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Sr Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA

$136K - $183K/yr

Principal Software Engineer -- emPower Do you love working with connected devices, automation, and real-world systems? Have you automated your own home, built integrations across smart devices, or ...

Principal Software Engineer

Tysons Corner, VA · On-site

$135K - $182K/yr

Principal Software Engineer -- emPower Do you love working with connected devices, automation, and real-world systems? Have you automated your own home, built integrations across smart devices, or ...

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155K - $208K/yr

Principal Software Engineer -- emPower Do you love working with connected devices, automation, and real-world systems? Have you automated your own home, built integrations across smart devices, or ...

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155K - $208K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Title and Summary Principal Software Engineer About Mastercard Mastercard is a global technology ... You will work closely with technology executives, senior leaders, and engineers to shape the ...

Principal Software Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$120K - $222K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Principal Software Engineer Requisition ID: 1801 Position Location: Fairfax, VA Position Reports To: Program Manager Supervises Others: No Trident has built a reputation as a trusted provider of ...

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155K - $208K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • PTO

Principal Software Engineer Apogee Research is at the forefront of a revolution in how the DoD operates: a turn towards compositional systems of systems instead of traditional monolithic ...

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155K - $208K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • PTO

Principal Software Engineer Apogee Research is at the forefront of a revolution in how the DoD operates: a turn towards compositional systems of systems instead of traditional monolithic ...

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$136K - $183K/yr

  • Medical

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Wells Fargo is seeking a Principal Software Engineer join the Infrastructure Automation and ... Collaborate and consult with key technical experts, senior technology team, and external industry ...

Principal Software Engineer/Tech Lead

Arlington, VA · On-site

$154K - $206K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

As the Principal Software Engineer/Team Lead, you will: * Engineering * Experience in working on ... Serve as a senior technical authority and escalation point for cross-team and cross-domain issues

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Showing results 1-20

Sr Principal Software Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$81.3K

$154.1K

$212.7K

How much do sr principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for sr principal software engineer in Virginia is $154,097.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $124,400.00 and $171,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Sr Principal Software Engineer do?

As a Sr Principal Software Engineer, you are expected to set technical direction, establish best practices, and mentor less experienced engineers. You'll often lead architectural discussions, review code for quality and scalability, and help resolve complex technical challenges. Beyond hands-on development, your role involves fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives, and supporting the professional growth of team members. This position provides a unique opportunity to influence both the technical roadmap and the culture of engineering excellence.

What is the difference between Sr Principal Software Engineer vs Staff Software Engineer?

AspectSr Principal Software EngineerStaff Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, extensive experienceBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, significant experience
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles, strategic projects, cross-team collaborationTechnical leadership, complex project execution, mentorship
Industry UsageUsed across tech companies for senior technical leadershipCommon in large tech firms for advanced technical roles
Comparison FocusStrategic impact, cross-team influenceTechnical depth, project complexity

The main difference between a Sr Principal Software Engineer and a Staff Software Engineer lies in scope and influence. Sr Principal roles focus on strategic leadership and cross-team impact, while Staff Engineers emphasize technical expertise and project execution. Both roles require extensive experience and technical skills, but Sr Principal positions typically involve higher-level decision-making and organizational influence.

What is a Sr Principal Software Engineer?

A Sr Principal Software Engineer is a highly experienced technical leader responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing complex software projects. They typically set technical direction, mentor engineering teams, and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure software meets business goals. In addition to hands-on coding, they often define architectural standards, review code, and lead innovation efforts within their organization. This role requires deep expertise in software engineering, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to guide large-scale technical initiatives.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Sr Principal Software Engineer?

To thrive as a Sr Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, advanced programming skills, and a strong background in computer science, often supported by a bachelor's or master's degree. Proficiency with cloud platforms, modern development frameworks, and relevant certifications (such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect) is typically required. Exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills help you guide teams and collaborate across departments. These abilities are crucial for delivering robust technical solutions, mentoring engineers, and aligning technology with business goals.
Infographic showing various Sr Principal Software Engineer job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 88% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $154,097 per year, or $74.1 per hour.

