Software Engineer - JobID-0198

Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) is expanding its Warfare Systems team and seeks a Software Engineer to help modernize critical Navy-focused software. The role sits in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, with a hybrid work arrangement and an on-site requirement. This is a hands-on opportunity for someone who enjoys turning complex legacy code into a microservices-based tactical platform that can run in cloud-native and edge environments. IDT is a defense tech company with offices across the U.S., including Arlington, VA, Fall River, MA, Mount Laurel, NJ, and San Diego, CA.

The Software Engineer will join a multi-disciplinary squad focused on delivering tactical capabilities for Navy surface and unmanned platforms. The role calls for owning the design and refactoring of mission-critical software into a modern stack, supporting both back-end and front-end components, and collaborating with DoD customers to translate needs into concrete software architecture. Expect work that touches real-time testing, AI/ML-driven analytics, cybersecurity, and the integration of complex DoD systems into cohesive development environments. The team prioritizes high-impact results that meet fleet requirements and maintain secure, production-ready code.

Turning legacy code into modern warfare software

Day-to-day work centers on designing, implementing, and validating software across languages such as C, C++, Python, JavaScript, and Java, within diverse development environments. You’ll study older monolithic systems, recompile where needed, and apply careful refactoring to move toward modular, scalable solutions. The role also includes dissecting Navy tactical system code for surface combat applications, while exploring next-generation approaches with AI/ML, distributed processing, and modeling. Interaction with customers to gather requirements and present progress to leadership rounds out the cycle, along with shaping software architecture that covers both hardware and software interfaces and supports integration across complex environments.

Expect to contribute to architectural decisions, participate in design and code reviews, and help verify software through labs and government test sites. You’ll work with small, cross-site teams of software and systems engineers, sharing feedback, aligning on requirements, and ensuring the final product adheres to security and performance standards. The role acknowledges the realities of DoD systems, so familiarity with DoD programs and a capability to work in a regulated setting will help you land and succeed here. You’ll also be part of a broader effort to deploy microservices in a way that enables both cloud-native deployment and tactical-edge operation.

What you’ll need to bring

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, or equivalent full-time professional experience
• 0 to 5 years of professional work experience
• Willingness to travel up to 10% as needed
• Experience with combat system design and software and familiarity with DOD programs
• Proficiency in at least one modern language such as Python, Java, C++, or C# and comfort with frontend JavaScript
• Strong Linux development experience, including shell scripting
• Ability to break down customer requirements into concrete software specifications
• Understanding distributed systems, algorithms, data structures and design patterns, including the Strangler pattern
• Experience with Agile software development and Git version control
• Comfort with DevSecOps practices and securing software throughout the lifecycle
• Capability to translate vague needs into a refined technical vision
• Skill in describing algorithmic complexity and performance considerations
• Willingness to work on-site with potential hybrid flexibility
• Knowledge of the full software development process from requirements through deployment
• Ability to design, develop, and analyze software systems, and to model, code, and test algorithms in C++, Python, and Java
• Experience building GUI applications and testing them, plus comfort with modern UI frameworks and tooling
• Proficiency in at least one modern frontend language (TypeScript or JavaScript) and/or one modern backend language
• Understanding of Windows and Linux file systems, Git-based workflows, APIs (REST/gRPC), and modular code design
• Ability to review, critique, and harden AI-generated code
• Familiarity with SQL and relational databases (e.g., Postgres)
• Knowledge of computer networking and protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP, CORBA, DDS)
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and adjust priorities as needed

• Up to 5 years of full-time professional experience
• Familiarity with the AEGIS Weapon System Common Source Library (CSL) or SSDS Single Source Library (SSL) is a plus
• Experience with AEGIS or SSDS tactical systems
• Experience with build tools such as Make, Maven, and Ant
• Experience with X-Windows
• Familiarity with Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies
• Experience using Jenkins, Jira and the Atlassian suite
• Knowledge of core networking concepts like routing, switching, identity services, intrusion detection, and firewalls
• Experience deploying virtual machines in VMware vSphere environments with network configuration
• Experience designing complex software development environments with submodules and remote dependencies
• Experience deploying VMs or containers to Azure and configuring networking
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure and virtualization or containerization technologies
• Exposure to big data solutions such as Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, or Cassandra
• Experience with AI coding assistants for code generation, refactoring, and debugging
• Ability to write effective prompts and iterate with AI to improve code quality
• Understanding AI limitations and validation techniques
• Experience with testing frameworks including unit tests and interface testing
• Experience building UIs with a modern component framework such as React, Angular, or Vue
• Experience using Storybook or similar mock/testing tooling

If you see yourself reflected in this role and are excited about the impact you could make, we encourage you to apply. If you know someone who may be a great fit, please share this opportunity with your network.

Pay Range*: $74,000 - $184,000

*Pursuant to New Jersey Senate Bill 2310 IDT is required to disclose the “pay scale” or “pay range” associated with a job posting. Notably, however, this amount may not be reflective of actual compensation that may be earned as pay is dependent on a candidate’s experience, skills, and education. The posted range does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, or other benefits. Click here for additional information about Senate Bill 2310. IDT is often looking to place multiple candidates at various levels. Therefore, more than one pay range has been included, commensurate with experience.

Pay, benefits and practical details

IDT offers a comprehensive benefits package, competitive pay, and time off, including a 401(k) with immediate vesting and matching, paid holidays, and generous PTO. The company supports a 9/80 schedule option (2nd and 4th Friday off every month), a Tuition Assistance Reimbursement Program, professional development resources, pre-tax commuter benefits, and regular tech-focused events and recognition programs. Location-wise, the role is based in Mount Laurel, NJ, with a hybrid work arrangement and some on-site presence required. There is a clear emphasis on security and DoD work, including the expectation that applicants can obtain and maintain an active Secret U.S. Security Clearance. The role also notes that IDT has offices elsewhere and that remote arrangements may be limited by project needs. The company states it is an Equal Opportunity employer.

How to position yourself for this role

Resumes should foreground hands-on work with real-time and defense-focused software, especially where you’ve refactored legacy systems toward modern, modular architectures and microservices. Lead with your strongest match to the core tech stack and the DoD context, C, C++, Python, Java, Linux, and security-conscious development practices.

When you can, back up must-have skills with concrete examples: demonstrate how you decomposed complex requirements into actionable specs, showcased distributed-system thinking, and navigated Agile workflows with Git. If you’ve worked on AI-assisted coding or performance-focused optimizations, highlight those projects and the outcomes you drove.

In interviews, be ready to discuss Navy-related software, DoD software constraints, and your approach to architecture decisions in brownfield and greenfield contexts. Prepare to describe how you’d handle migrating legacy code to a microservices-based platform while ensuring security and performance. You’ll likely be asked about Strangler pattern choices, MBSE concepts, and cloud or edge deployment strategies, so have examples ready.

Ask a thoughtful question about the role’s first milestones: for instance, how the team prioritizes refactoring efforts against new feature work, and what success looks like in the first six to twelve months. A practical question could be how cross-site collaboration works between Arlington and Mount Laurel and how hybrid days are scheduled across locations.