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Principal Software Developer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

AdventHealth

Principal Engineer, Software

Reston, VA · Hybrid

$142K - $191K/yr

POSITION SUMMARY The Principal Software Engineer is responsible for shaping the technical direction and ensuring successful delivery of high-quality software solutions that result in remarkable user ...

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Principal Software Developer information

See Virginia salary details

$93.7K

$140K

$183.9K

How much do principal software developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software developer in Virginia is $139,960.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $122,400.00 and $153,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal Software Developer vs Senior Software Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Software DeveloperSenior Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master’s in Computer Science; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master’s in Computer Science; 5+ years experience
Work EnvironmentLeads technical strategy, mentors teams, influences architectureDevelops features, writes code, mentors junior staff
Industry UsageUsed in large organizations, tech companies, and enterprise settingsCommon across startups, mid-sized, and large companies

The Principal Software Developer typically holds a higher-level role focused on technical leadership, architecture, and strategic planning, whereas the Senior Software Engineer primarily focuses on coding, feature development, and mentoring. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal position involves broader responsibilities and influence within the organization.

How does a Principal Software Developer typically balance hands-on coding with leadership and mentorship responsibilities?

As a Principal Software Developer, you’ll often split your time between writing high-impact code and guiding technical direction for the team. While you remain involved in architecting and developing complex features, a significant portion of your role will also involve mentoring less-experienced developers, leading code reviews, and fostering best practices. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business goals, and you’re expected to influence the overall engineering culture. This balance requires strong time management skills and a passion for both technical excellence and team development.

What does a Principal Software Developer do?

A Principal Software Developer is a senior-level engineer responsible for leading complex software projects, setting technical direction, and mentoring other developers. They design and architect software solutions, ensure best coding practices, and collaborate with stakeholders to align technical strategy with business goals. Principal Software Developers often influence company-wide technology decisions and help solve the most challenging engineering problems. Their role typically combines hands-on coding with leadership and strategic planning.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Software Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Developer, you need advanced expertise in software engineering, architecture design, and problem-solving, typically backed by a degree in computer science or a related field and extensive industry experience. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, Python, or C#), software development frameworks, cloud platforms, and familiarity with tools like Git, Docker, and CI/CD systems is critical. Leadership, effective communication, and mentorship abilities are vital soft skills that set top performers apart in this role. These competencies ensure scalable solutions, effective project delivery, and the growth of high-performing development teams.
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What job categories do people searching Principal Software Developer jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Developer jobs in Virginia are:
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Developer jobs in VA? For Principal Software Developer jobs in VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Principal Software Developer jobs near you
Radio Frequency Software Engineer Principal - 1649

Radio Frequency Software Engineer Principal - 1649

Global InfoTek, Inc.

Reston, VA • On-site, Remote

$100K - $240K/yr

Full-time

Posted yesterday

Job description

Clearance Level: Public Trust (Secret Eligible)
US Citizenship: Required
Job Classification: Full Time
Location: Remote
Years of Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience
Education Level: BS Degree - experience may be considered in place of education requirement.
Briefly Describe the Work:
GITI is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to support Cyber Operations Research and Development as the technical lead for production software development on a passive RF emitter identification and network analysis from real-time sensor data streams. The candidate will own the architecture, implementation, and delivery of the production pipeline - a stream ingestion, rollup, and post-processing system that operates on NDF (Network Description File) data produced by TDMA network sensors in dense, contested RF environments. The candidate will lead a small team of senior software engineers, coordinate closely with the program technical lead and AI/ML researchers to drive Cyber Operations software from prototype to production-quality, resource-efficient components deployable on tactical edge hardware. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: the Principal Engineer writes code, makes architecture decisions, and is accountable for pipeline performance and reliability in support of real world cyber operations.
Responsibilities:
  • Own the architecture and implementation of the production software pipeline, including stream ingestion, rollup, database write, and batch post-processing components
  • Lead a team of Senior Software Engineers in support of real world cyber operations; assign work, conduct code reviews, enforce quality standards, and provide technical mentorship
  • Establish and maintain disciplined software engineering practices: versioning, CI/CD pipelines, unit and integration testing, and documentation standards
  • Design and evaluate database and storage architecture for the tactical system and research enclave environments
  • Collaborate with the program technical lead to translate research findings and batch optimization algorithms into production pipeline components
  • Evaluate and benchmark Python pipeline performance on tactical-box-spec hardware; identify bottlenecks and lead porting of mature components to Rust or C for edge deployment
  • Manage and coordinate the tactical system VM environment and stream simulation infrastructure; ensure research VM is not disrupted by development activity
  • Define and enforce stream interface contracts between the ingestion layer, database, and downstream consumers
  • Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., DuckDB/Parquet, Polars, message queues) against program requirements and recommend adoption decisions to the technical lead
  • Maintain the program's GitLab repository structure, branching strategy, and release management
  • Produce clear technical documentation including architecture decision records, interface specifications, and deployment guides
  • Support technical reviews and provide written inputs for sponsor deliverables as directed by the program technical lead

