Principal Software Architect at Redhorse Corporation
Chantilly, VA
$275,000–$285,000
Aug 10, 2026
Chantilly, VA
Sep 24, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior technical leadership role at a government-focused technology firm, responsible for enterprise-level software architecture across critical national security products. The architect will design advanced applications, produce architectural models and specifications, lead technical capture efforts to win new business, and provide high-level guidance across distributed development teams. Suits a deeply experienced software architect with an active TS/SCI clearance and a background in government or defense environments.
Senior level · 10+ years · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
Pay in the description: $275,000–$285,000
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
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We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
Why we read it this way (7)
The posting titles this role 'Principal Software Architect,' but the actual scope and requirements — 12+ years of experience, deep individual-contributor technical work, no explicit org-wide authority or people-management mandate — align more closely with a Senior-level band. 'Principal' in the title appears to be a seniority label used by this employer rather than evidence of org-wide technical authority.
The degree requirement accepts a Bachelor's OR a Master's with different experience thresholds, and explicitly allows 'equivalent' experience in lieu of a degree — so no hard degree gate is set.
The overall years minimum is set to 10 (the lower of the two stated thresholds: 10+ years with a Master's vs. 12+ with a Bachelor's).
The required skills list is thin on named technologies — the posting gates primarily on demonstrated architectural expertise and TS/SCI clearance rather than specific tools. All named technologies appear only under the 'Desired Experience' section and are marked preferred accordingly.
CI/CD is listed as a desired skill alongside GitLab; GitLab is captured as the named tool. Spark is listed as an alternative to Databricks since the posting treats them as interchangeable cloud analytics options.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): software architecture.
Requires a TS/SCI 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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