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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in New Mexico (NOW HIRING)

Prioritize and handle multiple software engineering tasks concurrently * Troubleshoot software and test equipment instrumentation * Work in a multidiscipline engineering team environment * Develop ...

Principal Software Architect - Ground Systems & Fleet Automation Location: Moriarty, NM or North ... Modern Operations (SRE/DevOps): Extensive experience with Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), ...

May train software developers in the use of configuration management tools and the implementation of software quality standards. Includes control modeling (model based design) Qualifications You Must ...

Software Engineer Location: Kirtland AFB, NM, 87417 Position Overview We are seeking a skilled Software Engineer to join our team supporting MAJCOM and C3I amp;N initiatives within Airforce Systems.

The preferred candidate will be highly motivated with demonstrated initiative, and have a thorough understanding of software engineering principles and best practices, and defined SW development ...

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Principal Software Engineer information

See New Mexico salary details

$58.6K

$156K

$223.9K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in New Mexico is $155,959.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $130,800.00 and $175,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a principal software engineer typically balance hands-on coding with leadership responsibilities?

Principal Software Engineers often split their time between technical contributions—such as designing system architecture and reviewing complex code—and guiding teams through mentorship, technical direction, and cross-functional collaboration. While they may not code as much as junior engineers, they remain highly involved in critical implementations and code reviews. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize tasks that have the highest impact on project and team success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, programming languages, and system design, often supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Advanced proficiency with development frameworks, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), and familiarity with DevOps tools and agile methodologies are typically required. Exceptional leadership, mentorship, and communication skills help facilitate cross-functional collaboration and guide technical teams. These skills are crucial for driving technical vision, ensuring scalable solutions, and fostering innovation within complex projects.

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

AspectPrincipal Software EngineerSenior Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in CS or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in CS; several years of experience
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles, strategic planning, cross-team collaborationDesign, develop, and troubleshoot software; mentorship
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, large enterprises, startupsMost industries, including tech, finance, healthcare

The main difference between a Principal Software Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer lies in their level of responsibility and scope. Principal Software Engineers typically lead technical strategy, influence architecture decisions, and mentor multiple teams, whereas Senior Software Engineers focus on coding, design, and individual project contributions. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal role emphasizes leadership and strategic impact.

What is a principal software engineer?

A principal software engineer is in charge of software development. In this career, you guide the software design process and inspect software programs to make suggestions for improvements. Principal software engineers also process complex data and may need to enforce software design, development, and maintenance requirements. Your job requires a high level of technical knowledge and skills and a thorough understanding of the software development process. Your employer may require you to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in software development. Similar job titles include software architect and principal software developer.

How much does a principal software engineer get paid?

A principal software engineer typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually in the United States, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and company size. They often have advanced skills in software architecture, leadership, and technical expertise in programming languages and tools.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in New Mexico? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in New Mexico, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in New Mexico look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in New Mexico are:
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in New Mexico as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 83% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,959 per year, or $75 per hour.

Senior Principal Software Engineer, Ground System Software Architect

Blackve

Albuquerque, NM • On-site

$180 - $230/hr

Other

Retirement

Posted 8 days ago


Job description

Senior Principal Software Engineer, Ground System Software Architect

Position Title: Sr. Principal Software Engineer, Ground System Software Architect

Work Location: Albuquerque, NM (preferred) or Herndon, VA

Clearance Requirement: Active Top-Secret security clearance and the ability to maintain the clearance required. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.

Employment Type: Full-time

About Us: BlackVe, Inc. is a mission-first, dynamic, and innovative national security-focused company focused on emerging space and advanced technologies dedicated to pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence in support of our government customers.

Job Description:

We're looking for a Ground Software Systems Architect to lead the design, integration, and delivery of the ground software system behind our commercial space domain awareness (SDA) platform. Success in this role depends as much on architecture, interface definition, and vendor coordination as it does on writing code.

The ideal candidate sits at the intersection of systems engineering and software engineering: someone who can translate mission needs into concrete requirements, define and validate interfaces between components, evaluate and integrate commercial and open-source tooling, and stay hands-on enough to guide implementation. You'll be a central technical voice, working across internal software, engineering, and program teams, external vendors, and customers.

Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:
  • Own the end-to-end architecture of the ground software system.
  • Selection, integration, and orchestration of third-party space domain awareness analytics tools into a cohesive, maintainable platform.
  • Generate, decompose, and manage system and software requirements, tracing them from mission objectives through to implementation and verification.
  • Define, document, and validate interfaces (ICDs) between internal components, third-party tools, and external systems.
  • Lead and coordinate development activities, setting technical direction and reviewing implementation against the architecture.
  • Serve as a primary technical point of contact for external stakeholders, vendors, partners, and customers; communicating design decisions, tradeoffs, and status clearly.
  • Design and deploy cloud infrastructure on AWS, with an emphasis on secure, compliant environments.
  • Identify and mitigate technical risk across the system lifecycle, from concept through operations.
Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Demonstrated experience architecting complex software systems, particularly those built from integrated third-party or COTS tools.
  • Strong systems engineering fundamentals: requirements generation and management, interface definition, and verification.
  • Software engineering proficiency is sufficient to guide implementation, evaluate technical work hands-on, and contribute to development of APIs and Python scripts.
  • Hands-on experience deploying and operating workloads on AWS.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of engaging directly with external partners and customers.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with AWS GovCloud and deploying in regulated or security-sensitive environments.
  • Background in space domain awareness, satellite ground systems, and the broader space/aerospace domain.
  • Familiarity with ground segment software (e.g., mission planning, tasking, tracking, telemetry, cataloging, or data processing pipelines).
  • Experience integrating commercial SDA data sources or sensor networks.
Location and Travel Requirements:
  • This position is based in Albuquerque, NM, with occasional travel to other company locations or partner facilities as needed.
Why Join Us:
  • Mission first-Always. We prioritize delivering results that directly support space and intelligence community programs and national security objectives.
  • We operate as one team, grounded in trust, accountability, and open collaboration, where individuals actively support one another to achieve shared mission success.
  • Work on high-impact programs across space, ISR, and advanced technology domains supporting DoD and IC customers.
  • Ownership-driven culture is founded in teamwork where every employee is an owner, with equity participation and a direct stake in our success.
  • Competitive compensation and benefits package, including flexible time off; 401(k) with company contribution
  • Constant opportunities for program and professional impact.

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(A)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.

This description formerly included application instructions which have been removed per refinement rules.

This position requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance, as required by the applicable government contract.

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