ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Senior Principal Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

OASYS

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission Engineer OASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA. Summary Make ...

OASYS, INC.

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission EngineerOASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA.SummaryMake a ...

OASYS, INC.

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission Engineer OASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA. Summary Make ...

OASYS

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission Engineer OASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA. Summary Make ...

OASYS, INC.

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission EngineerOASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA.SummaryMake a ...

OASYS, INC.

Senior Principal Mission Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Senior Principal Mission Engineer OASYS, INC., a Leading-Edge Government contractor, is seeking applicants for Senior Principal Mission Engineer to support our customer in Chantilly, VA. Summary Make ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsPrincipal Engineer JobsSenior Principal Engineer JobsSenior Principal Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA

Senior Principal Engineer information

See Reston, VA salary details

$85.3K

$161.7K

$223.2K

How much do senior principal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior principal engineer in Reston, VA is $161,702.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $130,600.00 and $180,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior principal engineer?

A Senior Principal Engineer is a highly experienced technical leader who is responsible for guiding the overall engineering direction and strategy within an organization. They typically possess deep expertise in their field, provide mentorship to other engineers, and influence major architectural and technical decisions. Senior Principal Engineers often collaborate with cross-functional teams, ensure best practices are followed, and play a critical role in driving innovation. Their work has a significant impact on the company's products and technical vision.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior principal engineer?

To excel as a Senior Principal Engineer, you need deep technical expertise in your engineering discipline, advanced problem-solving abilities, and typically a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard design and simulation software, project management tools, and relevant certifications (such as PMP or PE) are often required. Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills distinguish top performers in this role. These competencies are vital for leading complex projects, driving innovation, and effectively guiding engineering teams to achieve organizational goals.

What does a senior principal engineer do?

Senior Principal Engineers often serve as technical leaders on cross-functional projects, collaborating closely with product managers, architects, and development teams to define technical direction and ensure architectural consistency. They provide deep expertise to solve complex engineering challenges, mentor other engineers, and help align project goals with the organization's strategic vision. Their role frequently involves facilitating communication between different departments and ensuring technical decisions support both immediate project needs and long-term scalability.

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

AspectSenior Principal EngineerLead Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, with extensive industry experienceSimilar educational background, often with additional certifications or specialized training
Work EnvironmentFocuses on high-level technical strategy, innovation, and mentorship across projectsLeads specific projects or teams, overseeing technical execution and coordination
Industry UsageCommon in large corporations and R&D settingsFound in both startups and established companies, often in project-based roles

While both roles require strong technical expertise, the Senior Principal Engineer typically focuses on strategic technical leadership and innovation at an organizational level, whereas the Lead Engineer manages project execution and team coordination. The Senior Principal Engineer often operates at a higher, more strategic level within the engineering hierarchy.

What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA?

The most popular types of Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA?

For Senior Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Principal Engineer jobs in Reston, VA are:

What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Senior Principal Engineer jobs?

Cities near Reston, VA with the most Senior Principal Engineer job openings:

Senior Principal Engineer jobs near you

Senior Principal Software Engineer - (Secret Clearance Preferred - Onsite Required)

General Dynamics Information Technology

Oakton, VA • On-site

$161K - $218K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago

General Dynamics Information Technology rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 63 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

87th of 224 rated it services

Job description

Share
REQ#: RQ219570Public Trust: None Requisition Type: Regular Your Impact

Own your opportunity to work alongside federal civilian agencies. Make an impact by providing services that help the government ensure the well being and support of U.S. citizens.

Job Description

SOFTWARE ENGINEER SR PRINCIPAL

GDIT is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join our team.

This challenging and interesting software engineering and development position is a chance to participate in the development and operation of a high-performance big data system, and join a longstanding, stable program consisting of a team of individuals using defined Agile software principles and practices.

