Principal Software Engineer

We build customer-facing command and control software for high-altitude balloon systems. Our users are trained operators—primarily U.S. military and internal flight operations teams—who rely on our tools to make real-world decisions. Aerostar, a business unit of TCOM, are looking for a Principal Software Engineer who can lead the engineering behind our production-grade single-page applications and the services that power them. This role is about more than implementing features. It is about shaping the architecture of complex web applications that integrate real-time telemetry, operational data, and mission workflows.

You will be responsible for designing and building systems across the full stack—from frontend application architecture to backend services and APIs. You will serve as a technical thought leader within the engineering team, helping guide system design, engineering standards, and long-term maintainability.

This role requires someone who can move comfortably between frontend and backend work, design robust systems, and help other engineers raise the quality of their work.

With demonstrated success, this role can evolve into formal technical leadership and architectural ownership across our software systems.

What You’ll Do:

• Architect and implement the core systems that power our complex, data-driven SPAs
• Design backend services, APIs, and data flows that support real-time telemetry and operational workflows
• Lead technical design for full-stack features, ensuring maintainable and scalable implementations
• Establish and advocate for engineering patterns, architectural standards, and code quality practices
• Make foundational decisions around application structure, service boundaries, and system integration
• Identify and address performance, reliability, and maintainability challenges across the stack
• Conduct architectural and code reviews to elevate the engineering quality of the team

What We’re Looking For:

You are an experienced engineer who thinks in systems, not just features.

You have personally designed and implemented significant portions of production software systems and can explain the architectural decisions behind them.

You enjoy solving complex engineering problems and helping other engineers improve through thoughtful design discussions and code review.

You can write software without the assistance of AI but are open to using it to enhance your toolset.

Education & Experience: 

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in software engineering, in field related to specific position.
• Expert engineer with 12+ years of career experience, 10+ years with master’s degree in software engineering.

Preferred experience:

• Python familiarity
• TypeScript
• Complex data visualization
• Establishing or contributing to design systems
• Working on operational or decision-support tools

We are building mission-critical operational software. Clarity and usability matter because decisions depend on them.

How We Work:

We are not a startup, but we operate with ownership and technical rigor.

We are building serious aerospace systems, and we expect serious engineering discipline.

Strong preference for onsite collaboration. Hybrid may be considered. Remote candidates will not be prioritized.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions:

• Physical Requirements: Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and reach. Reasonable accommodations may be provided for individuals with disabilities.
• Working Conditions: Primarily in a standard office environment, with occasional exposure to production areas, including noise, fumes, moving machinery, and varying temperatures.

TCOM offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts/HSAs, EAP, tuition reimbursement, parental leave, paid time off (PTO), and company-paid holidays. The specific programs, options and eligibility may vary depending on date of hire, classification, and schedule type.