Remote opportunity at
SkylightSenior/Staff/Principal Software Engineer, Legacy Modernization (U.S. Air Force)
Skylight is a digital consultancy that partners with government agencies to improve public services through modern design and technology. The organization is working with a U.S.…
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About This Role
Skylight is a digital consultancy that partners with government agencies to improve public services through modern design and technology. The organization is working with a U.S. Air Force program office running civil engineering, security forces, and services systems to transition aging web applications onto a Department of Defense software factory. As a Senior, Staff, or Principal Software Engineer specializing in legacy modernization, you will refactor and migrate established web applications…
Job Description
Skylight is a digital consultancy that partners with government agencies to improve public services through modern design and technology. The organization is working with a U.S. Air Force program office running civil engineering, security forces, and services systems to transition aging web applications onto a Department of Defense software factory.
As a Senior, Staff, or Principal Software Engineer specializing in legacy modernization, you will refactor and migrate established web applications while ensuring continuous availability for users. The role involves working closely with a cross-functional team of researchers, designers, product managers, and other engineers. You will apply lean-agile methodologies, introduce automated testing and security practices into deployment pipelines, and help guide government stakeholders through technical decisions.
A core part of the position requires coaching government engineers and incoming military developers so that modernized practices endure after Skylight's engagement concludes. This position is tied to a federal contract contingent upon award, with a targeted start date of November 30, 2026. The role requires occasional travel to U.S. Air Force bases, including Montgomery, Alabama. All tasks must be completed inside the United States, and applicants must hold U.S. citizenship, successfully complete a company background check, and obtain a Common Access Card along with any required special access.
Responsibilities
- Refactor and migrate legacy web applications to a DoD software factory with minimal or zero downtime
- Collaborate within a cross-functional team comprising researchers, designers, product managers, and engineers
- Advocate for and practice lean-agile engineering principles such as continuous integration, simple design, automated testing, and version control
- Analyze systems to pinpoint technical debt, instability, and enhancement opportunities while designing and communicating solutions
- Explain technical choices clearly to non-technical stakeholders operating in a multi-vendor setting
- Pair with and coach government engineers and military developers to sustain modern practices
Requirements
- Ability to write clean, reusable code utilizing automated testing practices
- Understanding of how to build secure, compliant software that defends against common vulnerabilities
- Foundational knowledge of data engineering and datastores for managing persistent data
- Comprehension of software system components, performance, reliability, and availability
- Experience shipping production software in a modern web stack, including legacy migration or refactoring
- Experience operating in a regulated or government environment requiring formal security authorization
- Experience working on iterative cross-functional teams spanning product, design, engineering, and operations
- Track record of accountability and alignment on remote teams
- Must be a U.S. citizen and able to successfully complete a background check
- Must be able to obtain a Common Access Card and any required special access for the contract
- All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding territories
Qualifications
- Experience with Angular
- Experience migrating applications to the cloud or a DoD software factory such as Platform One, Cloud One, or MDaaS
- Experience testing COTS-based systems like IBM TRIRIGA or Esri
- Experience writing automated tests and utilizing CI/CD pipelines, preferably GitLab CI
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools paired with disciplined code review
- Experience delivering technology in public-benefit settings, regulated industries, or government
- Degree or additional years of experience as a substitute, depending on federal contract terms
Core Skills
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Healthcare FSA, dependent care FSA, and health savings account
- Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of salary with no vesting period
- Flexible paid-time-off policy granting roughly 25 days per year
- 11 paid federal holidays
- Up to 12 weeks of paid leave for eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents
- Performance rewards including annual salary increases, annual bonuses, spot bonuses, and stock options
- Business development and sales bonuses
- Referral bonuses
- Annual professional development allowance of $2,000
- Annual tech purchase allowance of $750
- Annual swag budget of $100
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
What is the remote work policy for this position?
This is a fully remote position, though it requires occasional travel to Montgomery, Alabama, and other U.S. Air Force bases. All work must be conducted within the United States, excluding territories.
What are the citizenship and clearance requirements?
Candidates must be U.S. citizens, successfully pass a company background check, and be able to obtain a Common Access Card as well as any special access required for the federal contract.
What is the salary range for this role?
The salary varies based on the specific seniority level determined during the interview process. For an Associate Software Engineer, the range is $90,000 to $125,000 per year, with higher ranges applicable for senior, staff, and principal levels.
What is the expected start date?
The target start date is November 30, 2026, and the position is contingent upon Skylight being awarded the underlying contract.
How many interview steps are involved in the hiring process?
The interview process typically consists of a preliminary screen, a skills interview, a behavioral interview, and a reverse interview with the potential team, spanning about four conversations across two to three weeks.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.