Software Engineering Practice Lead - Interim Secret Required - On Site Austin, TX

About the Mission

The Army Software Factory (ASWF) in Austin is one of the most ambitious software initiatives in the federal government. We operate like a modern, high-growth technology startup embedded within the military, transforming active-duty Soldiers into software engineers through real-world, production-level development.

We don't just build software to support the mission; we build the people who build the software. We utilize modern methodologies like Extreme Programming (XP), Lean Product Development, and User-Centered Design (UCD) inside cross-functional, balanced teams. We are looking for experienced engineers to embed directly within this environment to act as the catalysts for this transformation.

Why This Role is Unique

• Real Engineering Practices: This isn't a typical government IT contract. You will practice true continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), test-driven development (TDD), and cloud-native application development.

• Direct Impact through Coaching: Your success isn’t measured just by lines of code shipped, but by the acceleration, autonomy, and confidence of the Soldiers you coach. You will watch your mentorship directly impact the applications and products Soldiers build and use.

The Tech Stack & Ecosystem

We build and ship real-world, cloud-native applications. Our general technical environment includes:

• Languages/Frameworks: Java / Spring Boot, TypeScript / React, PostgreSQL

• Methodologies: Agile/Extreme Programming (XP), Lean Software Development, User-Centered Design (UCD)

• Infrastructure & CI/CD: GitLab CI/CD, cloud-native hosting (AWS/EKS), containerized workloads (Kubernetes), and modern deployment pipelines

• Pair Daily: You will write real production code side-by-side with Soldiers every single day. This is a role for an engineer who loves the keyboard, leading by doing rather than lecturing from a slide deck.
• Cultivate Engineering Disciplines: You will champion and model core XP practices, including Test-Driven Development (TDD), continuous refactoring, and pair programming to ensure high-quality, maintainable codebases.
• Collaborate in Balanced Teams: Work closely with Product Managers, Product Designers, and Platform Engineers to ensure the team builds the right thing and builds it right.
• Architect Scalable Systems: Guide the design, implementation, and deployment of robust full-stack applications, typically utilizing modern frameworks (such as Spring Boot, React, and TypeScript).
• Accelerate Independence: Your ultimate goal is coaching Soldiers to a level where they progressively own the architecture and development, eventually leading teams of their own and continuing to build solutions for other Soldiers.

• 10 years of experience as Software Engineer.
• 3 years in the DoD.
• 5 years’ experience in coaching and training senior developers and intermediate developers in the following: software planning, requirements, risk management, design, development, architecture, modeling, estimation, configuration management, quality, security, and tests using software development methodologies, architectural structures, viewpoints, styles, design decisions, and frameworks across all lifecycle phases.
• Fluent in test driven development, lean methodology, and DevSecOps.
• Knowledge of Java, C#, Spring Boot, PHP, Typescript/JavaScript, NodeJs, Python, Kotlin, and programming language or data structures and logic to transform and visualize data as needed.
• Who You Are
  • An Empathetic Educator: You have a passion for mentoring. You understand that a novice engineer needs patience, empathy, and clear mental models to thrive.
  • A Pragmatic Full-Stack Engineer: You possess a strong technical foundation in full-stack development. You care about clean code, architecture patterns, and automated testing.
  • A Collaborative Teammate: You thrive in an environment focused on collective code ownership and balanced teams. You value feedback, continuous improvement, and the diverse perspectives of a multi-disciplinary squad.
• Clearance Note:
  • Interim Secret Clearance Required: Because of the mission context, candidates must be eligible to obtain an Interim Secret clearance to start. Don't let this deter you if you don't currently hold one—we support and guide qualified candidates entirely through the clearance process.

Work Where it Matters

Systems Intelligence, an Akima company, is not just another federal IT contractor. As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), our mission and purpose extend beyond our exciting federal projects as we support our shareholder communities in Alaska.

At Systems Intelligence, the work you do every day makes a difference in the lives of our 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, a group of Alaska natives from one of the most remote and harshest environments in the United States.

For our shareholders, Systems Intelligence provides support and employment opportunities and contributes to the survival of a culture that has thrived above the Arctic Circle for more than 10,000 years.

For our government customers, Systems Intelligence delivers innovative information technology solutions that evolve and modernize IT infrastructures.

As a Systems Intelligence employee, you will be surrounded by a challenging, yet supportive work environment that is committed to innovation and diversity, two of our most important values. You will also have access to our comprehensive benefits and competitive pay in addition to growth opportunities and excellent retirement options.