Software Engineer Research Assistant Jobs in Colorado

Title:

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

KBR's National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities. In this position, your work will have a profound impact on the country's most critical role - protecting our national security.

KBR, is seeking a highly motivated Senior Software Engineer to join us in supporting our great nation, supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) development team in Colorado Springs, CO.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: At KBR, you'll be working on prototype projects that support the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's most mission-critical objectives. The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force.

• Collaborative Environment: KBR fosters a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere where cross-functional teams of product managers, engineers, developers, and defense experts work in unison. We practice Agile and DevOps principles, ensuring rapid iteration, continuous feedback, and integration across all projects. Our team is passionate, forward-thinking, and united by a mission-first mindset that encourages knowledge sharing, innovation, and problem-solving at every level.

• Impactful Work: Your work here won't just be limited to software development-it will directly support the Air Force in expanding current national capabilities. As the Air Force's leader for National-to-Tactical capability development, AFRL collaborates with leading experts across the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, National Laboratories, industry, inter-agency, academia, and partner nations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and maintenance of software for high-velocity data stream processing systems
• Analyze customer and mission requirements and translate them into effective software designs
• Architect and implement scalable, reliable, and high-performance software solutions
• Lead development activities from requirements analysis through deployment and sustainment
• Conduct code reviews and mentor junior engineers on software engineering best practices
• Develop software prototypes and evaluate technical approaches to complex problems
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis efforts across development, integration, and operational environments
• Generate and maintain software baseline documentation, design artifacts, and engineering plans
• Coordinate activities across cross-functional engineering teams
• Provide project planning support, including task estimation, risk identification, and technical planning

Work Environment:

• Location: Colorado Springs, CO - 100% Onsite or Beavercreek, OH - 100% Onsite
• Travel Requirements: Minimal
• Working Hours: Standard

Required Qualifications:

• 5-8 years of professional software development experience
• Strong experience throughout the full software development lifecycle
• 4+ years of experience with Java, Python, or another object-oriented programming language
• Experience designing and developing distributed systems or high-throughput data processing applications
• Experience with software architecture, performance optimization, and system integration
• Demonstrated experience mentoring engineers and leading technical efforts
• Experience with automated testing, code reviews, and software quality practices

Required Education and Experience:

• Active U.S. Government Top Secret / SCI security clearance (U.S. citizenship required)
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical field

Desired Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
• Working knowledge of MIL-STD-6016 and MIL-STD-3011
• Experience serving as a technical lead or component lead
• Experience with TDD and CI/CD pipelines
• Agile development experience
• Security+ certification
• Strong analytical, leadership, and mentoring abilities

Basic Compensation:

$115,900 - $173,800 (For the Colorado Springs, CO Area Only)

$110,400 - $165,500 (For the Beavercreek, OH Area Only)
The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity.

Additional Compensation:

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR
At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver - Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.