Top Principal Engineer Jobs in Denver & Boulder, CO

Define validation strategies, coverage architectures, and scalable methodologies for next-generation data center SSDs. Analyze requirements, architectures, workloads, and validation gaps; develop risk-based coverage models; evaluate emerging technologies; and apply AI, analytics, automation, and LLMs to improve validation effectiveness. Partner across architecture, firmware, systems, product, and validation teams, present strategic recommendations, influence technical direction, and mentor engineers.

Leads the architecture and delivery of complex software-intensive systems across cloud platforms, distributed systems, AI-enabled products, mission software, and operational environments. Defines system boundaries, interfaces, integration strategies, and technical direction across teams; drives trade studies, risk mitigation, validation, operational readiness, and customer adoption. Partners with product and engineering leaders, influences without direct authority, improves technical standards, and mentors senior technical leaders while applying AI to accelerate systems engineering.

Lead architecture, engineering, and lifecycle management of enterprise Hadoop clusters and supporting data platform services. Ensure scalability, reliability, security, and operational excellence; optimize infrastructure, drive provisioning and patching standards, troubleshoot distributed system issues, guide cloud/hybrid migration strategies, mentor engineers, and produce operational runbooks, data views, and automated processing.

Perform structural analysis for spacecraft, instruments, payloads, optics, mechanisms, and ground support equipment using closed-form and finite element methods. Develop structural loads and environments, support static, modal, acoustic, shock, and vibration testing, and prepare technical reports. The role requires on-site work five days per week and collaboration across technical and business teams.

Performs structural analysis for spacecraft, instruments, payloads, optics, mechanisms, and ground support equipment using closed-form and finite element methods. Develops loads and environments, supports static, modal, acoustic, shock, and vibration testing, and prepares technical reports. The role requires Nastran expertise and collaboration across engineering and business units in a fully on-site environment.

Performs structural analysis for spacecraft, instruments, payloads, optics, mechanisms, and ground support equipment using closed-form and finite element methods. Develops loads and environments, supports static, modal, acoustic, shock, and vibration testing, and prepares technical reports. The role requires collaboration across engineering and business units and is performed onsite five days per week.

Lead the architecture and technical direction of Forward Financing’s core fintech platform. Design scalable distributed backend systems, guide cross-team initiatives, establish engineering best practices, resolve incidents, and mentor engineers. The role owns the technical roadmap and architectural vision while partnering across teams to improve reliability, observability, code quality, and delivery. Ruby on Rails expertise is required, along with strong communication, influence, agile development experience, and a broad backend or full-stack perspective.

Leads the design, electromagnetic modeling, testing, integration, and delivery of space-based antennas and RF front-end hardware. Performs full-wave simulations, antenna and array optimization, RF trade studies, spacecraft electromagnetic compatibility analysis, and measurement correlation. Collaborates cross-functionally on packaging, thermal, structural, manufacturing, and test challenges; leads technical reviews, mentors engineers, develops verification processes, and supports customer engagements. Requires deep antenna/RF expertise, advanced EM simulation skills, and experience taking complex engineering efforts from concept through qualification.

Develop and maintain embedded satellite software, including command and control, mission planning, data analysis, and test infrastructure. Perform full software lifecycle activities from requirements and architecture through coding, testing, integration, documentation, and support. The role requires collaboration across teams, formal development practices, object-oriented design, UML modeling, and experience with cloud, web, database, and high-level programming technologies. Work is on-site five days per week and requires an active TS/SCI clearance.

Develops embedded satellite command-and-control, mission planning, data analysis, and test infrastructure software. Performs full software lifecycle activities, including requirements, architecture, design, coding, testing, integration, documentation, and support. The role requires software development across cloud, web, frontend, backend, modeling, and scheduling technologies, along with formal engineering practices, UML, object-oriented design, and active TS/SCI clearance. Work is primarily onsite five days per week.

Develops embedded satellite command-and-control, mission planning, data analysis, and test infrastructure software. Performs full software lifecycle activities, including requirements, architecture, design, coding, testing, integration, documentation, and support. The role requires expertise in software development, cloud and web technologies, object-oriented design, UML, configuration management, and formal development practices. Work is onsite five days per week in office, laboratory, production, or cleanroom environments, with possible travel between company and other locations.

Define EMI/EMC compliance architectures for spacecraft subsystems and electronic hardware. Perform requirements analysis, allocation, flow-down, design support, trade studies, environmental EMC test support, and system-level verification. Document test results, exceedances, and compliance reports while supporting programs throughout their lifecycle. Lead technical discussions and collaborate across engineering and business organizations. The role is primarily on-site and may involve travel between campuses or other facilities.

