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Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Okta

Staff Software Engineer - Federal

Washington, DC · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Role We are expanding this team to support Okta's Public Sector roadmap by hiring a Staff Software Engineer in the DC area. You'll work closely with Security, Business Technology Engineering, and ...

Okta, Inc.

Staff Software Engineer - Federal

Washington, DC · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Role We are expanding this team to support Okta's Public Sector roadmap by hiring a Staff Software Engineer in the DC area. You'll work closely with Security, Business Technology Engineering, and ...

Geico

Staff Software Engineer - HYBRID

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$110K - $230K/yr

Position Responsibilities As a Staff Engineer, you will: * Scope, design, and build scalable, resilient distributed systems * Engage in cross-functional collaboration throughout the entire software ...

Okta

Staff Software Engineer - Federal

Washington, DC · Hybrid

The Role We are expanding this team to support Okta's Public Sector roadmap by hiring a Staff Software Engineer in the DC area. You'll work closely with Security, Business Technology Engineering, and ...

Ad Hoc, LLC

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack

Mclean, VA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack Job Number: 913 This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using ...

Ad Hoc LLC

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack

Mclean, VA · On-site

$135K - $155K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack Job Number: 913 This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using ...

Ad Hoc

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack

Mclean, VA · Remote

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack Job Number: 913 This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using ...

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All JobsStaff Software Engineer JobsStaff Software Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA

Staff Software Engineer information

See Reston, VA salary details

$63.1K

$168K

$229.3K

How much do staff software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff software engineer in Reston, VA is $167,959.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,200.00 and $198,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a staff software engineer?

A staff software engineer works on the technical team at an organization, typically under a senior management-level team member, to repair, develop, and maintain company software to ensure an efficient user experience. As a staff software engineer, your duties include finding and implementing solutions for issues, creating new software or applications by writing code, using visual development environments to debug, and ensuring the technical architecture runs smoothly. A significant aspect of your job is to not only contribute your skills but also mentor other software engineers to improve their skills and productivity.

What is a staff software engineer?

A Staff Software Engineer is a senior-level technical role responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing complex software systems. They often serve as technical leaders within their teams, guiding architecture decisions, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating across departments. Staff Software Engineers are expected to solve high-impact engineering problems, set technical standards, and ensure the quality and scalability of software products. Their role typically involves both hands-on coding and strategic planning to drive technological innovation within an organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a staff software engineer?

To thrive as a Staff Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, system architecture, and problem-solving, often supported by a relevant degree and significant industry experience. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, Python, or C++), cloud platforms, version control systems, and familiarity with CI/CD pipelines are typically required. Exceptional leadership, strong communication, and mentorship abilities set candidates apart in this role. These skills are essential for designing scalable solutions, guiding technical teams, and ensuring the successful delivery of complex projects.

How does a staff software engineer typically contribute to setting technical direction within a team?

As a Staff Software Engineer, you are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the technical roadmap and ensuring architectural consistency across projects. This often involves mentoring junior engineers, reviewing system designs, and making critical decisions on technology choices and best practices. You'll collaborate closely with product managers, engineering leads, and other stakeholders to align technical goals with business objectives. Your leadership helps foster innovation while maintaining high standards for code quality and system reliability.

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

AspectStaff Software EngineerSenior Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in CS or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in CS; significant experience
Work EnvironmentLeads projects, mentors teams, influences technical strategyDevelops features, solves complex problems, mentors juniors
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in large tech companies, enterprise environmentsWidespread across startups, mid-sized, and large companies

The main difference between a Staff Software Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer lies in scope and influence. Staff Engineers typically lead technical initiatives, mentor multiple teams, and shape engineering strategies, while Senior Engineers focus on developing features and solving complex problems within their teams. Both roles require strong technical skills, but Staff Engineers have a broader impact across projects and departments.

What do staff software engineers do?

Staff software engineers lead technical projects, design system architecture, and mentor other engineers. They often work on complex problems, collaborate across teams, and contribute to technical strategy while using tools like code repositories and development frameworks.
More about Staff Software Engineer jobs

What are popular job titles related to Staff Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA?

For Staff Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Staff Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA look for?

The top searched job categories for Staff Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA are:

What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Staff Software Engineer jobs?

Cities near Reston, VA with the most Staff Software Engineer job openings:

Staff Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Staff Software Engineer job openings in Reston, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $167,959 per year, or $80.7 per hour.

