Principal Software Engineer/Developer (.NET)

Overview:

The Principal Software Engineer/Developer is a highly experienced technical leader and recognized authority responsible for defining and driving enterprise-wide architecture strategies across cloud, application modernization, and secure distributed systems. This role operates at a senior leadership level, influencing technology direction, advising executive stakeholders, and ensuring alignment between enterprise architecture, business objectives, and federal or regulated requirements. The Software Engineer/Developer leads highly complex initiatives involving cloud transformation, Azure-based solutions, systems integration, and secure application development, while mentoring technical teams and establishing architectural standards across the organization.

Responsibilities:

Define and lead enterprise architecture strategy across cloud, applications, and infrastructure

Develop multi-year technology roadmaps aligned with organizational and client objectives

Establish architecture standards, reference models, and governance frameworks

Advise executive leadership on emerging technologies, risks, and investment priorities

Architect and oversee complex Microsoft Azure solutions, including hybrid and multi-cloud environments

Lead enterprise cloud adoption, migration, and modernization strategies

Design and deploy cloud solutions on Microsoft Azure leveraging tools and services including Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure App Services, Azure Functions (Serverless), networking, security, and advanced Data & AI capabilities to build secure, high-performance, scalable, and resilient enterprise applications

Serve as a hands-on technical leader by actively contributing to application design and development efforts using the Microsoft .NET framework and related technologies.

Perform hands-on coding, code reviews, prototyping, and technical implementation activities to ensure architectural standards and solution quality are achieved.

Develop and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using Terraform and Azure Bicep to support automated, repeatable, and compliant cloud deployments.

Ensure optimization for performance, scalability, resilience, and cost efficiency

Lead large-scale application modernization initiatives

Establish best practices for microservices, API-first, and event-driven architectures

Guide development teams in full-stack and cloud-native development

Ensure security-by-design principles

Oversee alignment with federal frameworks (e.g., NIST, Zero Trust)

Partner with cybersecurity teams

Lead cross-functional teams

Drive DevSecOps and automation

Serve as trusted advisor

Redesign data structures to support modern, scalable, and efficient data architectures

Plan and execute comprehensive data mapping activities across systems, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and alignment with enterprise standards

Develop end-to-end solution designs that align business requirements with system capabilities, ensuring seamless integration and data flow

Leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance architectural design, productivity, and decision-making

Demonstrate hands-on experience implementing AI-driven solutions that improve business processes, efficiency, and insights

Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization, including technical teams, senior leadership, executives, and external customers

Serve as the primary technical interface to customers, ensuring clear, consistent, and professional communication of solutions and outcomes

Translate complex technical concepts, architectures, and trade-offs into concise, business-friendly language

Present solution options with clear pros/cons, risks, and trade-offs to support informed decision-making

Develop and communicate reasonable level-of-effort estimates, timelines, and solution assumptions

Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-scale transformation initiatives

Experience in federal, regulated, or large-scale enterprise environments strongly preferred

Preferred certifications in Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert and Microsoft Azure Developer Associate

Optional/preferred certifications include CISSP, CCSP, CISM, TOGAF, or equivalent architecture, cloud, or security-related credentials. Candidates are not required to possess security certifications to be considered for this role.

Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions, including Terraform and Azure Bicep deployment frameworks for provisioning, automating, and managing cloud infrastructure

Qualifications:

US Citizenship Required

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field (Master’s preferred)

12–15 years of progressive experience in solutions architecture, cloud engineering and platform design and enterprise application development and modernization

5+ years of experience in cloud architecture, application modernization, cloud development, and migrations

7+ years of experience in full stack and .NET application development

3+ years designing and implementing solutions in Microsoft Azure environments