Principal Software Engineer

Ashburn, Virginia INFRASTRUCTURE Full-time $143k to $175k Posted Aug 18, 2026
Apply on Cubic Transportation Systems (opens in a new tab) Sourced via cubic.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com · Posted 2026-08-18

About this role

Cubic Transportation Systems is hiring a Principal Software Engineer, full-time, on-site in Ashburn, Virginia, in the INFRASTRUCTURE sector.

Business Unit:

Cubic Defense

Company Details:

When you join Cubic, you become part of a company that creates and delivers technology solutions in transportation to make people’s lives easier by simplifying their daily journeys, and defense capabilities to help promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. Led by our talented teams around the world, Cubic is committed to solving global issues through innovation and service to our customers and partners.

We have a top-tier portfolio of businesses, including Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) and Cubic Defense (CD). Explore more on Cubic.com.

Job Details:

Job Summary:

The successful candidate will be the lead developer for embedded software within DTECH, as well as supporting other projects. It involves designing embedded software for new products (e.g. microcontroller firmware), as well as maintaining software for the existing devices. The role will suit a self-starting individual with experience debugging low level issues through software and hardware analysis. The development will largely be in C and C++, but experience with other languages would be beneficial. The role requires close coordination with the electrical and systems engineering teams to ensure the software is robust and effective.

Essential Job Duties And Responsibilities

- Lead software projects, ensuring delivery of high-quality, reliable software
- Liaise with the wider business to determine requirements for new projects and features, clearly communicating the resources required and potential risks involved
- Drive usage of software development best practices to ensure code is well structured, unit tested and easy to maintain
- Integrate and troubleshoot firmware on a target platform in the lab environment using hardware analysis tools
- Provide guidance on design and implementation to other projects within adjacent software teams
- Identify new ideas and tools for continuous improvement of development practices
- Mentor junior engineers, providing help and training suggestions for their ongoing development

Education and Qualifications

- Four-year college degree in computer engineering or other related technical discipline, plus a minimum of eight years of related experience or a master’s degree with at least six years of related experience.
- Must be eligible for a DOD Security Clearence

Skills Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

- Strong C/C++ experience
- Comprehensive understanding of embedded systems, including hardware-software interactions, real-time constraints, and low-level programming concepts
- Experience debugging in an embedded environment
- Experience using Unix commands and Linux based operating systems
- Able to analyse and solve complex software engineering problems
- Experience writing unit tests and using unit test frameworks

Desirable:

- Experience using yocto
- Experience with tools & applications such as JIRA, Confluence and Git

Personal Qualities

- A driven and self-starting individual, with a desire to write quality, effective software
- Good analytical skills, with a passion for finding simple solutions to complex problems
- Able to prioritize work and complete tasks to a deadline
- Good communication skills and ability to clearly convey complex ideas

The description provided above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities and requirements. Duties, responsibilities and requirements may change over time and according to business need.

#LI-Hybrid

Worker Type:

Employee

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Cubic Pay Range:
$143,000.00 - $175,000.00 + benefits.
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The Cubic pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

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#LI-MD1
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Worker Type:

Employee
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We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on any protected characteristic under applicable law.

Description from Cubic Transportation Systems's official posting. Always confirm details on the company careers page.

Apply on Cubic Transportation Systems Applications go directly to Cubic Transportation Systems. Curated by Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Cubic Transportation Systems

Cubic Transportation Systems

Company in the mobility sector tracked nightly on the Mobility Jobs board.

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Larry Sherwood Jr.

About Larry Sherwood Jr.

Talent Acquisition Leader specializing in mobility, EV, and frontier tech. 1,000+ hires across roles ranging from production technicians to VPs, including 48 hires for the AFEELA U.S. launch at Sony Honda Mobility (98% offer acceptance, $1.5M+ agency savings). SHRM-CP certified. Build recruiting functions from scratch, no agencies.

SONY HONDA MOBILITYFISKERSHRM-CP1,000+ HIRES

Currently open to senior TA leadership roles in the United States. larrysherwoodjr.com · Resume (PDF)

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Curated by Larry Sherwood Jr. on the free Mobility Jobs board. Pulled nightly from company applicant tracking systems. Apply directly on the source link above to be considered.