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Navy Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

This position is supporting United States Navy programs specializing in Software Engineering. This position requires a candidate with strong problem-solving skills focused on software development and ...

Senior Software Engineer

Dahlgren, VA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Navy ballistic and cruise missile systems analysis * Naval surface and airborne radar systems, R&D ... Software solution design engineering and development The right candidate should be able to quickly ...

In this role, you will perform software development tasks supporting Navy programs. The successful ... the field of engineering. If you're ready to take your career to the next level, work on ...

Navy ballistic and cruise missile systems analysis * Naval surface and airborne radar systems, R&D ... Software solution design engineering and development The right candidate should be able to quickly ...

In this role, you will perform software development tasks supporting Navy programs. The successful ... the field of engineering. If you're ready to take your career to the next level, work on ...

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Paas Software Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$90K - $150K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Paas Software Engineer Gromelski and Associates, Inc. (GAI) partners with prime contractors to ... Navy. Currently, we develop and deliver technical documentation and multimedia support including ...

Modernization Software Engineer

Manassas, VA · On-site

$86K - $198K/yr

  • Medical

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

As a software engineer, you'll contribute to transforming legacy code into robust, scalable ... Experience with Navy acoustic or sonar systems, or other real-time signal processing * Knowledge of ...

Software Engineer II

Dahlgren, VA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

This candidate will work with testers, software engineers, systems engineers and cyber experts from the Navy and Underwarfare Center to analyze and decompose requirements, design software approaches ...

Software Engineer IV

Dahlgren, VA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

This candidate will work with testers, software engineers, systems engineers and cyber experts from the Navy and Underwarfare Center to analyze and decompose requirements, design software approaches ...

Software Engineer

Dahlgren, VA · On-site

$95 - $115/hr

Overview As the Software Engineer working for Hepburn and Sons LLC, you will maintaintechnical and ... Navy validation of scenarios, validation of lessons, and feedback and/or CPCR/TR analysis ...

Showing results 41-60

Navy Software Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$63K

$146.3K

$203.7K

How much do navy software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average yearly pay for navy 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 Navy software engineer?

A Navy Software Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software systems that support naval operations. They work on critical projects such as cybersecurity, weapons systems, communications, and data analysis. Their role often involves coding, testing, and debugging software while ensuring it meets military specifications and security requirements. Navy Software Engineers may work as civilians for the Department of Defense or as enlisted personnel supporting technical missions. Strong programming skills, a security clearance, and knowledge of defense systems are typically required.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a Navy software engineer?

To thrive as a Navy Software Engineer, you need a solid background in software development, computer science, and systems engineering, often supported by a relevant degree and security clearance. Familiarity with programming languages (such as C++, Java, or Python), defense-standard software tools, and Department of Defense information systems is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills set candidates apart in this role. These competencies are vital for ensuring mission-critical software is robust, secure, and responsive to the Navy’s operational needs.

What are common challenges Navy software engineers face on the job?

Navy Software Engineers often work on highly complex and mission-critical systems, which means they must be vigilant about security and reliability. Due to the sensitive nature of military projects, engineers frequently navigate strict security protocols and rapidly changing project requirements. Additionally, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams—including hardware engineers and military personnel—requires excellent communication and adaptability. These factors can make the environment fast-paced and demanding, but also provide unique opportunities to work on cutting-edge technology with impactful real-world applications.

Can you be a Navy software engineer in the military?

Yes, a Navy software engineer is a military role within the Navy that involves developing and maintaining software systems for defense applications. Candidates typically need a bachelor's degree in computer science or related fields, security clearances, and the ability to work in a military environment. The position often requires adherence to strict protocols and the use of specialized tools and programming languages.

How much do Navy software engineers make?

Navy software engineers typically earn between $70,000 and $120,000 annually, depending on experience, rank, and security clearance level. Salaries may also include benefits such as healthcare, retirement, and housing allowances, with opportunities for advancement and specialized skills in cybersecurity or systems development.

What are the most commonly searched types of Navy Software Engineer jobs in Virginia?

The most popular types of Navy Software Engineer jobs in Virginia are:

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

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

Infographic showing various Navy Software Engineer job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 6% Internship, 88% Full Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 90% In-person, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $146,258 per year, or $70.3 per hour.

Software Engineer - JobID-0198

Innovative Defense Technologies

Arlington, VA • On-site

$74K - $184K/yr

Full-time

Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

Description
About The Role: 
Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT), a leading defense technology company, is seeking a Software Engineer to be part of our Warfare Systems team and based out of our Arlington, VA or Mount Laurel, NJ location.
 
The Software Engineer will be part of a multi-discipline team focused on the DOW’s initiatives in support of tactical capability development for Navy surface and unmanned (UxVs) platforms and will be directly responsible for the architecting and refactoring of mission critical legacy weapons system software into a modern software technology stack where the target end state will ensure the highest impact to the US Navy by enabling a microservices based tactical platform within both a cloud-native and tactical-edge deployment model.
 
Warfare Systems’ project domains include real-time automated test and analysis, virtual computing environments, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) based data analytics, cybersecurity, as well as backfit and forward-fit tactical solutions. 
 
The Engineer will be fiercely accountable for the delivery of well-architected and production-ready solutions that exceed the Fleet’s requirements.
 
Clearance & Location Requirements:
  • All applicants must be able to obtain/maintain an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance. 
  • This is an on-site position. Requiring at least 4 days in office, based out of our Arlington, VA and Mount Laurel, NJ locations.

