Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer

Position Type: Full Time

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is not a remote position.

Salary Range: In compliance with Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the salary range for this role is $180,000 - $220,000. Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as a candidate's relevant work experience, skills, certifications, and location

Additional Compensation: This position is eligible for an end-of-year bonus.

Employment Benefits: Bluestaq offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Leave, and 401k. For more information regarding Bluestaq benefits, please visit https://www.bluestaq.com/benefits

Where Innovation Powers Impact

Ready to turn your expertise into impact? Welcome to Bluestaq.

About Bluestaq

At Bluestaq, we're not just another tech company-we're a mission-driven team of innovators, problem-solvers, and trailblazers. Whether supporting space exploration, defense systems, global alliances, government initiatives, healthcare advancements, or commercial breakthroughs, our work spans industries that shape the future. Founded in 2018, Bluestaq has quickly become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management. Our name? A nod to our roots-"blue" (military shorthand for the good guys) and "staq" (as in software stack).

Recognized Excellence

We don't just talk about excellence-we deliver it. Bluestaq has earned national recognition as one of Inc. Magazine's Fastest-Growing Private Companies and is consistently ranked among Colorado's Best Workplaces. Whether we're supporting national security, enabling healthcare advancements, or driving commercial innovation, we're committed to building data management solutions that matter.

Why Colorado Springs?

• Tech Talent Hotspot - Ranked #2 up-and-coming tech market in North America by CBRE (2024).
• Top Place to Live - Named #3 Best Place to Live in the U.S. and Most Desirable City overall by U.S. News (2024-25).
• Neighborly Spirit - Recognized as America's Most Neighborly City (2024) for community engagement and quality of life.
• Active Lifestyle Hub - Top 5 for hiking and fitness, blending outdoor recreation and wellness (2022).
• Pet-Friendly Leader - Ranked #1 Most Pet-Friendly City in the U.S. (2023) for furry, scaly, and feathery friends.

With 300 days of sunshine and the Rocky Mountains as your backdrop, Colorado Springs offers the perfect mix of urban energy and outdoor adventure.

Join the Mission

Ready to push boundaries with tech that transforms industries? At Bluestaq, we engineer secure, scalable data ecosystems for space, defense, healthcare, and beyond. Join us to tackle mission-critical challenges, protect the world's most valuable data, and build what's next. Let's make extraordinary possible - together.

Are you a seasoned software engineer ready to lead the development of secure, high-performance data management platforms? At Bluestaq, you'll collaborate with brilliant software engineers, leverage modern technologies, and protect some of the nation's most critical systems.

This is more than a job-it's an opportunity to engineer the future of secure data management.

Why This Role Matters

In today's digital landscape, data security, scalability, and resilience are non-negotiable. Your software expertise will safeguard sensitive information, optimize mission-critical operations, and drive innovation in a high-impact environment.

If you excel at solving complex software engineering challenges, building scalable architectures, and mentoring teams-this is your opportunity to make a difference.

Key Responsibilities

Architect and Develop High-Performance Systems

• Design and build scalable, secure, and robust software solutions that withstand real-world demands.
• Develop and maintain backend services, APIs, and microservices to support mission-critical applications.
• Lead architecture discussions and system design for long-term scalability and performance optimization.
• Optimize software for efficiency, fault tolerance, and security in distributed environments.

Lead with Technical Excellence

• Implement best practices in software development, including design patterns, SOLID principles, and secure coding.
• Conduct code reviews, mentor other engineers, and uphold high-quality coding standards.
• Drive performance monitoring and optimizations, identifying and resolving bottlenecks.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex, multi-layered system issues.

Elevate Engineering Processes

• Champion test-driven development (TDD) and automated testing frameworks for software reliability.
• Maintain FOSS and SAST scans, guiding developers on security mitigations.
• Lead Agile and Scrum ceremonies, ensuring efficient sprint planning and execution.
• Collaborate across teams, working closely with systems engineers, UI/UX designers, and DevSecOps engineers to integrate new technologies and architectures.

Strategic Impact and Innovation

• Contribute to strategic planning and roadmap development to align with business goals.
• Research and integrate emerging technologies, ensuring Bluestaq remains at the forefront of innovation.
• Influence technical direction, making key architectural decisions to future-proof systems.

Who You Are

You're an experienced software engineer who thrives in complex environments and enjoys leading technical innovation. You balance hands-on coding with architecture-level thinking and are passionate about secure data management.

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of professional experience in software development.
• Expertise in Java, Python, or other major programming languages.
• Deep understanding of secure coding practices and compliance standards.
• Hands-on experience with Java build tools such as Maven and Gradle.
• Strong cloud computing experience, particularly with AWS.
• Proficiency in API development and microservices architectures.
• Experience with containerization tools such as Kubernetes and Docker.
• Deep knowledge of SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra) databases.
• Passion for mentoring engineers.
• Lead design discussions and review implementations.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with Agile and Scrum methodologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Security certifications such as DoD Security or CISSP.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect or equivalent cloud certifications.
• Experience with DevOps and CI/CD pipelines, including Jenkins and Terraform.
• Proficiency in full-stack development using technologies like React and Spring Boot.
• Familiarity with big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, and Elasticsearch.
• Experience with test-driven development using JUnit, TestNG, and Mockito.
• Proficiency in Git, GitHub, or Bitbucket for version control.

Why Join Bluestaq?

• Work on high-impact projects that safeguard critical national data.
• Collaborate with top-tier engineers in an innovative and technology-driven environment.
• Gain opportunities to lead, mentor, and shape technical strategy.
• Join a mission-driven company committed to securing data integrity.

Required Education: 8 years of software development with a Bachelor of Science degree OR Associate degree with 2 additional years beyond the minimum required may be substituted in lieu of a degree OR a High School Diploma with 4 additional years beyond the minimum required may be substituted in lieu of a degree.

Clearance Requirement: This position requires the ability to obtain a TS/SCI Clearance. To be eligible for a security clearance, US Citizenship is required, and an employee must agree to participate in a background screen and credit check. Eligibility for a TS/SCI Clearance will be assessed as part of the onboarding process or based on programmatic needs.

Relocation: This position does not offer relocation. Candidates must live in the immediate area or relocate at their own expense.

Bluestaq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by state or local law.

Bluestaq will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities and employees whose work requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to Bluestaq or a direct threat. Employees needing such accommodation are instructed to contact Human Resources immediately at contact.us@bluestaq.com

Salary : $180,000 - $220,000