementation. The engineer will contribute production code, guide architecture, troubleshoot complex integration issues, and translate operational needs into reliable, fielded capability. Success requires equal strength in software engineering, geospatial systems, technical leadership, and customer partnership.

• Lead the architecture, development, integration, and sustainment of **geospatial and situational-awareness applications** supporting defense and mission operations.
• Design and maintain client, server, database, and service components within distributed software architectures.
• Develop map-based user interfaces and data-visualization capabilities for manned and unmanned air, surface, ground, subsurface, and related operational tracks.
• Integrate software with radars, sensors, external data feeds, and mission-system interfaces.
• Build and refine geospatial components using vector, terrain, imagery, and open-source mapping data.
• Design solutions for geospatial data storage, querying, transformation, dissemination, and display.
• Evaluate and incorporate new mapping technologies, open standards, data formats, and open-source components.
• Translate customer and operator needs into software requirements, technical designs, prototypes, and production releases.
• Provide technical leadership across the full software development lifecycle, including design reviews, coding, testing, documentation, deployment, and sustainment.
• Diagnose complex software, data, network, and systems-integration issues in development and operational environments.
• Mentor engineers and establish sound development, integration, and documentation practices.
• Build trusted relationships with government customers, end users, systems engineers, and partner development teams.
• Deliver technical demonstrations, training, documentation, and user support as needed.
• Contribute to technical planning, solution development, and customer discussions for follow-on capabilities.

• 10+ years of progressive software-development experience**, including technical leadership or ownership of complex applications.
• Demonstrated experience developing **mapping, GIS, geospatial visualization, or situational-awareness software**.
• Strong hands-on programming experience in **Java** and at least one additional language such as JavaScript, C++, or Python.
• Experience with distributed or client-server architectures, databases, APIs, and networked services.
• Experience integrating real-time or near-real-time data from sensors, radars, tracking systems, or other external sources.
• Working knowledge of geospatial data types and services, such as vector data, terrain/elevation data, imagery, OpenStreetMap, spatial databases, or web map services.
• Ability to lead work across requirements analysis, design, implementation, integration, test, deployment, and sustainment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to customers and end users.
• Ability to work effectively in a defense-contracting environment with geographically distributed teams and mission stakeholders.

 

Education

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, geographic information science, or a related technical field.

 

Clearance

• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

 

Preferred qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science, geographic information science, or a related field.
• Experience with maritime domain awareness, command and control, C2/C4ISR/C5ISR, mission planning, or battlespace visualization.
• Experience with radar tracks, sensor fusion, track management, tactical data, or operational common-picture applications.
• Experience with mapping frameworks such as Leaflet, OpenMap, ArcGIS, or comparable geospatial SDKs.
• Experience with PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, MySQL, or another spatially enabled database.
• Familiarity with NGA data products and formats such as RPF, DTED, or VPF.
• Familiarity with Open Geospatial Consortium standards and services, including WMS or comparable interfaces.
• Experience maintaining or contributing to open-source software and supporting a technical user community.
• Experience developing simulation, training, after-action review, or spatial-analysis applications.
• Prior experience delivering software directly to U.S. Government or Department of Defense customers.
• Active U.S. security clearance.

Principal Software Engineer, Geospatial Mission Systems

This role is designed for a senior, hands-on software engineer who can lead the development of geospatial command-and-control applications from architecture through fielded operation. The strongest candidate combines deep mapping and GIS expertise with distributed software development, real-time sensor integration, and the ability to work directly with defense customers and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

 

Success in the first year

• Establish technical ownership of the assigned geospatial mission-software components and their integration points.
• Deliver reliable enhancements to mapping, sensor-ingestion, track-display, or data-management capabilities.
• Reduce integration and sustainment risk through improved architecture, testing, documentation, and technical practices.
• Become a trusted technical partner to customers, operators, and adjacent engineering teams.
• Create a practical roadmap for evolving the system while protecting mission continuity and interoperability.

At MAG Aerospace, we value your contributions providing our employees with a robust Total Rewards package that supports your total well-being. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 30 hours a week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in MAG's Total Rewards programs. Our offerings include health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits as well as paid leave, professional development, and tuition assistance. Individuals that do not meet the threshold are only eligible for select offerings not inclusive of health benefits. We encourage you to learn more about our Total Rewards Program by visiting the Resource page on our Careers site: https://www.magaero.com/benefits/. Salary at MAG Aerospace is determined by various factors including but not limited to location, the particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $180,000 to $240000 (annualized USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of MAG's total compensation package for employees.