Key Responsibilities
What You Will Do:  
  • Design, implement, and test complex software in C, C++, Python, JavaScript, and Java within various development environments.
  • Analyze legacy monolithic software programs, recompiling them, and incrementally apply refactoring to modernize the software using the “brownfield” and “greenfield” methodologies.
  • Technical assessment and deconstruction of Navy tactical system code for Surface Navy Combat systems.
  • Explore and prototype next-generation solutions using artificial intelligence/machine learning, distributed processing, and modeling.
  • Interact with customers to elicit requirements and document agreements.
  • Present to organization leadership on project cost, schedule, and technical progress.
  • Software architecture development including hardware and software interfaces between software components.
  • Assist in developing user, functional, and technical requirements for tactical systems.
  • Participate and provide feedback for design & code/peer reviews.
  • Integrate individual software components into complex software environments.
  • Support test and integration activities at IDT labs and government Land Based Test Sites (LBTS).
  • Integrate software components into a complex software development environment 
  • Ensure adherence to industry standards pertaining to security, orthodox programming paradigms, and performance requirements 
  • Understand and interact with complex DoD software systems
  • Work with small cross-site teams of software and/or systems engineers
  • Collaborate with team members to peer-review architecture design, system requirements, and implemented code

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
Who You Are (Required): 
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent full-time professional experience.
  • 0-5 years of professional experience.
  • Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, as needed 
  • Familiarity with combat system design and software
  • Familiarity and experience with developing tactical systems software on DOD programs.
  • Familiarity with C, C++, Python, and/or Java programming languages
  • Adept with developing in Linux OS environments, including shell scripting.
  • Ability to decompose and document requirements and specifications.
  • Understanding of distributed systems, algorithms, data structures and software design patterns, especially the Strangler Pattern
  • Experience with Agile software development processes
  • Proficiency working within a Git CM environment
  • Comfortable with DevSecOps best practices
  • Ability to convert vague customer requirements into a refined vision.
  • Ability to identify and describe algorithmic complexity.
  • Ability to work on-site with potential hybrid flexibility.
  • Familiarity with the software development process (requirements through deployment)
  • Ability to design, develop, and analyze software systems
  • Ability to model/code/test algorithms in C++, Python, Java
  • Ability to model/code/test GUI applications
  • Proficiency in at least one modern language (e.g., Python, Java, C++, C#) and/or one modern frontend language (e.g., TypeScript, JavaScript) 
  • Understanding of:
    • Windows and Linux file systems 
    • Version control (Git) 
    • APIs (REST/gRPC) 
    • Modular code design
  • Ability to review, critique, and harden AI-generated code
  • Familiarity with SQL and relational databases (e.g., Postgres)
  • Familiarity with computer networking and various networking protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, CORBA, DDS)
  • Ability to perform many concurrent assignments and determine the need for changing priorities 
What Makes You Stand Out:
  • Up to 5 years of full-time professional experience 
  • Familiarity with the AEGIS Weapon System Common Source Library (CSL), ideally, or Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) Single Source Library (SSL)
  • Experience with AEGIS, ideally, or SSDS tactical systems
  • Experience utilizing Make build system, Maven, and Ant scripting
  • Experience with X-Windows
  • Familiar with Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) methodologies
  • Experience with Jenkins, Jira, and the Atlassian tool suite
  • Familiarity with foundational networking concepts such as routing, switching, identity services, intrusion detection, and firewall 
  • Familiarity deploying virtual machines in VMWare vSphere environments including networking configuration 
  • Familiarity designing complex software development environments including submodules, remote dependencies, and mixed-code deployments
  • Familiarity deploying virtual machines and/or containers into Azure cloud environments including networking configuration
  • Solid analytical abilities, coupled with a strong sense of ownership, urgency, and drive 
  • Problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate ambiguous situations 
  • Excellence in oral, written, and technical communication with peers and non-technical cohorts 
  • Initiative, creativity, reliability, teamwork 
  • Strong organization and planning skills 
  • Attention to detail while ability to see and understand the big picture
  • Experience with cloud computing, virtualization, or containerization technologies 
  • Familiarity with Cloud infrastructure (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP)
  • Experience with big data solutions (e.g. Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Cassandra)
  • Demonstrated experience using AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Codeium) for:
    • Code generation 
    • Refactoring and optimization
    • Debugging and root-cause analysis
  • Ability to write effective prompts and iterate with AI to improve code quality and performance
  • Understanding of AI limitations, hallucinations, and validation techniques
  • Experience with testing frameworks including unit testing and interface testing 
  • Experience building user interfaces with a modern component framework such as React, Angular, or Vue.
  • Experience using Storybook or other Mock testing tooling.
If you see yourself reflected in this role and are excited about the impact you could make, we encourage you to apply! If you know someone who may be a great fit, please feel free to share this opportunity with your network.

Pay Range*: $74,000 - $184,000
This amount may not be reflective of actual compensation that may be earned as pay is dependent on a candidate’s experience, skills, and education. The posted range does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, or other benefits. IDT is often looking to place multiple candidates at various levels. Therefore, more than one pay range has been included, commensurate with experience. 

Job Benefits
Why Work at Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT):

IDT is a growing company with a vibrant, entrepreneurial culture. We are headquartered in Arlington, VA with additional offices in Fall River, MA; Mount Laurel, NJ; and San Diego, CA. At each location, our employees work together in a modern, snack-filled, and social office space, designing innovative solutions for our defense industry customers. We offer employees competitive pay and benefits including:  
  • Generous benefits package 
  • Competitive PTO 
  • Paid holidays 
  • 401(k) with immediate vesting and matching 
  • 9/80 optional schedule (2nd and 4th Friday off every month)  
  • Tuition Assistance Reimbursement Program 
  • Professional Development Resources 
  • Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits 
  • Organization-Wide Monthly Tech Connect Events
  • Annual Employee Recognition Awards 
  • Regular Social Events and Catered Lunches 

EEO Statement:
IDT is an Equal Opportunity employer.