Qualis, LLC is looking for a full-time Principal Software Engineer to work in the Space Domain (SDA) and Missile Warning (MW) mission areas. This position will be filled in Huntsville, AL. Our team is dedicated to advancing the SDA and MW missions through focused and innovative research and engineering. We are on the cutting edge of Deep Space surveillance radar technology and radar hardware solutions to enhance mission capabilities.
We focus on delivering rapid, high-value solutions to our customers by recruiting, growing, and mentoring top technical talent. We are motivated technical staff who are interested in working independently, collaboratively, and performing high-impact work from day one. Our engineers are willing and expected to dive deep into developing solutions to the most challenging technical problems.
Responsibilities
The Principal Software Engineer is responsible for the research, design, and development of software in conjunction with hardware interfaces. This position is primarily responsible for the design and development of software products for a variety of software applications and participates in all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
This position requires the highest level of technical mastery within the Software Engineering functional area, combined with advanced business knowledge and the leadership capability to guide business or functional teams without a formal management role.
The Principal Software Engineer serves as a senior technical authority, applying extensive experience and technical judgment to complex software development efforts while ensuring software solutions meet established program cost, schedule, and technical constraints.
The Principal Software Engineer will be a self-starter who works well both in teams and independently. They will have strong communication skills and robust attention to detail, organizational skills, and self-accountability. Additional responsibilities include (but not limited to):
- Perform research, design, and development of computer software systems in conjunction with hardware product development.
- Participate in all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including: Requirements analysis, Software design, Implementation, Integration and Software testing
- Apply computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis concepts and principles in the development of software for target applications, including scenario execution, coordinate transformations, state propagation, and storage of scenario and hardware data.
- Analyze complex software and system requirements and develop appropriate technical solutions.
- Work closely with cross-functional members of the engineering organization.
- Develop and evaluate interfaces between hardware and software, including RF control, status reporting, and synchronization between simulation time and hardware.
- Evaluate operational performance requirements and their impact on overall system design.
- Contribute to the design and technical direction of integrated hardware and software systems, including service startup and shutdown, health monitoring, and software configuration and licensing controls.
- Develop software test procedures, software programs, and related technical documentation, with test results and corrective actions traced to requirements.
- Support software integration, verification, and system-level testing activities.
- Identify, analyze, and resolve highly complex software and system-level technical issues.
- Contribute to determining, estimating, and validating the cost and scope of software efforts.
- Ensure software engineering activities support established program cost, schedule, and technical constraints.
- Apply advanced business knowledge when evaluating technical approaches and engineering decisions.
- Guide business or functional teams through technical challenges and engineering decisions.
- Serve as a technical authority and senior technical resource for complex software engineering efforts, providing technical guidance and direction across multidisciplinary teams.
- Coordinate complex technical activities across software, hardware, systems, test, and other engineering disciplines.
- Guide operator-application architecture and integration of browser-based scenario configuration, 3D visualization, live data streams, and system status.
- Guide radar and communication model integration and external API design, including message formats, network and socket interfaces, interoperability, and model performance.
- Evaluate build, test, software-analysis, and server-configuration approaches, and guide resolution of significant software-security and maintainability issues.
Required Qualifications
- Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain an Active DoD Secret Clearance.
- Experience working with government customers including the USAF and USSF
- Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 15 years of prior related experience, or a Graduate Degree with a minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.
- Extensive experience architecting and developing integrated hardware/software systems and resolving complex interface, timing, and performance issues.
- Experience providing technical direction across engineering disciplines and evaluating software designs and verification results.
Desired Qualifications
- Extensive experience with embedded, real-time, or mission-oriented software systems.
- Advanced experience with software architecture, requirements, design, integration, verification, validation, and testing.
- Experience mentoring and developing software engineering personnel.
- Experience estimating and evaluating complex software development scope, cost, schedule, and technical risk.
- Experience communicating and coordinating technical decisions across engineering, program management, and business organizations.
- Experience with simulation or hardware-in-the-loop systems, external model integration, or timing-sensitive hardware control.
- Experience with browser-based operator interfaces, 3D visualization, or streaming data.
- Experience with automated builds and tests, software-analysis tools, or resolution of software-security findings.
- Experience integrating or evaluating MATLAB-based models or implementing numerical coordinate and state-propagation calculations.
- Current DoD Secret clearance
Qualis, LLC has a comprehensive benefits package based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements that includes:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) match
- Paid time off and Holidays
- Educational, professional development and certification reimbursement.
- Tax-saving options
- Disability and Life Insurance
Qualis, LLC is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse and talented workforce who can contribute to the mission and vision of the Company. Our employees are our greatest asset, and we promote a positive work environment, teamwork, professional growth, innovation, community involvement, flexible scheduling and a family-friendly work environment.
Equal Opportunity Employer/M/F/Vet/Disabled and a Participant in E-Verify.
Skills Required
- U.S. citizenship
- Ability to obtain an active DoD Secret clearance
- Experience working with government customers, including the USAF and USSF
- Bachelor's degree with at least 15 years of related experience, or a graduate degree with at least 13 years of related experience
- Extensive experience architecting and developing integrated hardware/software systems
- Experience resolving complex interface, timing, and performance issues
- Experience providing technical direction across engineering disciplines
- Experience evaluating software designs and verification results
- Extensive experience with embedded, real-time, or mission-oriented software systems
- Advanced experience with software architecture, requirements, design, integration, verification, validation, and testing
- Experience mentoring and developing software engineering personnel
- Experience estimating and evaluating complex software development scope, cost, schedule, and technical risk
- Experience communicating and coordinating technical decisions across engineering, program management, and business organizations
- Experience with simulation, hardware-in-the-loop systems, external model integration, or timing-sensitive hardware control
- Experience with browser-based operator interfaces, 3D visualization, or streaming data
- Experience with automated builds, automated tests, software-analysis tools, or resolving software-security findings
- Experience integrating or evaluating MATLAB-based models or implementing numerical coordinate and state-propagation calculations
- Current DoD Secret clearance
What We Do
Qualis LLC is a Small Business, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with a 32-year history as a trusted Air Force, Space Force, Army, Joint DoD, Missile Defense Agency, NASA, and Navy partner. Qualis employees provide award-winning support to complex technical and engineering efforts, helping ensure critical technologies of our most critical programs, products, and systems are acquired, tested, and fully operational when fielded. Our qualifications are deeply rooted in the entire acquisition life cycle for highly complex ACAT I – III, Urgent Operational Needs, and Joint Urgent Operational Needs systems and components in support of the Warfighter, Homeland Defense, and Human Spaceflight. This includes a variety of land, sea, air and space platforms to include training systems for those platforms. Qualis is in key locations nationwide both CONUS and OCONUS meeting our customers requirements.









