Principal Software Developer

Job Description

About STC

STC is a science, sensors, and systems company founded in 1979. We continually expand our Earth and Space Sciences support capabilities to NASA, NOAA, DoD, and other Federal and State agencies. Our staff support many of the operational missions that monitor the heartbeat of our planet through a growing number of Earth Observing System of Systems platforms and direct field research. We also research and investigate leading-edge observing technologies and assist in their integration into operations.

STC offers competitive benefits to include health, dental, vision, FSA, life, disability, 401K (matching), tuition reimbursement, bonus/incentive programs, and various other plans.

Overview

The EOSDIS Evolution and Development (EED) program supports NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) in enabling global, open access to critical Earth observation data. STC is growing its EED support team and is seeking a Principal Software Developer to lead cloud-native backend development across the EED program.

The Principal Software Developer is responsible for designing and delivering cloud-native data systems, backend services, and DevOps tooling supporting the EOSDIS data management mission. This role requires a multi-language developer with deep expertise in AWS serverless and infrastructure-as-code, a strong DevOps automation mindset, and a track record of owning complex systems end-to-end across the full development lifecycle.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain cloud-native backend systems and data processing pipelines on AWS using Lambda, Step Functions, S3, and related services.

• Develop and deliver infrastructure-as-code (IaC) solutions using Terraform and AWS management services (IAM, deployment tooling) to automate environment provisioning.

• Implement and maintain DevOps automation using tools such as Puppet, Chef, Ansible, and Terraform; ensure high availability, data replication, and real-time recovery.

• Write production-grade code in C++, BASH, Python, Java, and JavaScript within an Agile development environment.

• Architect and own scalable IaC solutions supporting earth science data platform delivery across multiple program trains.

• Apply deep knowledge of AWS networking, serverless services, and cloud-native deployment patterns to solve complex integration and scalability challenges.

• Participate in Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) planning events, Program Increment (PI) planning, sprint ceremonies, backlog refinement, and technical reviews.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams within a large, multi-team Agile environment to deliver cloud-native earth science data capabilities on schedule.

• Contribute to CI/CD pipeline automation, code review, testing, and documentation in accordance with program standards.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of engineering experience

• 5+ years of experience using cloud services in an IaaS or PaaS environment

• Expert knowledge of AWS including networking, Lambda, Step Functions, and serverless services

• 3–5 years of programming experience in C++, BASH, Python, Java, and JavaScript within an Agile development environment

• Experience with DevOps automation tools (Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Terraform) with a focus on high availability and data replication

• Proficiency with AWS Management and Deployment services (Terraform, IAM)

• Strong drive to automate processes, build software tools, and deliver infrastructure-as-code solutions

Desired Skills and Experience

• Experience with UNIX/Linux OS environments

• Full lifecycle software development experience on large-scale, complex n-tier client/server applications