Principal / Senior Principal Engineer Software - Navigation

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Charlottesville, VA • On-site

$124K - $171K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 23 days ago


Northrop Grumman rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 362 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

88th of 538 rated manufacturers


Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available
CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our Engineering and Sciences (E&S) organization pushes the boundaries of innovation, redefines engineering capabilities, and drives advances in various sciences. Our team is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter. Come be a part of our mission!
We are looking for you to join our team as a Principal or Senior Principal Software Engineer - Navigation based out of Charlottesville, VA. As a Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.
What You'll get to Do:
In this position you will be developing, testing, and debugging software for our cutting edge Navigation systems. As a member of our world class software development team, you will have opportunities to improve and expand your capabilities in software design and code development. You will also have opportunities to perform software and system integration on state of the art hardware, learn new software development techniques such as Model Based Engineering (MBE), and work in an agile and collaborative development environment.
As a successful candidate, you will collaborate with peers across our organization and will have clearly demonstrated the strong leadership skills needed to join our top performing team. You will have a track record as an effective communicator and problem solver who is able to develop and maintain good working relationships with our internal and external customers. You will also have demonstrated a commitment to ethics and integrity, and the capability to innovate while challenging our traditional ways of doing business. You will make us even better!
This requisition may be filled as a Principal Software Engineer or Senior Principal Software Engineer
Basic Qualifications for Principal Software Engineer:
  • Bachelors degree in STEM with 5 years of hands on Software Development experience; 3 years of experience with Masters in STEM; 1 year with a PhD in STEM
  • Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink
  • Experience with programming (C and Python)
  • Experience using software management and workflow automation tools such as ClearCase, Git, ClearQuest, or Jira
  • Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data.
  • Experience using Simulink to model dynamic systems.
  • Experience with Navigation Systems and INS/GPS Kalman filter design and requirements definition
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative development environment
  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance is required
  • Required to work on site full-time

Basic Qualifications for Senior Principal Software Engineer:
  • Bachelors degree in STEM with 8 years of hands on Software Development experience; 6 years of experience with Masters in STEM; 4 Years with a PhD in STEM
  • Experience developing software in MATLAB/Simulink
  • Experience with programming (C and Python)
  • Experience using software management and workflow automation tools such as ClearCase, Git, ClearQuest, or Jira
  • Experience using MATLAB to create, process, analyze, and visually represent data.
  • Experience using Simulink to model dynamic systems.
  • Experience with Navigation Systems and INS/GPS Kalman filter design and requirements definition
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative development environment
  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret clearance is required
  • Required to work on site full-time

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Current/Active U.S. Government Secret clearance
  • Experience in the development and performance of software tests
  • Experience using DOORS for software requirements management
  • Expertise in Sensor Fusion for Navigation Systems using IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), GPS, barometers, and other sensors.
  • Expertise in INS (Inertial Navigation System) mechanizations.
  • Expertise in Embedded INS/GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation systems.
  • Demonstrated capability to translate formal software requirements into software designs
  • Demonstrated capability to define software requirements for an INS/GPS system
  • Familiarity with/Experience in INS/GPS Kalman filter design and requirements definition
  • Experience developing, verifying, certifying and releasing mission and safety-critical software systems that comply with RTCA DO-178B/ C or similar guidelines.
  • Demonstrated use of MATLAB for simulation and INS/GPS system performance evaluation
  • Hands-on experience with one or more communication protocols such as MIL-STD-1553, ARINC-429 or RS-422
  • Experience with code analysis tools such as Polyspace and software test tools such as LDRA and VectorCast

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00
Secondary Level Salary Range: $122,800.00 - $184,200.00
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.
The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.
Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939