Principal Software Engineer

Awetomaton is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to set and uphold the technical bar for a cloud-native, event-driven system used across a national intelligence enterprise. You'll own the architecture patterns, the quality gate, and the build environment - staying close to the code while guiding a team of engineers through design and delivery. The ideal candidate will possess a BS degree or higher and have 15+ years of experience (or Masters & 12+ years experience)

This position will be performed out of Dayton, OH, with relocation packages available for out-of-state talent. Active DoD Top Secret security clearance required. 

Criteria for success

• Own the technical approach and code-quality standard across development; lead design reviews and establish patterns for cloud-native, event-driven microservices. 


• Guide development, refactoring, integration, and deployment of enterprise data services to government cloud environments. 


• Own the software build environment and end-item source delivery to the government source-code repository, including version history and reproducible builds. 


• Ensure deliveries meet the no-major-defect (Category 1/2) threshold and align to agile artifacts and required contract documentation. 


• Mentor engineers; serve as the technical liaison to the SME and government technical leads. 

Required Experience and Skills

• Active TS/SCI. 


• 15+ years of software engineering experience (or MS + 12), including 5+ years leading cloud-native microservice teams. 


• Deep, hands-on experience with containers and Kubernetes, modern backend languages (Go, Java, and/or Python), and REST plus asynchronous/event-driven APIs. 


• Demonstrated ownership of secure SDLC practices and CI/CD-based delivery. 


• Experience leading teams in an Agile/Scrum environment. 

Desired Education and Experience

• CKA or CKAD certification; relevant Scrum certification. 


• Event-driven / streaming platforms (Kafka, NATS, Numaflow, or similar). 


• Enterprise search, data-catalog, or large-scale data-services experience. 


• Multi-enclave delivery experience. 


• BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). 

About Awetomaton

We build software that enables humans to make informed decisions from raw intel data, with a specialization in satellite collection. We are a Dayton-based defense startup that believes there is a critical skill & culture gap - one we are filling with high-output, mission focused engineering talent. Results matter to our customers. We've never lost a customer because we deliver what they need. Awetomaton is where you do work that matters with a passionate team in an environment that inspires your creativity.

Benefits

We provide industry leading benefits that balance your health & wellbeing today, as well as lay a solid financial future into retirement. Highlights of our benefit plan include:

• Flexible time off totaling 36 days / year. No approvals required.


• 100% 401k company match up to IRS annual limits. This is a benefit of up to $24,500 for 2026.


• Health plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield with Health Savings Account (HSA). We pay 95% of employee premiums including family plans.


• Employee favorite: Tech and Wellness reimbursement of $3000 / year. Treat yourself with the newest gadgets or athletic gear. No approvals required.


• Annual profit sharing as 401k contribution. No set percent and dependent on annual company performance. Benefit is above and beyond 401k match.


• MacBook laptop and well-equipped office spaces for optimal productivity in office and on-the-go.