Principal Software Engineer – Cloud Systems

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer – Cloud Systems (Cloud Architecture): Lead the evolution of mission-critical software platforms and drive the phased migration from Azure Commercial to Azure Government cloud environments with an accent on distributed systems, cloud-native modernization, and Kubernetes-based deployments. Focus on establishing cloud architecture standards, guiding technical decisions across multiple programs, and building a high-performing U.S.-based engineering team while maintaining hands-on involvement in design, code reviews, and deployment strategies.

Location: Denver, CO

Salary: $140,000–$170,000 annually

Company

hirify.global provides ground station services for satellite communications and mission-critical TT&C and data acquisition.

What you will do

• Lead technical planning and execution of a phased migration from Azure Commercial cloud to Azure Government cloud.
• Assess software, database, integration, and infrastructure dependencies and develop low-disruption migration strategies.
• Modernize legacy applications and services as part of the migration.
• Own U.S. software architecture standards for cloud-native applications and services, including deployment patterns and operational support models.
• Drive architecture reviews, design decisions, CI/CD and container standards, and ensure high availability, resilience, and maintainability.
• Mentor engineers and collaborate with mission operations, product managers, and systems engineers to define and prioritize requirements.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 5+ years leading software architecture, technical leadership, or principal-level engineering initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering large-scale cloud-native applications and distributed systems.
• Significant experience with Python, Rust, Kubernetes, Docker, microservices architectures, and REST API design.
• Experience building highly available and resilient production systems and leading large-scale cloud migration/modernization initiatives.
• U.S. Citizenship required and ability to obtain/maintain a U.S. DoD Secret Clearance; ability to support systems handling CUI.

Nice to have

• Experience with Azure Government, Azure Commercial, AWS GovCloud, or other regulated cloud environments.
• Experience with OpenStack, Helm, GitLab CI/CD, Terraform, Ansible, service mesh architectures, and event-driven systems.
• Familiarity with observability platforms such as Prometheus, Grafana, and Loki.
• Experience implementing DevSecOps and secure SDLC practices.
• Experience in aerospace/satellite communications, mission operations, or ground segment software.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible work environment.
• Four weeks of PTO annually.
• $0 individual medical insurance with generous coverages.
• Fitness expense reimbursement and tuition reimbursement programs.
• Opportunities for international travel and estimated 10% travel.

Hiring process

• Interviews focused on architecture leadership, migration experience, and hands-on technical decision-making.
• Assessment of clearance/CUI eligibility and ability to collaborate with Norway-based engineering teams.