As a Senior Principal Software Engineer, you will lead and perform software requirements analysis, design, development, testing, maintenance and participate in research of an operational big data system. The Senior Principal Software Engineer focuses on proficiency and quality of software and application development and programming to deliver solutions to complex problems. You will tailor cutting-edge solutions to the unique requirements of our clients. Additionally, the Senior Principal Software Engineer may mentor and coach other software engineers.

US Citizenship is required. DoW active Secret clearance is preferred. If candidate does not have an active clearance, GDIT will sponsor the clearance upon contingent offer. The work must be performed onsite (no remote work).


WHAT YOULL NEED TO SUCCEED
Bring your engineering expertise along with a drive for innovation to GDIT. The Software Engineer Sr Principal must have:

  • Demonstrated understanding and technical expertise in applied software engineering concepts, principles and applications

  • Experience with database technologies, SQL, ETL, indexing and performance including contextual data

  • In-depth understanding of object-oriented and functional programming, design patterns, data structures and algorithms

  • Proven ability to create high performance applications using Modern C++ (versions 11/14/17/20) applied in a Linux development environment

  • Proven experience in scripting languages including Bash, Ruby and Python

  • Experience with data modeling and NoSQL database technologies such as MongoDB

  • Experience with parallel and multi-threaded programming and multi-process applications

  • Proven experience with very large databases/big data/enterprise data warehouses

  • Experience with memory architectures (NUMA) and caching

  • Expertise in applying techniques for improving performance such as profiling, avoiding memory allocation/de-allocation, parallelization and algorithms

  • Required Experience: 10+ years of related experience

Preferred Skills:

  • Education: Bachelor's (4 year) degree in software engineering or related technical field OR a minimum of 14 years of equivalent work experience

  • Experience with Azure Cloud development

What sets you apart:

  • Ability to interact and collaborate effectively with project teams, managers, and end users

  • Maintain commitment to ongoing professional development

  • Be able to grasp and apply new information quickly and handle increasing responsibilities with growing complexity

  • Be a creative and innovative thinker with the ability to multi-task

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Department of War Secret security clearance is required before starting on program. Applicants selected will be subject to a government background investigation and must meet eligibility and suitability requirements. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

GDIT IS YOUR PLACE:

  • 401K with company match

  • Comprehensive health and wellness packages

  • Internal mobility team dedicated to helping you own your career

  • Professional growth opportunities including paid education and certifications

  • Cutting-edge technology you can learn from

  • Rest and recharge with paid vacation and holiday

Work Requirements
Years of Experience

10 + years of related experience

* may vary based on technical training, certification(s), or degree

Certification
Travel Required

Less than 10%

Citizenship

U.S. Citizenship Required

Salary and Benefit Information

The likely salary range for this position is $161,500 - $218,500. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.
View information about benefits and our total rewards program.

Our Identity Verification Process

As part of the hiring process, we will ask you to complete an identity verification process that leverages advanced biometrics and artificial intelligence to ensure authenticity and protect against identity fraud. You are expected to be on camera during virtual interviews. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud. By proceeding, you authorize the collection, processing, and use of your biometric data for identity verification and security purposes.

About Our Work

We are GDIT. A global technology and professional services company that delivers technology solutions and mission services to every major agency across the U.S. government, defense and intelligence community. Our 26,000 experts extract the power of technology to create immediate value and deliver solutions at the edge of innovation. We operate across 50+ countries worldwide, offering leading mission-ready capabilities in AI, cloud, cyber and software development.

Join our Talent Community to stay up to date on our career opportunities and events at gdit.com/tc.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

What General Dynamics Information Technology employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

General Dynamics Information Technology logo

About General Dynamics Information Technology

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

GDIT is a global technology and professional services company that delivers technology solutions and mission services to every major agency across the U.S. government, defense, and intelligence community. Its 30,000 experts extract the power of technology to create immediate value and deliver solutions at the edge of innovation. The company operates across 50+ countries worldwide, offering leading capabilities in digital modernization, AI/ML, cloud, cyber, and application development.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

View All General Dynamics Information Technology Jobs

Apply