Awetomaton is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to set and uphold the technical bar for a cloud-native, event-driven system used across a national intelligence enterprise. You'll own the architecture patterns, the quality gate, and the build environment - staying close to the code while guiding a team of engineers through design and delivery. The ideal candidate will possess a BS degree or higher and have 15+ years of experience (or Masters & 12+ years experience)
This position will be performed out of Dayton, OH, with relocation packages available for out-of-state talent. Active DoD Top Secret security clearance required.
Criteria for success
- Own the technical approach and code-quality standard across development; lead design reviews and establish patterns for cloud-native, event-driven microservices.
- Guide development, refactoring, integration, and deployment of enterprise data services to government cloud environments.
- Own the software build environment and end-item source delivery to the government source-code repository, including version history and reproducible builds.
- Ensure deliveries meet the no-major-defect (Category 1/2) threshold and align to agile artifacts and required contract documentation.
- Mentor engineers; serve as the technical liaison to the SME and government technical leads.
Required Experience and Skills
- Active TS/SCI.
- 15+ years of software engineering experience (or MS + 12), including 5+ years leading cloud-native microservice teams.
- Deep, hands-on experience with containers and Kubernetes, modern backend languages (Go, Java, and/or Python), and REST plus asynchronous/event-driven APIs.
- Demonstrated ownership of secure SDLC practices and CI/CD-based delivery.
- Experience leading teams in an Agile/Scrum environment.
Desired Education and Experience
- CKA or CKAD certification; relevant Scrum certification.
- Event-driven / streaming platforms (Kafka, NATS, Numaflow, or similar).
- Enterprise search, data-catalog, or large-scale data-services experience.
- Multi-enclave delivery experience.
- BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
About Awetomaton
We build software that enables humans to make informed decisions from raw intel data, with a specialization in satellite collection. We are a Dayton-based defense startup that believes there is a critical skill & culture gap - one we are filling with high-output, mission focused engineering talent. Results matter to our customers. We've never lost a customer because we deliver what they need. Awetomaton is where you do work that matters with a passionate team in an environment that inspires your creativity.
Benefits
We provide industry leading benefits that balance your health & wellbeing today, as well as lay a solid financial future into retirement. Highlights of our benefit plan include:
- Flexible time off totaling 36 days / year. No approvals required.
- 100% 401k company match up to IRS annual limits. This is a benefit of up to $24,500 for 2026.
- Health plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield with Health Savings Account (HSA). We pay 95% of employee premiums including family plans.
- Employee favorite: Tech and Wellness reimbursement of $3000 / year. Treat yourself with the newest gadgets or athletic gear. No approvals required.
- Annual profit sharing as 401k contribution. No set percent and dependent on annual company performance. Benefit is above and beyond 401k match.
- MacBook laptop and well-equipped office spaces for optimal productivity in office and on-the-go.
Skills Required
- Active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance
- 15+ years software engineering experience (or MS + 12 years)
- 5+ years leading cloud-native microservice teams
- Deep hands-on experience with containers and Kubernetes
- Experience with modern backend languages (Go, Java, and/or Python)
- Experience with REST and asynchronous/event-driven APIs
- Demonstrated ownership of secure SDLC practices and CI/CD-based delivery
- Experience leading teams in an Agile/Scrum environment
- BS degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- CKA or CKAD certification
- Relevant Scrum certification
- Experience with event-driven/streaming platforms (Kafka, NATS, Numaflow, or similar)
- Enterprise search, data-catalog, or large-scale data-services experience
- Multi-enclave delivery experience
What We Do
Awetomaton is a team of curious, tenacious, and seasoned analysts and engineers. Let us make your cloud and data adventure a joy
