Senior Software Engineer

Why This Role Matters   Senior Software Engineers are the technical anchors of our teams. You'll be the go-to person for a domain or service, ensuring that what we ship is not only functional but well-designed, tested, and sustainable. Your work will directly impact mission readiness, and your mentorship will shape the next generation of engineers at Bluestaq. You'll balance hands-on delivery with technical leadership, raising the bar for code quality and system design.    Key Responsibilities     Own features and modules that span multiple components/services and require coordination with other teams or roles    Design and implement non-trivial features with clear tradeoffs (performance, readability, complexity, security)    Write solid tests (unit, integration, basic end-to-end) and help improve test coverage and reliability    Identify and address code smells, refactoring opportunities, and tech debt in your area    Understand core architecture patterns in use (microservices, event-driven, SPA, component-based UI) and work within them effectively    Operate independently within your product area: scope work, make reasonable design decisions, and proactively raise risks    Act as an escalation point for junior engineers when debugging issues or clarifying designs    Mentor others via pairing, feedback, and sharing context, not just fixing things yourself    Lead medium-sized features from idea → design → implementation → production → follow-up    Debug complex issues that span multiple components or services, including production incidents    Make incremental improvements to architecture, patterns, and tooling in your domain    Required Qualifications     Strong proficiency in multiple programming languages and frameworks    Proven ability to design and deliver complex features across the full stack    Deep understanding of software architecture patterns and design principles    Experience with automated testing strategies and test-driven development    Track record of mentoring junior engineers and improving team practices    Strong debugging and problem-solving skills across distributed systems    Experience with cloud platforms, containerization, and modern deployment practices    Excellent communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts clearly    Preferred Qualifications     Experience with microservices architectures and distributed systems    Familiarity with event-driven architectures and asynchronous processing    Background in performance optimization and scalability    Experience working on government, defense, or mission-critical systems    Knowledge of security best practices and secure coding standards    Contributions to open-source projects or technical communities    Experience with observability tools and practices (logging, metrics, tracing)    Familiarity with customer-facing environments, including Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) or similar collaborative forums with stakeholders    Required Experience and Education:     PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and 0+ years of software engineering or related experience, OR    Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and 2+ years of software engineering or related experience, OR    Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and 4+ years of software engineering or related experience, OR    Associate degree in a related field and 6+ years of software engineering or related experience, OR    High School Diploma/GED and 8+ years of software engineering or related experience.    Location Requirement Colorado Springs, CO · Washington, DC · Dallas, TX · Salt Lake City, UT Colorado Springs is our HQ with an established office — 3–4 days on-site per week. DC, Dallas, and Salt Lake City-based roles will be remote until offices are established there, and then will require 3–4 days on-site. You use modern AI tools with judgment: integrating them into workflows where they're impactful, reviewing their outputs, and handling proprietary or sensitive data responsibly.   Salary Range (US) $110,000 — $200,000 USD Clearance Requirement: This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance. Current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply. If you don't currently hold one, Bluestaq will sponsor eligible candidates through the clearance process based on program needs. Relocation:  Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions. About Bluestaq At Bluestaq, we build secure data platforms that matter for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. Founded in 2018, we've become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management by staying focused on what counts: modern architecture, operational excellence, and mission impact. We're engineers, problem-solvers, and builders who take the mission seriously, but not ourselves. We automate the repeatable, question the status quo, and design systems that are as reliable as they are scalable. Whether we're supporting space, defense systems, or healthcare advancements, we build with the same principles: cloud-native solutions, security by design, and relentless simplicity. What We Offer: For full-time positions 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision for you and your dependents Up to 6% match to 401(k) contributions with additional discretionary 4% profit share on day one. Roth options available; no vesting period. Every role is eligible for an annual performance bonus $200,000 employer-paid life insurance, plus short- and long-term disability coverage $5,000 annual professional development budget per employee 20 days PTO, plus 8 paid holidays Pet insurance, onsite gym, and flexible schedule Bluestaq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or