Freelance Navy Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

MIKEL invests in people and technology – empowering the creative process, building responsive relationships, and propelling innovative solutions from conception to completion for the U.S. Navy. MIKEL is a small woman owned business that has been providing Undersea Warfare Solutions to the Department of Defense since the company’s inception in 1999.

Be a part of our dynamic team whose solutions and services enable the Navy to solve their toughest problems and meet their mission requirements. We have undersea operations experience, combined with engineering and specific subject matter expertise, that provides an in-depth understanding of the problem and a novel, innovative and cost-effective solution. MIKEL is committed to providing an environment that challenges its employees to use and advance their skills and knowledge to provide solutions that exceed customer expectations.

Senior Software Engineer

Full Software Development Lifecycle | Agile Scrum | CMMI Level 3

Position Overview

MIKEL is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Software Engineer to lead and contribute across the complete Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), from requirements analysis and system architecture through implementation, testing, deployment, and sustainment. This role is instrumental in advancing our Agile Scrum practices and supporting the organization's strategic initiative to achieve and maintain CMMI Level 3 process maturity.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with a disciplined engineering approach, ensuring software solutions are scalable, maintainable, secure, and compliant with established development standards. This position requires collaboration across multidisciplinary engineering teams and a commitment to continuous improvement, technical excellence, and process adherence.

Key Responsibilities

Software Architecture and Development

• Develop and maintain high-level and detailed software designs that align system requirements, technical architecture, and long-term maintainability objectives.
• Lead software development efforts through all phases of the SDLC, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, integration, testing, deployment, and operational support.
• Design and implement scalable, extensible, and maintainable software solutions that support evolving customer and mission requirements.
• Participate in technical planning, architecture reviews, code reviews, and design assessments to ensure software quality and engineering consistency.

Agile and Process Excellence

• Support and promote Agile Scrum methodologies, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, estimation, retrospectives, and continuous process improvement.
• Utilize Jira and Confluence to manage project execution, maintain technical documentation, support traceability, and ensure process compliance.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of CMMI Level 3-compliant engineering processes and artifacts.
• Ensure requirements, design documentation, verification activities, and test results are complete, reviewed, traceable, and audit-ready.

Software Quality and Configuration Management

• Serve as a subject matter expert in software engineering best practices, including coding standards, source control management, configuration management, build automation, and release management.
• Support and enhance CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and software quality assurance processes.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks, integration challenges, and performance issues early in the development lifecycle.
• Drive continuous improvements in system reliability, maintainability, and operational effectiveness.

Security, Data Integrity, and Compliance

• Ensure software solutions maintain the highest standards of data integrity, cybersecurity, and system safety.
• Identify potential security, privacy, and compliance risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies prior to system integration and deployment.
• Support secure handling, retention, and disposition of sensitive and obsolete data in accordance with organizational and regulatory requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with software, systems, mechanical, and quality assurance engineers to ensure technical alignment across disciplines.
• Support model-based systems engineering activities using SysML and related engineering tools.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to development teams while fostering a culture of engineering excellence and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated ownership of products throughout the full SDLC.
• Strong proficiency in C, C++, Qt, Eclipse, and modern software engineering methodologies.
• Experience with Agile Scrum development environments and software lifecycle management tools, including Jira, Confluence, GitHub, and Git-based workflows.
• Experience developing software design documentation, requirements specifications, interface documentation, and traceability artifacts.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) concepts and SysML.
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and software release processes.
• Strong understanding of software quality assurance, configuration management, cybersecurity principles, and secure software development practices.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting or participating in CMMI Level 3 assessments, appraisals, audits, or process improvement initiatives.
• Experience working in Department of Defense (DoD), aerospace, defense, maritime, or other highly regulated environments.
• Knowledge of system safety engineering, secure data management, and privacy controls.
• Experience with long-lifecycle mission-critical systems and complex integrated platforms.
• Familiarity with DevSecOps methodologies and modern cloud-based development environments.
• Active U.S. Security Clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one.

Location: Newport, RI

MIKEL offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), 401k Retirement Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and Tuition Reimbursement.

Department of Defense Secret Security Clearance or higher is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

MIKEL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.