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Founding Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site +1

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning GRVTY is seeking a Software Engineer with a TS/SCI + Poly clearance ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site +1

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud Services ...

Integral

Software Engineer III

Tysons, VA · On-site

$137K - $164K/yr

Overview The Software Engineer III provides comprehensive software engineering support for the ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

Integral

Software Engineer III

Tysons Corner, VA

$137K - $164K/yr

The Software Engineer III provides comprehensive software engineering support for the Product ... Since our founding in 1998, we have helped clients leverage existing and emerging technologies to ...

GRVTY

Senior Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · Hybrid

$125K - $165K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... The Software Engineer will be responsible for working within AWS Cloud Services for the Sponsor ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Software Engineer, with a minimum of 4 years of experience, will be ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll Be Owning The Software Engineer, with a minimum of 4 years of experience, will be ...

GRVTY

Senior Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site +1

$125K - $165K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Senior Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud ...

GRVTY

Senior Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · Remote

$125K - $165K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Senior Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer (Full Stack)

Chantilly, VA

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... The Software Engineer will be responsible for providing full stack software engineering support ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$175K - $270K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud Services ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site +1

$175K - $270K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... What You'll be Owning The Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud Services ...

GRVTY

Software Engineer (Full Stack)

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

... founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done ... The Software Engineer will be responsible for providing full stack software engineering support ...

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All JobsFounding Software Engineer JobsFounding Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Founding Software Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$63K

$146.3K

$203.7K

How much do founding software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding software engineer in Virginia is $146,258.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,000.00 and $171,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a founding software engineer?

Founding Software Engineers are among the first technical hires at a startup or newly formed company. They play a critical role in building the initial product, setting up the technical foundation, and often shaping the company's engineering culture and processes. In addition to coding, they may also be involved in architecture decisions, hiring, and even strategic business discussions. This role typically requires broad technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a founding software engineer?

To thrive as a Founding Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, full-stack development, and problem-solving, often demonstrated by a strong technical background and relevant degrees. Familiarity with cloud platforms, version control systems (like Git), and modern programming languages or frameworks is essential, along with startup exposure or experience. Initiative, adaptability, and outstanding communication are crucial soft skills for shaping the product vision and collaborating in a small, fast-moving team. These capabilities are vital for efficiently building robust products from scratch and driving early-stage company growth.

What are some unique challenges faced by founding software engineers in an early-stage startup environment?

Founding Software Engineers in early-stage startups often navigate rapidly shifting priorities and must wear multiple hats, from architecting core systems to handling on-call troubleshooting. The role typically requires balancing the need for quick feature delivery with building scalable, maintainable code. Close collaboration with co-founders and other early team members is essential, as decisions made at this stage have a lasting impact on the product and company culture. Adaptability, strong communication, and ownership are key, as resource constraints and ambiguity are common.

What is the difference between Founding Software Engineer vs Software Engineer?

AspectFounding Software EngineerSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; startup experience often preferredBachelor's degree in CS or related field; entry to mid-level experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startup, high responsibility, flexible rolesEstablished companies or startups, structured teams, defined roles
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams of startups, tech companiesTech firms, corporations, startups
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding startup roles, early-stage responsibilitiesStandard software development roles, career progression

The main difference is that a Founding Software Engineer is an early team member in a startup, often taking on broader responsibilities and helping shape the company's technical foundation. A Software Engineer typically works within established teams on specific projects, with more defined roles and responsibilities.

How much do founding software engineers make?

Founding software engineers often receive higher compensation than standard engineers, including equity or stock options, as they help establish the company's technology. Salaries typically range from $100,000 to $200,000 or more, depending on the company's size, funding stage, and location, with early-stage startups sometimes offering lower salaries but greater equity potential.

What does a founding software engineer do?

A founding software engineer is a key early team member responsible for designing, developing, and implementing the core software products of a startup or new project. They often work closely with founders to establish technical architecture, write code, and set development standards, typically using programming languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, adaptability, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

What are popular job titles related to Founding Software Engineer jobs in Virginia?

For Founding Software Engineer jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founding Software Engineer jobs in Virginia look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Software Engineer jobs in Virginia are:

Founding Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Software Engineer job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $146,258 per year, or $70.3 per hour.

Software Engineer

GRVTY

Chantilly, VA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago

Job description

What Impact You'll Have

GRVTY is a member of 100% of the winning teams for the largest technology program in the Intel Community. We've been supporting this customer on many different sub-projects of this program since our founding in 2013. We've grown on this effort by providing the customer with Engineers who have done exceptional work, and we've retained our staff by paying very strong salaries, and working hard to ensure each Engineer is doing work that aligns with their career interest. Work on this program takes place in Chantilly, VA and in various field offices throughout Northern VA (we cannot support remote work), and requires a TS/SCI + Polygraph clearance (acceptable to this customer).

What You'll be Owning

GRVTY is seeking a Software Engineer with a TS/SCI + Poly clearance (applicable to this customer) to join one of our top projects in Chantilly, VA.

The Software Engineer will be responsible for working within Cloud Services for the Sponsor, using Python, Javascript, and other tools to provide software development support.

What You Must Have

  • Active TS/SCI with Polygraph Clearance (applicable to this customer)
  • Deep experience in software development, specifically with Python and JavaScript
  • Ability to program efficiently in at least one other back-end language
  • Demonstrated experience analyzing unknown software code and extracting relevant fields to determine and mimic its behavior
  • Ability to develop a software system testing harness or implement a continuous testing methodology on a project
  • Demonstrated experience installing Linux from scratch and developing complex Unix shell scripts
  • Demonstrated experience analyzing network traffic to understand client/server communications and requests
  • Demonstrated experience using AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK)

What Would be Nice to Have

  • Demonstrated experience with reverse engineering and debugging tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, JADX, APKtool, or others
  • Demonstrated experience with multiple cloud providers
  • Demonstrated experience with other programming languages besides Python

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