Temporary Research Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Are you passionate about the chance to bring your analytical processing experience to a world class organization that is leading the way in both content and technology to serve and protect our citizens home and abroad? Do you have the skills necessary to design new software solutions for customers? Then Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is looking for you!

About the Role

Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is looking for a Software Engineer to support our DoD/DoW customers. Software Engineers supporting these efforts work alongside data scientists and data engineers to develop advanced capabilities, prototype new applications, and deliver cutting edge products for high impact government missions. Success in this role requires strong technical depth, the initiative to operate with minimal direction, and the creativity to develop novel solutions.

These positions are part of cross-functional teams that include Data Scientists, Data Engineers, Product Managers, Analysts, and other technical contributors. Software Engineers work to develop and deploy software that utilizes advanced ML/AI capabilities for mission and operational problem areas (e.g., Cyber Operations, Supply Chain Integrity, and other customer driven domains). These products are developed in collaboration with a team of Data Scientists and Data Engineers using modern development practices such as version control, automated testing, containerized deployments, code review, and iterative delivery. This is a hybrid role open to candidates in the Washington, DC area.

Outside of contract work, TRSS Software Engineers contribute to internal innovation by participating in research and development (R&D), developing and maintaining shared capabilities, strengthening technical skills, and supporting business development efforts such as proof-of-concept projects and capabilities briefings. As a Software Engineer, you will also contribute to a variety of areas including:

• Leading projects and acting as a mentor to less experienced developers
• Collaborating with the TRSS development team and design, implement, and deliver software solutions and data science efforts
• Enhancing and supporting existing applications
• Engaging the TRSS analytical staff to gather requirements, generate ideas, and develop documentation
• Demoing new software solutions as needed

A Note on Our Requirements

If you are excited about this role but your prior experience does not perfectly align with every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply. TRSS is looking for self-starting, diverse candidates who thrive in collaborative environments and are eager to expand their technical horizons. Your ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and collaborate effectively matters just as much as your current tech stack.

About You

You're a good fit for the role of Software Engineer if you have/are:

• 3-5 years of experience with Full-Stack Application Development.
• Experience designing, building, testing, and maintaining multi-service backend systems and supporting frontend interfaces that deliver mission-driven analytical or operational capabilities.
• Experience with Rapid Prototyping and Capability Development: building proof-of-concept workflows, REST APIs, microservices, or decision-support tools to demonstrate and mature new software capabilities at pace with operational needs.
• At least three years experience with the following:
  • Java in the Spring ecosystem (Spring Boot)
  • Python
  • JavaScript/TypeScript and a modern component-based framework (React or similar).
  • SQL for relational data modeling, schema design, migration management, and data extraction or transformation tasks.
  • Docker
  • Git/GitHub
• Ability to handle sensitive, confidential, or regulated data in accordance with applicable policies and requirements.
• Ability to interface directly with customers and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team. Teams may include other Software Engineers, Data Scientists, Product Managers, Subject Matter Expert Analysts, and/or Data Engineers.
• Ability to work using modern software development practices, including shared repositories, version control, automated testing, containerization, documentation, and iterative delivery.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. National Security Clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship essential to comply with government contract/agency or department of Federal Government requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting DoD, intelligence community, or other government research and development programs.
• Experience with Data Modeling and Management: designing and maintaining relational data models, writing migrations, and managing structured data across the full data lifecycle including ingestion, transformation, validation, and storage.
• Experience with Container orchestration platforms, particularly Kubernetes, including writing and maintaining Helm charts for multi-service deployments across multiple environments.
• Experience with AI development tools and LLM APIs, including Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, or AWS Bedrock; experience building applications that integrate LLM-based generation, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), or vector embedding workflows.
• Experience with data engineering practices including ETL/ELT pipeline design, vector search indexing (Elasticsearch), object storage (MinIO/S3), and schema migration tooling (Liquibase or similar).
• Experience with machine learning concepts and frameworks, particularly embedding models, semantic similarity, and nearest-neighbor retrieval as applied in production software systems.
• Experience supporting national security missions or developing tools for sensitive, mission-critical operational environments where data integrity, access control, and operational context carry significant real-world consequences.

#LI-SW1

What's in it For You?

• Hybrid Work Model: We've adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2-3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.

• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work-life balance.

• Career Development and Growth: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development, we prepare our talent to tackle tomorrow's challenges and deliver real-world solutions. Our Grow My Way programming and skills-first approach ensures you have the tools and knowledge to grow, lead, and thrive in an AI-enabled future.

• Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer comprehensive benefit plans to include flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days off, access to the Headspace app, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement, employee incentive programs, and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.

• Culture: Globally recognized, award-winning reputation for inclusion and belonging, flexibility, work-life balance, and more. We live by our values: Obsess over our Customers, Compete to Win, Challenge (Y)our Thinking, Act Fast / Learn Fast, and Stronger Together.

• Social Impact: Make an impact in your community with our Social Impact Institute. We offer employees two paid volunteer days off annually and opportunities to get involved with pro-bono consulting projects and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.

• Making a Real-World Impact:We are one of the few companies globally that helps its customers pursue justice, truth, and transparency. Together, with the professionals and institutions we serve, we help uphold the rule of law, turn the wheels of commerce, catch bad actors, report the facts, and provide trusted, unbiased information to people all over the world.

In the United States, Thomson Reuters offers a comprehensive benefits package to our employees. Our benefit package includes market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs, as well as a competitive 401k plan with company match. In addition, Thomson Reuters offers market leading work life benefits with competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off, paid holidays (including two company mental health days off), parental leave, sabbatical leave. These benefits meet or exceeds the requirements of paid time off in accordance with any applicable state or municipal laws. Finally, Thomson Reuters offers the following additional benefits: optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee; optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee; Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts; fitness reimbursement; access to Employee Assistance Program; Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee; access to 529 Plan; commuter benefits; Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance; Tuition Reimbursement; and access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan.Thomson Reuters complies with local laws that require upfront disclosure of the expected pay range for a position. The base compensation range varies across locations. Eligible office location(s) for this role include one or more of the following: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and/or Irvine, CA; McLean, VA; Washington, DC. The base compensation range for the role in any of those locations is $117,700 USD - $218,600 USD. Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual's knowledge, skills and experience with consideration given to internal equity. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive Total Reward program which also includes flexible and supportive benefits and other wellbeing programs. This role may also be eligible for an Annual Bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.

About Us

Thomson Reuters informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. We serve professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Our products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is a world leading provider of trusted journalism and news.

We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness, and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward.

As a global business, we rely on the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all employees to deliver on our business goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer providing a drug-free workplace.

Thomson Reuters makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law. If you reside in the United States and require an accommodation in the recruiting process, you may contact our Human Resources Department atHR.Leave-Expert@thomsonreuters.com. Disability accommodations in the recruiting process may include things like a sign language interpreter, making interview rooms accessible, providing assistive technology, or other relevant accommodations. Please note this email is not intended for general recruitment questions and we will promptly respond to inquiries regarding accommodations. More information on requesting an accommodation here.

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More information about Thomson Reuters can be found on thomsonreuters.com