Astro Software Engineer

Title:

Mid Astro Software Engineer

Belong. Connect. Grow. with KBR!

KBR’s National Security Solutions team provides high-end engineering and advanced technology solutions to our customers in the intelligence and national security communities.

As a Mid Astro Software Engineer, you will be responsible for developing and implementing secure, end-to-end cluster and application lifecycles in cloud environments. You will collaborate with clients and internal teams to design and implement containerization solutions using Kubernetes or Docker. A key aspect of your role will involve building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, ensuring a smooth, secure software update process. Additionally, you will apply GitOps principles for software delivery automation, ensuring that systems are both efficient and secure. Your work will support the organization's goals of enhancing security, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Why Join Us?

• Innovative Projects: At KBR, you'll be working on cutting-edge projects that support the U.S. Space Force's most mission-critical operations. Our team is pushing the boundaries of DevSecOps with state-of-the-art CI/CD pipelines, cloud-native architectures, containerization using Kubernetes, and advanced automation tools like Terraform and Ansible. You'll be contributing to systems designed for real-time satellite communication, space domain awareness, and defense technology that are revolutionizing the future of space operations.
• Collaborative Environment: Team Beskar thrives in a dynamic, mission-driven environment where our employees work shoulder-to-shoulder with software engineers, DevSecOps architects, product leads, trainers, facilitators and defense specialists. We embrace Agile methodologies and secure development practices to ensure rapid iteration, compliance alignment, and seamless integration across modular systems. Our culture prioritizes clarity, precision, and innovation—fostering open communication, iterative refinement, and deep collaboration to deliver documentation that’s not only compliant, but strategic and impactful across DoW.
• Impactful Work: Your work here will directly support the Space Force in securing national defense assets and advancing space technology. By supporting KBR initiatives, you’ll be at the forefront of innovations that safeguard satellites, enhance space situational awareness, and strengthen U.S. space dominance. Your contributions will have real-world impacts, from improving software resilience to enhancing global communications and security operations in space.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work across multiple technology stacks, gaining hands-on experience with various languages, frameworks, and tools to support a broad range of applications.
• Oversee development and implementation astrodynamics algorithm solutions and optimization methods across interdisciplinary teams 
• Design, develop, and maintain applications primarily using Java, following modern engineering practices and design patterns. 
• Work with limited portions of existing C++ and Python codebases as needed to support legacy components or automation tasks.
• Collaborate in updating and modernizing a legacy system that includes Fortran and C++
• Participate in software development using CI/CD pipelines, with a focus on security and automation through systems like GitLab 
• Implement DevSecOps best practices, ensuring security is integrated at every stage of the development lifecycle while maintaining automated and reliable deployment processes
• Ensure effective log management and use analytics tools for system monitoring and optimization.
• Collaborate with teams using version control systems like GitLab, and work with automation tools like Ansible, Maven, and Gradle.
• Stay current with cloud technologies, industry best practices, and evolving security threats to recommend innovative solutions.
• Work with database technologies such as PostgreSQL, Mongo DB, Oracle, MySQL, and others. 
• Maintain strong familiarity with Agile, DevOps, and DevSecOps methodologies to enhance operational efficiency.

Qualifications

Required:

• Secret Clearance or above
• Experience with astrodynamics propagation methods, including special and general perturbation models
• Strong foundation in celestial/terrestrial frame transformations, measurement models, time scales, and Earth orientation
• Experience with numerical methods such as root finding algorithms and interpolation
• 3-5 years of experience developing web-based applications
• 3-5 years of experience with Kubernetes or Docker
• Experience developing web-based applications
• Experience developing backend services using Java and Spring Boot (REST APIs, microservices, or distributed systems).
• Develop and implement end-to-end cluster and application lifecycles
• Experience working in AWS and cloud technologies
• Experience working with Agile, Agile XP, DevOps, and DevSecOps methodologies 
• Experience in software systems development using CI/CD pipelines 
• Passionate about automation, system efficiency, and security
• Proficient in tools like AWS Cloud Services, Gitlab, Ansible, Maven, Gradle
• Experience with Test Driven Development
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Experience with Unit/Integration Testing
• Experience with statistical analysis on large datasets to capture residuals and identify/characterize anomalies and outliers.
• Experience with scripting languages Matlab, Python, Bash

Desired:

• Experience with astrodynamics libraries like Orekit, Astropy, STK, or equivalent
• Experience optimizing numerical, scientific, or backend algorithms for performance, accuracy, scalability, or computational efficiency.
• Familiarity with older and modern IERS conventions (i.e. FK5 and CIO based theories)
• Experience in database development like PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB
• Familiarity with event‑streaming or messaging technologies such as Apache Kafka.
• Experience working with Kubernetes-native deployment patterns (e.g., K8s manifests, Kustomize, or operator-based workflows).
• Experience working with Agile, Agile XP, DevOps, and DevSecOps methodologies
• Experience with Log Management and Analytics tools
• Experience with Test Driven Development
• Experience or knowledge of Service-Mesh, such as Istio

Basic Compensation: $139,200 - $160,000 (For Colorado Springs, CO Only)

The offered rate will be based on the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities and/or experience and in consideration of internal parity. 

Additional Compensation: 

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of a sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture.  These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company.  That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together. 

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.