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Temporary Software Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Description Position Summary We are looking for a Mid-level or Senior software engineer/developer ... If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical ...

FLEX Senior Software Engineer

Bethesda, MD · On-site +1

$130K - $172K/yr

This is a temporary position. The assignment duration is through November 25, 2026. JOB SUMMARY The ... Designs, develops, tests, and supports software solutions within the Marriott Associate App ...

Showing results 41-60

Temporary Software Engineer information

See Washington salary details

$71.9K

$167.1K

$232.7K

How much do temporary software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for temporary software engineer in Washington is $167,085.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $135,900.00 and $195,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a temporary software engineer?

A Temporary Software Engineer is a short-term position where an engineer is hired to work on software development projects for a limited period. These roles are often used to fill gaps in teams, handle increased workloads, or contribute to specific project phases. Temporary software engineers perform coding, debugging, testing, and other development tasks like permanent employees but without long-term commitments. Depending on company needs, these roles may last from a few weeks to several months.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a temporary software engineer?

A Temporary Software Engineer should have a strong background in programming languages, software development methodologies, and relevant degrees or certifications, such as a bachelor's in computer science. Familiarity with tools like Git, project management platforms, and frameworks such as React, Angular, or .NET is often necessary. Excellent communication, adaptability, and time management skills help a candidate quickly integrate into teams and contribute effectively to short-term projects. These competencies ensure a Temporary Software Engineer can deliver high-quality results within limited timelines and dynamic work environments.

What types of projects are temporary software engineers typically assigned to, and how do these assignments differ from permanent roles?

Temporary Software Engineers are usually brought on to support specific short-term projects, address skill gaps, or help meet approaching deadlines. They may work on software module development, bug fixes, system migrations, or assisting during peak workload periods. Unlike permanent staff, their assignments are often well-defined with clear objectives and limited durations, which means they are expected to quickly understand project requirements and make immediate contributions. Temporary roles can provide valuable exposure to diverse technologies and work environments, making them an excellent opportunity for broadening experience and building a professional network.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer jobs in Washington?

The most popular types of Software Engineer jobs in Washington are:

What are popular job titles related to Temporary Software Engineer jobs in Washington?

For Temporary Software Engineer jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Washington are hiring for Temporary Software Engineer jobs?

Cities in Washington with the most Temporary Software Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Temporary Software Engineer job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 6% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 8% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $167,085 per year, or $80.3 per hour.

Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration - Expeditionary (R5208)

Washington, DC

Shield AI
Software Development • 11 - 50 employees

$195K - $292K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 23 days ago


Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers. 

 
In this role, you'll lead the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities spanning platform integration, mission autonomy, and operational deployment. You'll own some of the team's most challenging technical problems—from defining flight-autonomy interfaces and integrating advanced payloads to driving mission readiness for customer releases. You'll influence technical direction across multiple subsystems while partnering closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), feature crews, and customer stakeholders. 

You'll combine deep technical expertise with systems thinking to drive successful integration across software, hardware, and operations while mentoring engineers and improving engineering practices across the Expeditionary portfolio. 

What You'll Do:

Lead Technical Delivery – Lead the technical execution of complex autonomy capabilities from architecture through field deployment, coordinating work across multiple engineering teams. 

Develop & Field Autonomy – Drive integration of mission autonomy, payloads, flight-control interfaces, executive autonomy, and multi-agent behaviors onto V-BAT and X-BAT. 

Aircraft Team Partnership – Serve as a primary technical partner to the Aircraft team, defining integration approaches, resolving interface issues, and ensuring mission readiness. 

Cross-Team Technical Leadership – Partner across Aircraft, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), and feature crews to solve complex systems integration challenges. 

Systems Architecture & Integration – Influence architecture, interface design, and integration strategy across multiple subsystems. 

Design & Engineering Excellence – Lead design reviews, contribute to ICDs, mentor engineers, and improve engineering rigor. 

Mission Readiness & Field Support – Drive release readiness while supporting flight tests, customer demonstrations, and operational deployments. 

Continuous Improvement – Improve integration workflows, testing infrastructure, and engineering productivity. 

C2 Interoperability & Standards – Drive implementation of GCS and C2 interfaces using common open-systems standards. 

Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises. 

Required Qualifications:
  • BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.  

  • 7+ years of relevant experience.  

  • Expert C++ and Linux development experience.  

  • Experience leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration efforts.  

  • Experience influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams.  

  • Experience supporting operational test events or customer deployments.  

  • Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience with Group 3 UAS or VTOL aircraft.  

  • Experience with custom autopilot integration.  

  • EO/IR or ViDAR integration.  

  • Long-endurance ISR missions.  

  • Docker, ARM embedded systems, and CI/CD experience.  

  • Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives. 

#LI-ED1
#LD

Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
 
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
 
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
 
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.