Leads the architecture, development, integration, simulation, testing, and fielding of advanced autonomy capabilities for aerospace and defense systems. Responsibilities include radar and RF signal processing, sensing, perception, guidance, navigation, control, sensor fusion, electronic protection, vehicle simulation, requirements development, hardware integration, technical reviews, customer engagement, and mentoring engineering teams.

Leads spacecraft and ground-based harness architecture, mechanical and electrical design, component selection, routing, analysis, integration, testing, and anomaly resolution. Establishes design standards, interfaces, and verification practices while ensuring compliance with aerospace workmanship and environmental requirements. Provides technical authority, leads design reviews and MRB investigations, mentors engineers, supports strategic decisions, and drives process improvements across complex space missions.

Lead Concept of Operations development for defense, intelligence, and civil aerospace systems. Define mission workflows and Day-in-the-Life plans across space, air, and ground domains; apply MBSE, modeling, simulation, and trade studies to validate operational concepts. Connect system design with implementation, lead multidisciplinary teams, support proposals and IRAD initiatives, and serve as a technical customer liaison. The role is on-site five days weekly and requires an active Secret clearance with eligibility for Top Secret/SCI.

The Principal Site Reliability Engineer sets enterprise-wide strategy for reliability, scalability, performance, observability, and service ownership. Responsibilities include establishing SLOs, SLIs, error budgets, architectural standards, incident command practices, and blameless postmortems across AWS, hybrid data centers, and customer-hosted environments. The role leads cross-functional reliability initiatives, influences system architecture, supports proactive production operations, and participates in executive on-call rotations.

Lead SSD hardware development across the product lifecycle: architecture, high-speed SI/PI analysis, PCB/schematic design, lab validation and debugging, manufacturing readiness, cross-functional integration, and mentorship. Apply AI-enabled tools to accelerate validation, automation, and debugging workflows.

Leads architecture and development of SailPoint’s large-scale, multi-tenant identity security SaaS platform. Translates business strategy into technical roadmaps, designs reliable microservices and infrastructure, drives modernization from monoliths to distributed systems, mentors engineers, reviews designs, delivers code, and communicates technology strategy to executives and stakeholders. The role also requires adoption and oversight of AI-assisted engineering tools and technologies.

Leads enterprise software architecture and development across multiple product lines, establishes design standards, reviews solutions, troubleshoots complex issues, and provides technical guidance across teams. Supports modernization of on-premise systems and migration to Azure cloud. Partners with engineering and executive leaders on technology strategy, security adaptability, automation, and solution design using agile methods.

Lead the development and integration of advanced GNC systems for spacecraft. The role involves designing algorithms, subsystem integration, and ensuring technical excellence across multiple aerospace projects.

Own the architecture and technical direction of spacecraft flight software, leading safety-critical embedded development, GNC integration, device drivers, communications libraries, simulation environments, and command telemetry systems. Establish engineering standards, guide verification and validation, support ground-system interfaces, and provide technical leadership across design reviews and multidisciplinary programs. The role requires deep real-time embedded, firmware, and low-level software expertise for delivered space or safety-critical missions.

Provides engineering leadership for space-based EO/IR payload architectures supporting civil, military, and national space missions. Leads architecture design, modeling, simulation, requirements definition, performance assessment, risk mitigation, design reviews, audits, integration and testing. Supports customer engagement, proposals, technology roadmaps, cost and schedule estimation, and new business development. Mentors engineering staff and guides payload solutions across systems, mission, ground, and spacecraft architectures.

Leads RF payload architecture and systems engineering for military and national space programs. Responsibilities include architecture design, modeling, simulation, requirements development, performance verification, risk assessment, design reviews, program execution, new business proposals, technology roadmaps, cost and schedule estimation, and customer briefings. Provides technical leadership, mentors engineers, supports integration and test, and guides payload solutions across mission, ground, and space architectures.

The Principal Mechanical Engineer will lead a team in conducting structural and vibration analysis, CFD modeling, and collaborate across engineering disciplines for aerospace hardware design and testing.

Develop and sustain software for a ground-based space domain awareness radar system. Responsibilities include designing, implementing, integrating, testing, debugging, and documenting Java services and microservices across Linux, Kubernetes, and containerized environments. The role involves troubleshooting performance and production issues, working with REST APIs, databases, CI/CD pipelines, and distributed systems, while collaborating with systems engineering and following established development processes. An active U.S. Government Secret clearance is required.