Expert-level career professional with broad and deep application of software engineering principles across the full development lifecycle. Exercises independent judgment in evaluating methods, techniques, and approaches; identifies and resolves complex technical problems with significant program impact. Provides technical leadership and direction to other engineers. Bachelor's (or equivalent) with 10+ years of experience.
Required Skills:
  • Demonstrated experience leading a software engineering team on a production data pipeline or streaming system; ability to set technical direction and mentor junior engineers
  • Expert-level Python development, including stream processing, multi-threaded/async architectures, and performance profiling
  • Proficiency in one or more compiled or systems languages (Rust, C, C++, or Go) for performance-critical components; experience porting Python to compiled targets
  • Hands-on experience designing and implementing relational database schemas and write-intensive data pipelines (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or equivalent)
  • Experience parsing binary serialization formats such as FlatBuffers or Protocol Buffers in a production context
  • Demonstrated ability to benchmark and optimize pipeline throughput on resource-constrained hardware or cloud environment
  • Strong proficiency with Linux system administration, remote server management via SSH, and air-gapped development environments
  • Experience architecting multi-consumer data systems where a single write path must serve concurrent display, analytics, and batch processing readers
  • Proficient in disciplined software engineering practices: GitLab/Git, CI/CD pipeline design, test-driven development, and code review
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to produce architecture decision records and technical documentation for both engineering and leadership audiences

Desired Skills:
  • Experience with TNS (Target Network System) sensor data formats and NDF ICD specifications
  • Familiarity with TDMA network protocols, time-division access architectures, and passive RF signal processing concepts
  • Experience deploying and operating software on tactical edge hardware co-located with a sensor system
  • Experience with lightweight stream or message queue architectures (ZeroMQ, RabbitMQ, or equivalent)
  • Experience with Polars or DuckDB for high-performance analytical workloads and write-once/read-many storage patterns
  • Experience with LLM-assisted software development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI Assistant, or equivalent); demonstrated ability to use AI tools productively for code generation, refactoring, and test case development while maintaining engineering judgment and code quality standards
  • Familiarity with AI/ML model inference integration - ability to incorporate batch optimizer outputs into the production pipeline without requiring ML expertise
  • Experience with browser-based data visualization or reporting tools (React, D3, or equivalent) as a consumer of pipeline output
  • Experience with Jupyter Notebooks and research enclave environments; ability to bridge from research prototype to production code
  • Experience with FlatBuffers binary stream replay and simulation infrastructure for pipeline testing
  • Familiarity with Rust toolchain and ecosystem for systems-level development on Linux

Relevant Certifications:
  • Certifications in software engineering, computer science, or related fields (e.g., Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP); Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP); Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE); C++ Certified Professional Programmer (CPP); Professional Software Developer Certification (PSD); etc.)

Global InfoTek, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.
About Global InfoTek, Inc. Global InfoTek Inc. has an award-winning track record of designing, developing, and deploying best-of-breed technologies that address the nation's pressing cyber and advanced technology needs. GITI has rapidly merged pioneering technologies, operational effectiveness, and best business practices for over two decades.

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