Freelance Remote Junior Software Developer Jobs in Washington

Company Overview

Iridium is an award-winning and innovative satellite communications company with bragging rights to the only network that offers voice and data connectivity anywhere in the world.   For over 20 years, Iridium's unique network and services have supported critical communications needs for individuals, businesses, and the evolving Internet of Things.

At Iridium, we understand the importance of staying connected and the limitations of traditional communications networks. People across the globe, including first responders, humanitarians, global militaries, scientific researchers, and lone workers, as well as ships, aircraft and remote operations all rely on Iridium to stay connected. We take our responsibility for providing these essential communications very seriously and pride ourselves on offering a reliable lifeline when needed.  Likewise, Iridium is committed to providing an exciting and innovative workplace, where employees are challenged to think outside the box and collaborate on new, bold ideas and solutions.  Our talented teams are passionate about their work and the impact our company makes around the world.  Iridium fosters an empowering and inclusive culture that allows employees to genuinely be their best selves.   We are looking for others who want to join this truly unique company that celebrates our employees and provides the opportunity to truly make a difference in the world.

What We're Looking For:

Join us as a Senior Software Developer and help power the mission systems that keep national security space operations running. In this role, you'll be responsible for identifying and autonomously implementing ideas and solutions as it relates to the design and delivery of missioncritical ground segment software that connects satellites, ground networks, and operators in real time. You'll be embedded in a National Security Missions team focused on fulllifecycle ground architecture, working shouldertoshoulder with experts across software, systems, and operations. Every day, you'll tackle complex, realworld problems whose solutions directly influence mission outcomes and protect critical national interests. If you want to build cuttingedge space technologies in a fastpaced, highvisibility environment where your work truly counts, this role puts you at the center of the action.

This position requires an active Top-Secret/SCI Clearance (A U.S. Security Clearance that has been active in the past 24 months is considered active).

What You'll Do:

• Support the Design & Delivery of the Ground System:  Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to design, build, and deploy a state-of-the-art, highly resilient Ground System. Support end-to-end development, from system architecture and software design to integration, test (I&T), and operational deployment.
• Support CI/CD & Deployment Strategy: Build, configure, and maintain CI/CD pipelines and build environments to ensure secure, consistent, and repeatable software deployments across mission networks.
• Manage Software Releases: Play a key role in planning, coordinating, and executing software releases, ensuring strict alignment with stakeholder timelines, program schedules, and budget constraints.
• Ensure Rigorous Process & COTS Integration: Adhere to and systematically refine established protocols for change control, risk management, prioritization, and COTS (Commercial-off-the-Shelf) integration. Contribute your technical depth to formalize robust build/test procedures and process documentation.
• Track & Trace Execution: Independently maintain accurate, up-to-date issue tracking, feature documentation, and project status across the development lifecycle utilizing Atlassian tools.
• Lead Technical Communication: Translate complex ground segment concepts into clear, concise briefings, documentation, and written reports tailored for both highly technical engineering teams and non-technical government stakeholders.
• Apply Technical Expertise: Provide timely, well-informed technical input within your area of expertise to support stakeholder inquiries, system development, and cross-functional efforts.
• Innovate & Solve: Autonomously identify and implement robust software solutions to overcome complex architectural challenges, delivering secure, customer-driven mission capabilities.

What You'll Need to Succeed:Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 8+ years of hands-on software development experience, with a strong focus on network-level or systems-level programming
• Proficiency in Python and Java, with demonstrated ability to write production-grade code in both languages
• Strong experience working in Linux-based environments, including Bash shell scripting for automation and system administration
• Hands-on experience with RESTful APIs, HTTP protocols, WebSockets, and log aggregation/analytics tools such as the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) or equivalent
• Working knowledge of both relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB)
• Proven track record of delivering software within Agile-based development teams
• Ability to design, implement, and maintain comprehensive unit and integration test suites, contributing effectively across the full software development lifecycle
• Ability to comprehend and work from detailed technical documentation, specifications, and architecture diagrams

Professional Skills & Attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate products, deliverables, analyses, and technical issues to cross-functional teams and non-technical stakeholders
• A confident, relationship-oriented professional who builds trust and rapport easily with leadership, peers, and colleagues across the organization
• An analytical and creative problem-solver who can assess complex situations, think critically, and develop innovative, out-of-the-box solutions
• A proactive team contributor who actively shares knowledge, provides constructive feedback, and mentors others to elevate the team's capabilities
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize your own workload-and potentially guide others-to consistently meet deadlines
• A continuous learner with a growth mindset, eager to expand your skill set and develop deep expertise across the full suite of System Performance and Analysis software

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in satellite operations ground segment environments, particularly in network management or packet-level data handling
• Familiarity with the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) in a professional development setting

Things That Would be Great if You Brought to the Table:

• Experience with Flight Dynamics, in the context of satellite missions, pertains to the function that determines, predicts, and controls a spacecraft's orbit, attitude, and trajectory over its lifetime, including the maneuvers needed to achieve and maintain the desired flight path.
• Experience with Mission planning, in the context of satellite ground and space systems, is the set of processes, tools, and rules used to translate mission objectives into timeordered, constraintcompliant timelines of spacecraft, payload, and ground activities (including data collection and routing opportunities) across the full mission lifecycle. 
• Experience with Network Management pertains to continuously supervising and controlling all links and nodes across the space segment (LEO/MEO/GEO satellites and intersatellite links) and the ground segment (gateways, teleports, user terminals, terrestrial backhaul). 
• Containerization & Orchestration: Kubernetes, Docker, Podman, ArgoCD
• CI/CD Pipelines & Artifact Management: GitLab, JFrog Artifactory, Bitbucket
• Additional Programming Languages: C++, TypeScript, Perl
• Data Formats & Query Languages: XML, JSON, SQL
• Web Technologies: js, Apache Web Server
• Security: Security vulnerability analysis and remediation procedures
• Project & Development Tools: Atlassian suite including Jira, Git, Crucible, and Confluence
• Architecture & Design Patterns: Microservices architectures and distributed system design
• Testing: Automated testing frameworks and test automation strategies
• Cloud Environments: Government (GovCloud) and commercial Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud environments

We'll also need you to:

• Must be a US Citizen

Work Environment:

This position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary with the majority of the position working with a computer. The role typically requires the use of basic office equipment such as a phone, video, computer, keyboard, mouse, and printer. 

We believe in-person connection drives innovation, strengthens mentorship, and builds culture, while flexibility enables employees to do their best work. Under Iridium's Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least three days per week (approximately 60%) in an Iridium office to support collaboration, relationship-building, and professional growth.

 

Additional Information

This job description outlines the general nature and level of work for this role and is not a comprehensive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Employees may be assigned additional responsibilities as needed.

Base Pay Range: $120,000 - $160,000 USD

Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors and this range represents an estimate of compensation at the time of posting. Base salary is only one part of our compensation package for this role. You may also be eligible for company stock and annual bonus. Employee benefits also include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage; 401(k) retirement plan options; paid time off and paid holidays; paid parental leave; and other discounts and perks.  

Iridium is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Employment Type: FULL_TIME