Principal RUST Software Engineer

Principal RUST Software Engineer

Washington DC 

Full-time, Onsite (No Remote Options)

9/80 Work Week (Every Other Friday Off)
Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Clearance REQUIRED

$200,000 to $250,000 + Bonus + Full Benefits 

Summary

Seeking a Principal RUST Software Engineer to serve as a key technical leader in the strategic evolution of our mission-critical systems. This role is not just about writing code; it is about providing expert-level architectural direction and driving organizational change. The Principal Engineer will be instrumental in setting the direction and strategy for product and infrastructure development by leading the full-scale adoption and deployment of the RUST programming language across multiple embedded product lines. You will be responsible for defining the RUST engineering roadmap, ensuring code is secure and memory-safe, and mentoring senior and junior engineers on complex implementation patterns for our C5 and Cyber Solution Centers. The selected candidate will operate as a key team member on a Scrum team, shaping the future of secure, high-assurance software in the aerospace and defense sector.

 Key Responsibilities 

• RUST Strategic Leadership: Define, champion, and drive the comprehensive strategy and roadmap for RUST adoption, deployment, and integration across multiple mission-critical product lines, ensuring technical alignment with long-term business goals.
• Architectural Guidance & Standards: Establish and enforce principal-level best practices, design patterns, and architectural standards for memory-safe and efficient usage of RUST, especially in resource-constrained embedded environments.
• Technical Mentorship & Development: Serve as the primary technical mentor, subject matter expert, and ultimate reviewer for RUST code and complex design artifacts, significantly elevating the skill set of the broader engineering team.
• Legacy Modernization: Guide and execute the complex integration or conversion of significant legacy C/C++ software components into production-ready RUST solutions, prioritizing security and performance parity.
• High-Assurance Software Development: Apply expert-level computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis concepts to develop high-assurance, maintainable software (primarily in RUST, C/C++, and Python) for embedded real-time operating systems (e.g., VxWorks, Linux, Integrity).
• Advanced Troubleshooting: Investigate, diagnose, and resolve the root causes of the most complex and systemic technical issues (e.g., race conditions, memory issues) at the system level, often requiring independent judgment and cross-functional team leadership.
• SDLC Ownership: Drive and participate in all phases of the Software Development Life Cycle, including leading requirements decomposition, system-level design review, implementation, hardware-software integration, and formal test verification.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate closely with program managers, systems engineers, and external stakeholders to translate high-level mission requirements into prioritized, scoped, and actionable technical tasks.
• Develop software test plans, procedures, and relevant technical documentation, ensuring compliance with industry and customer standards (e.g., NSA Type 1, DO-178).

Qualifications 

• Experience: A minimum of 12 years of progressive, prior relevant experience, demonstrating increasing technical responsibility, with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (or 10 years with a Graduate Degree, or 16 years without a degree).
• RUST Expertise: 5+ years of hands-on experience developing production RUST software, including a demonstrated deep architectural understanding of the language, its concurrency models, and its application to high-assurance systems.
• C/C++ Interoperability: Extensive experience with C/C++ development and object-oriented design, particularly in scenarios requiring integration or conversion to RUST.
• Clearance: Must be a U.S. Citizen with an Active Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Clearance.

 Preferred Additional Skills 

• Experience developing RUST software for embedded systems.
• Experience converting C\C++ code to RUST.
• Object-oriented design and implementation experience, with exposure to software modeling and UML tools such as IBM Rhapsody or Magic Draw/Cameo.
• Experience developing device drivers and Board Support Packages for real-time embedded systems.
• Experience with Information Assurance and/or cryptography.
• Experience with NSA Type 1 certification or other SW certification such as DO-178.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.