SENIOR PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER (ENGINEER SOFTWARE 5)

Location:

Newport News, Virginia, United States

Date: Oct 6, 2025

Req ID: 43093
Team: E83 RCT PLT PLG YD ENG
Entity: Newport News Shipbuilding

US Citizenship Required for this Position: Yes

Full-Time
Shift: 1st
Relocation: Relocation assistance will be available
Virtual/Telework Opportunity: No - Not eligible for telework

Travel Requirement: Yes, up to 10% of the time

Clearance Required: Yes- Final Clearance Required to Start

Meet HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding
With more than 25,000 employees – including third-, fourth- and even fifth-generation shipbuilders – HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division is the largest industrial employer in Virginia. We’re the sole designer, builder and refueler of U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines. Our diverse and innovative team of professionals ranges from skilled trades to project managers, engineers and software developers to solution architects, technical subject matter experts, and system users. Anchored in our rich, 135-year history, we collaborate together at the forefront of technology, manufacturing, and integration of the most powerful and survivable naval ships in the world. Want to be part of the team? Apply today! We look forward to meeting you.

The Role

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), is seeking an experienced technical leader to drive our software development efforts over the coming decades. As the amount and complexity of networked systems increases, it is imperative that we have strong technical leadership to drive innovation and deliver high-quality software solutions. The Level 5 job position is the most senior technical role in this job family, and is organizationally located within the Aircraft Carrier Reactor and Propulsion Plant Planning Yards. This job position will also be an Associate Technical Fellow, will have dotted-line organization back to the NNS Central Engineering Office, and will support NNS on other special-emphasis projects as needed. This position will support software development projects spanning all Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plant (NNPP) platforms.

Duties will include:

Providing subject matter expertise to cross-functional teams within NNS developing and testing software and their associated requirements
Coordinate with cross-functional teams across NNS, Electric Boat (EB), Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc (BPMI), Naval Nuclear Laboratories (NNL), and the Navy, ensuring the NNPP Software Enterprise executes their strategic objects
Driving excellence, efficiency, and continuous improvement to these teams
Working on unusually complex technical problems and providing solutions which are highly innovative and ingenious
Serving as the organizations spokesperson on software development projects, and advising management and customers on advanced technical topics
Using proactive foresight to identify risks and opportunities, and advising internal and external stakeholders on the appropriate courses of action
Occasionally developing and presenting reports, letters, and information to broad audiences that is logical, self-explanatory, and accurate
Provide oversight, guidance, and training to the NNS staff with the goal of developing strong technical and organizational competencies
Advise management on industry trends and emerging technologies that will impact our cost, schedule, quality, and efficiency
Collaborate with project management to ensure NNS is implementing best practices for software development including combinations of Agile, DevOps, Waterfall, etc

The ideal candidate will have professional experience or knowledge of:

Designing, developing, qualifying, testing, and/or operating Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plants
Developing, testing, and verifying software and requirements for Generic Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems and components
Performing Software Qualification by Criticality Level (SQCL) evaluations
Cybersecurity and Control System Security (CSS) requirements
The Generic Hardware Building Block (HWBB) Catalog
Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) practices

The ideal candidate will have these characteristics:

Able to work under consultative direction towards predetermine long-rage goals and objectives, with minimal to no direction from management
Natural catalyst for setting a positive and purpose-driven culture, fostering engagement, promoting accountability, and inspiring a collaborative environment; this individual will possess exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to lead by example
Natural ability to navigate and lead through change, and to adjust strategies and approaches as needed to meet evolving business needs
Makes informed, data-driven decisions that balance technical requirements, business objectives, and team capabilities

Must Have

Bachelor's Degree and 14 years of relevant exempt experience; Master's Degree and 12 years of relevant professional experience; Ph.D. and 9 years of experience.

Nice to Have

Master of Science in Electrical/Computer/Software Engineering or Computer Science
Professional Engineering License in Computer Engineering, Control Systems, or Electronics/Controls/Communications

Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. HII’s diverse workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.

Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first. Regardless of your role or where you serve, at HII, you’ll find a supportive and welcoming environment, competitive benefits, and valuable educational and training programs for continual career growth at every stage of your career.

Working at HII is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to build a future. We offer comprehensive benefits including: medical, prescription drug, dental and vision plan choices, on-site health centers, tele-medicine, wellness resources, employee assistance programs, savings plan options (401K), financial education and planning tools, life insurance, tuition reimbursement, employee discounts, early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships, and more. Some benefits may vary depending on your specific division or work location.

Together we are working to ensure a future where everyone can be free and thrive.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. U.S. Citizenship may be required for certain positions.

Do You Need Assistance?
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this e-mail address.

Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #2 for Newport News Shipbuilding.

Apply now »