Cleared Senior Software Engineer
Chantilly, VirginiaOverview
General Atomics pioneers technologies with the potential to change the world. Behind a talented global team of engineers, GA delivers safe, sustainable, and economical solutions to meet growing global demands. Our Engineers have an opportunity to work on first of a kind product lines within an incredible, dynamic environment.
Engineering positions typically require a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience. Candidates from mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineering backgrounds must know the fundamentals of engineering system developments, requirements, testing, and integration before getting to the final stages of customer interface and project management.
Schedule: Full-Time Salary
Job Level: Senior (8+ years)
Travel: 0 - 25
Success Profile
What makes a successful Cleared Senior Software Engineer at General Atomics? Check out the top traits we’re looking for and see if you have the right mix.
- Analytical
- Collaborative
- Inventive
- Problem Solver
- Team Player
- Creative
Job Summary
General Atomics Integrated Intelligence Inc. (GA-I3) develops cutting-edge software solutions that transform raw data into actionable intelligence. We specialize in real-time global situational awareness and battle management, processing petabytes of data from hundreds of sources across air, land, and sea. Our systems—including the widely used THRESHER and DRAGONSPELL platforms—support tens of thousands of users at all levels of the DoD and Intelligence Community and enable critical decision-making for national security missions.
We process hundreds of thousands of observations per minute, operating at the scale of global sensor networks and battlefield telemetry. Our backend architecture leverages technologies like Kafka, AWS, NiFi, and GeoMesa—the latter of which we designed and open-sourced—to deliver high-throughput, mission-resilient systems that turn streaming data into real-time intelligence.
Why GA-I3?
At GA-I3, we’re not chasing hype or building throwaway demos—we’re solving complex, mission-critical problems that matter. Unlike younger firms chasing the next funding round, we’ve spent decades earning the trust of our users and delivering systems they rely on every day. And unlike traditional defense contractors, we’re nimble, privately held, and able to make long-term decisions in the best interest of our customers and our country—not quarterly earnings reports.
Our users love our software. Our customers come back because we deliver. And our engineers stay because they get to work on real problems, with real impact, alongside people who care.
If you're looking for a place where engineering excellence meets enduring mission, GA-I3 is where you belong.
What You’ll Do
We are seeking Backend Software Engineers to help build the next generation of global situational awareness and battle orchestration capabilities. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams—including UI/UX engineers, mission engineers, data scientists, and product owners—to design and deliver software that is performant, scalable, and tailored to complex user needs.
Whether you're integrating multi-source data, optimizing backend services, or shaping how insights reach the end user, your work will directly support operational missions that have real-world impact.
What We Believe
These values weren’t crafted in a branding session—they were observed and articulated after 35 years of building software that matters. They reflect how we work, what we value in each other, and the kind of impact we want to have. At GA-I3, they aren’t aspirational—they’re how we operate.
Solving Meaningful Challenges – Building mission-driven technology that makes a difference
Collaborative Culture – Working as a team to push boundaries and innovate
Technical Excellence – Encouraging continuous learning, curiosity, and efficiency
Idea Meritocracy – Valuing ideas based on impact, not hierarchy
If these principles resonate with you—not just in theory, but in daily practice—you’ll find yourself at home here.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Senior engineers at GA-I3 are technical leaders who drive strategy, architecture, and delivery across complex projects. You’ll guide teams in designing scalable systems, ensure high engineering standards, and play a key role in shaping long-term technical direction. In addition to building and maintaining critical backend infrastructure, you’ll serve as a mentor, decision-maker, and trusted voice both within the team and with external stakeholders.- Lead development activities
- Lead the successful design, implementation, and delivery of high-impact backend software solutions
- Guide long-term planning efforts and influence technical roadmaps for backend services and system architecture so they align with organizational goals, operational requirements, and product strategy
- Collaborate externally
- Represent GA-I3 as a senior technical point of contact for customers, partners, and other engineering teams
- Coordinate software deployments and upgrades across distributed environments, including DoD and IC networks
- Evaluate and implement cross-platform deployment strategies, ensuring compliance with integration and security standards
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders on high-visibility technical initiatives that span multiple teams and domains
- Engineer performant solutions
- Contribute to system-wide performance tuning and reliability improvements, identifying architectural risks and proposing mitigation strategies
- Build the team
- Develop mentoring structures and contribute to onboarding, skill development, and growth paths for less experienced engineers
- Mentor mid-level and junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning, ownership, and technical excellence
- Provide technical leadership across the full development lifecycle, including design reviews, coding standards, and testing practices
Job Qualifications:
- Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in computer science, information systems or related discipline and progressive software development experience as follows; six or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, four or more years of experience with a masters degree, or two or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
- Deep expertise in Java and/or other backend languages (e.g., Scala, Go)
- Demonstrated technical leadership in cross-functional engineering efforts
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience working directly with customers or stakeholders
PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
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Salary:$105,890 - $189,545
Benefits
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Healthcare
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Pension, 401(k)/Retirement Plans
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Competitive Pay
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Multiple product lines means a variety of work
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Paid Time Off

“The company is growing, has a very good reputation and had open positions in my area of expertise (aircraft design/design methodology development).”– Peter, Senior Staff Engineer

“We don't ascribe to quotas; we do ascribe to securing the BEST talent to enrich our culture toward healthy diversification and active/viable community service. We are STEM advocates.”– Debra, CSSBB: Staff Engineer

“Every day is different, with different problems to solve and many programs to support. I am a problem solver and have always been motivated by the tough questions.”– Scott, Laser Scientist

“I work in the Components Engineering and Obsolescence Management Dept. Our efforts are saving General Atomics several millions of dollars by proactively leading and informing the company of all these decisions which significantly impact production, sustainment and new designs.”– John, Staff Engineer
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