Software Engineer SME at Trace3
Colorado Springs, CO
$180,000–$200,000
Jul 17, 2026
Colorado Springs, CO
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior-level software engineering role focused on a technical refresh of an enterprise Oracle database and RHEL operating environment for a defense program in Colorado Springs. Day-to-day work centers on leading Oracle 19c upgrade architecture, RHEL 9 migration planning, schema modification, data migration, performance tuning, and scripting automation. An active DoD Secret clearance and a decade of enterprise Oracle and Linux experience are required.
Senior level · 10+ years · Colorado Springs, CO · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Full-time
Pay in the description: $180,000–$200,000
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $120,769 (middle half $86,716–$163,856). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
The title 'Senior Principal Software Engineer' is advertised at the Principal level, but the actual scope — leading a single Oracle/RHEL tech refresh contract — is consistent with a Senior individual contributor, not a true org-wide Principal authority.
The role is primarily Oracle database architecture, upgrade, and administration (Oracle 19c migration, RMAN, Data Pump, GoldenGate, schema design, performance tuning), which maps most closely to Database Administrators (15-1242). However, the posting also emphasizes full life-cycle software development, integration, and coding, making Software Developers (15-1252) a credible runner-up.
Bash, Python, and PowerShell are listed together as a single scripting/automation requirement under Required Skills; Python and PowerShell are captured as alternatives since any of the three satisfies the requirement.
Docker and KVM/VMware containerization/virtualization are explicitly called 'a plus' in the required section — treated as preferred.
Java, VMware Suite, and Ansible appear under the 'Desirable Skills' heading — treated as preferred.
An active DoD Secret clearance is a hard gate ('Active DoD Secret clearance at the time of application'). A database certification and DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification are also required; the database certification is not a named specific tool so it is not emitted as a skill.
Work location is Colorado Springs, CO (initially north Colorado Springs, with occasional work at Chidlaw and Peterson AFB) — not remote.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): DoD 8570 IAT Level II.
Requires a Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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