Staff Software Engineer - Federal

Okta

Washington, DC • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 24 days ago

Okta rating

9.8

Company rating: 9.8 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

3rd of 245 rated software companies

Job description

Secure Every Identity, from AI to HumanIdentity is the key to unlocking the potential of AI. Okta secures AI by building the trusted, neutral infrastructure that enables organizations to safely embrace this new era. This work requires a relentless drive to solve complex challenges with real-world stakes. We are looking for builders and owners who operate with speed and urgency and execute with excellence.
This is an opportunity to do career-defining work. We're all in on this mission. If you are too, let's talk.
The Team
We safeguard Okta from threats and vulnerabilities that could disrupt our business or erode our customers' trust. The Defensive Cyber Engineering organization is responsible for the Security Data Platform, infrastructure, and tooling that enable Okta's Detection and Response capabilities. The team also manages enterprise security tools and infrastructure that support XDR, DLP, and SSPM capabilities.
The Role
We are expanding this team to support Okta's Public Sector roadmap by hiring a Staff Software Engineer in the DC area. You'll work closely with Security, Business Technology Engineering, and Product teams to implement and manage security solutions, ensuring our core infrastructure applications protect our workforce, endpoints, and corporate data.
To deliver on this vision, you will build data and infrastructure platforms by leveraging your software, data, and security engineering skills. You'll use automation, policy-as-code, and cloud-native technologies to deliver scalable, resilient, and secure solutions.
What you bring:
  • 8+ years of strong coding and scripting experience, with a focus on building automation and custom tooling for security engineering teams.
  • Experience with Python is required; proficiency in other languages (e.g., Bash, PowerShell, Go) is a plus.
  • Experience developing and maintaining ETL/ELT pipelines for onboarding security data into Okta's security data lake.
  • Experience working with security teams to integrate log sources and ensure seamless data ingestion.
  • Ability to build and maintain scalable, fault-tolerant data pipelines to process security event data.
  • Proven track record of automating security controls and workflows using a cloud-first approach.
  • Experience with Terraform and other infrastructure-as-code tools to orchestrate security infrastructure.
  • Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines for security automation and drift management.
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with technical staff, support teams, executive leadership, and external vendors.
  • 2+ years of experience building engineering solutions within highly regulated environments such as FedRAMP High, IL4, IL5, and/or IL6 is a plus.
  • Current or previous Secret, Top Secret (TS), or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance.

What you'll be doing
  • Serve as a security subject matter expert (SME) for solution engineering and architecture reviews, preferably in the Detection and Response and/or enterprise security tooling space.
  • Lead technical efforts to evaluate, design, and implement new enterprise security systems and feature enhancements.
  • Build, maintain, and enhance custom automation and cloud infrastructure using Terraform or similar tools to support team workflows and enforce security controls.
  • Develop integrations with APIs, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), and security infrastructure to improve detection, response, and remediation.
  • Write and maintain scripts and automations, with an emphasis on Python-based solutions, to streamline security operations.
  • Establish monitoring and alerting for security posture, misconfigurations, and threats across endpoints, SaaS, and cloud workloads.
  • Proactively identify and remediate security gaps; stay updated on emerging threats, solutions, and tooling across the industry.

And extra credit if you have experience in any of the following!
  • Advanced identity management technologies (MFA, SAML, OAuth, OIDC, WebAuthn)
  • Deep understanding of Okta's ecosystem, including advanced configuration and integrations
  • Experience with continuous compliance solutions (e.g., policy-as-code, automated evidence gathering)

Additional requirements:
  • Security Requirement: Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance (Secret or Top Secret) to the extent required by U.S. Government contracts.
    The selected candidate may be subject to drug testing to the extent required by U.S. Government contracts.

#LI-HYBRID
#LI-SH1
P24527_3348076
Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington. Your actual base salary will depend on factors such as your skills, qualifications, experience, and work location. In addition, Okta offers equity (where applicable), bonus, and benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), flexible spending account, and paid leave (including PTO and parental leave) in accordance with our applicable plans and policies. To learn more about our Total Rewards program please visit: https://rewards.okta.com/us.
The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington is between:
$161,000-$221,000 USD
The Okta Experience
  • Supporting Your Well-Being
  • Driving Social Impact
  • Developing Talent and Fostering Connection + Community

We are intentional about connection. Our global community, spanning over 20 offices worldwide, is united by a drive to innovate. Your journey begins with an immersive, in-person onboarding experience designed to accelerate your impact and connect you to our mission and team from day one.
Okta 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, ancestry, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, or status as a protected veteran. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and convictions records, consistent with applicable laws.
If reasonable accommodation is needed to complete any part of the job application, interview process, or onboarding please use this Form to request an accommodation.
Notice for New York City Applicants & Employees: Okta may use Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDT), as defined by New York City Local Law 144, that use artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other automated processes to assist in our recruitment and hiring process. In accordance with NYC Local Law 144, if you are an applicant or employee residing in New York City, please click here to view our full NYC AEDT Notice.

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