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Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA

Ground System Software Engineer (R4787)

Seattle, WA · On-site

$196K - $233K/yr

We are seeking a highly motivated Ground System Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain ... or Defense environments #LI-AA1 #LD Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range ...

Navigation Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$130K - $182K/yr

Able to contribute as a software developer. * Effective use of software configuration management ... Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires ...

Navigation Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$130K - $182K/yr

Able to contribute as a software developer. * Effective use of software configuration management ... Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires ...

Contractor (~15 hours/week) Location: Remote Job Summary We are seeking experienced Senior Software Engineers to support an AI training project by creating reinforcement learning environments that ...

Contractor (~15 hours/week) Location: Remote Job Summary We are seeking experienced Senior Software Engineers to support an AI training project by creating reinforcement learning environments that ...

Senior Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$139K - $183K/yr

ABOUT THE JOB We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join the LatticeOS team, where you ... Background in developing systems for defense, aerospace, robotics, or other mission-critical ...

Showing results 21-40

Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$72.3K

$167.9K

$233.9K

How much do full time defense contractor software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for full time defense contractor software engineer in Seattle, WA is $167,886.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $136,600.00 and $196,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a full time defense contractor software engineer do?

A Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains software systems used by military and defense organizations. Their responsibilities often include working on secure and mission-critical applications, integrating software with specialized hardware, and ensuring compliance with government security regulations. These engineers collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver reliable solutions that support defense operations, such as communication, cybersecurity, simulation, and intelligence systems.

What are some common challenges faced by full time defense contractor software engineers?

Full-time defense contractor software engineers often encounter challenges such as navigating strict security protocols, working with legacy systems, and adapting to evolving government requirements. The need for security clearances and compliance with industry regulations can add complexity to daily tasks. Additionally, engineers frequently collaborate in cross-functional teams with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, requiring strong communication skills and adaptability. While the work is rewarding and mission-driven, managing deadlines and integrating with multi-disciplinary teams can be demanding.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a full time defense contractor software engineer?

A Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer needs a strong background in computer science, software development, and security protocols, often supported by a relevant degree and eligibility for security clearance. Familiarity with programming languages such as C++, Java, or Python, as well as experience with secure development environments and tools like Git and Jira, are typically required. Outstanding problem-solving, teamwork, and attention to detail are vital soft skills in this field. These competencies ensure the delivery of reliable, secure, and mission-critical software solutions in high-stakes defense environments.

What is the difference between Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer vs Full Time Civilian Software Engineer?

AspectFull Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires security clearances, specialized certifications, and a background check.
Work EnvironmentPrimarily works on classified projects within government or defense contractor facilities.
Employer & IndustryEmployed by defense contractors or government agencies, focusing on national security projects.
Job FocusDevelops secure, mission-critical software for defense systems, often involving embedded or real-time applications.

In contrast, a Full Time Civilian Software Engineer typically works on commercial or non-classified projects in various industries, with less emphasis on security clearances. The defense contractor role demands specialized security credentials and a focus on secure, mission-critical systems, whereas civilian roles are more diverse in project scope and environment.

What are the most commonly searched types of Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA?

The most popular types of Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA are:

What are popular job titles related to Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA?

For Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA look for?

The top searched job categories for Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer jobs in Seattle, WA are:

Infographic showing various Full Time Defense Contractor Software Engineer job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $167,886 per year, or $80.7 per hour.

Staff Software Engineer, Quality Integration

Anduril Industries

Seattle, WA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 25 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Build and implement automated systems for development, verification, and deployment to ensure quality and performance.

  • Develop and maintain the reference environment for verifying workflows ahead of release.

  • Design and implement full stack test environments, including hardware-in-the-loop systems, for performance testing and resource optimization.


Anduril rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Anduril

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Manufacturers average

Based on 76,812 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Software Platform Foundations team at Anduril is dedicated to building the foundational systems that empower our engineering teams to develop, test, and deploy cutting-edge defense technology with unparalleled efficiency and reliability. We design and implement sophisticated automated systems that enhance efficiency, reduce manual labor, and optimize critical processes and control systems across our software development lifecycle and production pipelines. As a Software Engineer on this team, you will be instrumental in ensuring the quality, traceability, and rapid deployment of our software solutions, directly contributing to our mission of delivering advanced autonomous systems.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Ensuring we deliver high quality, trustable products is table stakes. Every regression you catch, every manual test you automate away, every closed loop you implement to flag and fix issues has material impact on Engineering's ability to build awesome products fast. As the Staff Software Engineer, Quality Integration, you will work within a complex ecosystem system (multi-stage release pipelines, Cloud and Robot environments, etc..) and up and down the entire stack where architectural decisions have concrete, measurable consequences and correctness matters. This is how Lattice gets to customers safely, and how operators trust the platform in the field - and how every SWP team ships without breaking the teams next to them. This role, and this team is what makes that possible at scale.
This role is open to senior technical leaders ready to own the architecture of how Software Platform ships - the Integrated Continuous Release (ICR) pipeline, full automation of local and integrated end-to-end test environments, and enforcement of contract-verification models that every Lattice service will ship against. If you've spent your career building the frameworks and infrastructure that other engineers depend on, and you want to do it on systems that protect real defense technology, this role is for you!
WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Build and implement robust automated systems for both development, verification and deployment, ensuring the highest standards of quality and performance for our software tools land product offerings.
  • Develop and own the reference environment that Lattice workflows are verified in ahead of release.
  • Define, build and maintain comprehensive, representative full stack test environments, including hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) systems, with an understanding of how software performs on physical hardware and resource optimization.
  • Design and implement critical software interfaces and product features that facilitate seamless, end-to-end testing across complex systems
  • Drive the continuous integration of performance testing into CI/CD pipelines, establishing and enforcing performance baselines and championing reliability engineering best practices to proactively identify and prevent regressions across the entire software stack.
  • Define and implement AI-enabled automation which enables us to find and fix issues early in the dev cycle, without impacting the developer experience.
  • Be a champion for champion for quality!

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • 15+ years of proven experience building automated verification suites at scale.
  • Proficient at DevOps practices, CI/CD pipeline development (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions), SRE principles, automated testing frameworks, scripting for automation, understanding of software development lifecycles.
  • Deep experience with Frontend and Backend services and architectures, and proven experience with these at scale.
  • Hands-on experience automating Hardware-in-The-Loop (HITL), and Software-in-The-Loop (SITL) engineering and utilization in production release process.
  • Expertise in developing and implementing various software development tests, including automated regression testing, unit testing, and integration testing.
  • Proficiency in Python for automation, scripting, and system development.
  • Professional experience with containerization workflows and Terraform.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical industry experience.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
  • NixOS experience
  • Experience working in a regulated industry or with systems requiring high reliability and traceability.

US Salary Range
$166,000-$220,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
  • No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
  • Please always verify communications:
    • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
    • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to contact@anduril.com.
  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
  • What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to contact@anduril.com. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.

Working at Anduril

About Anduril, in their own words

From Anduril

As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril delivers cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the warfighter in months, not years.


What Anduril employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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