Leads software test engineering for a mission-critical defense data-link system. Responsibilities include expanding automated unit, integration, GUI, performance, and end-to-end testing; developing tactical-system simulators; improving testability and system requirements verification; troubleshooting nondeterministic tests; optimizing test suites; and mentoring developers and test engineers. The role requires deep JVM expertise, concurrent programming, large-scale automation experience, performance testing, distributed systems knowledge, and the ability to obtain a Secret clearance.
SAIC is seeking a Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to join the Joint Range Extension (JRE) software development team.
This is a REMOTE ROLE within the UNITED STATES. MUST BE A U.S. CITIZEN. This role will involve up to 10% of CONUS travel.
JRE is a combat-proven data link gateway that plays a vital role in the defense of the United States and our allies by extending the reach of tactical data across the battlespace and around the globe. It is a large, mission-critical, near-real-time system written predominantly in Java and Kotlin, and also includes C++ components. JRE is deployed everywhere from handheld devices and small-form-factor drones to strategic bombers, guided-missile destroyers, and global command-and-control centers.
As a Principal Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) on the software development team, you'll work closely with other developers, as well as with testers and test engineers on the test team. Through test automation, you'll play an essential role in enabling rapid, agentically-developed, high-quality releases of JRE to meet the current and future mission needs of the warfighter.
Your impact will extend beyond the code you write yourself. You'll lead projects and build up the test engineering skills of the people you work with.
JOB DUTIES:
- Expand JRE's unit, integration, service, GUI, and end-to-end test automation.
- Engineer and maintain a comprehensive automated performance test suite covering load, stress, and endurance testing; support our IT team with capacity planning for the hardware environment it requires.
- Design, develop, and maintain advanced simulators for IP and serial tactical data link terminals, radios, navigation systems, and sensors.
- Contribute to the definition and ongoing verification of minimum system requirements for JRE's full range of deployment platforms.
- Refactor JRE code for testability, introducing API, RPC, and messaging seams to enable additional white- and gray-box testing.
- Mentor developers, testers, and less-experienced test engineers in test automation best practices as we expand automated coverage across the codebase.
- Optimize the performance and quality of our test automation suites.
- Quarantine, troubleshoot, and fix nondeterministic tests.
Required Education:
- Bachelor's degree and nine (9) years’ experience; additional four (4) years’ experience can be considered in lieu of degree.
Required Clearance:
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain an active Secret security clearance; US Citizenship required.
Required Skills:
- Deep expertise in the JVM and Java, with familiarity with Kotlin and Scala; strong concurrent programming skills (Threads, Executor Framework, Futures/Promises, Virtual Threads, Reactor, Kotlin Coroutines) and experience testing concurrent/asynchronous code (Reactor Test, Kotlinx Coroutines Test).
- Proven experience developing and maintaining high test automation coverage for large-scale (1M+ LOC), mission-critical, high-reliability, near-real-time systems, using JVM testing and mocking frameworks such as JUnit, AssertJ, Mockito, and MockK.
- Experience with automated performance testing and analysis using tools such as JMeter and Gatling, and with continuous integration and modern deployment practices for edge and cloud systems in Gradle-built projects.
- Familiarity with C++ and related test automation frameworks (Doctest, Google Mock), along with experience in network programming, networking protocols, low-level binary data processing, and distributed systems using RPC and message-oriented architectures.
- Thorough knowledge of object-oriented and functional design patterns; software design principles; refactoring techniques; code and test smells; domain-driven design; and a proven track record leading successful large-scale, phased refactoring initiatives.
- Experience mentoring developers and testers in test automation best practices; strong skills with dependency injection and the Spring ecosystem (Spring Boot, Spring Data, Spring Security) and their integration testing utilities; and a collaborative, test-driven, iterative development style using Agile methods (Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean) including pairing and mobbing.
Desired Skills:
- Public contributions to open-source projects.
- Familiarity with any of the following:
- Tactical data link standards such as MIL-STD-6016, MIL-STD-6017, MIL-STD-3011, MIL-STD-6020, MIL-STD-6040, MIL-STD-2525, MIL-STD-1553, etc.
- Tactical terminals and radios such as MIDS JTRS, STT, BATS-D, AN/ARC, and AN/PRC.
- Navigation and avionics standards such as NMEA 0183, GPS-153, ARINC 429, and ARINC 661.
- Security standards such as DISA STIGs, NIST SP 800-171, and NIST SP 800-207.
We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
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