Principal Full Stack Web Developer

Overview:

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.

Job Description Summary:

Location
South Tampa, FL – Hybrid (3 days on‑site, 2 days remote).

About Draper
Draper’s Full‑Stack Group builds mission‑critical web applications for military, government, and commercial customers. We operate like an incubator, giving engineers space to experiment, iterate, and deliver software that protects lives and advances the national interest.

Why This Role Matters
You’ll play a primary role in developing and executing the technical vision for complex, high‑impact web solutions that directly enable our customers’ missions. Your work will shape products that are deployed, operational, and trusted by governments and agencies worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead architecture decisions for new and existing web platforms (micro‑services, data pipelines, UI/UX).
- Write production‑ready, test‑driven code in modern stacks (React + TypeScript, Node.js, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, etc.).
- Mentor senior engineers and set engineering standards (code reviews, CI/CD, automated testing).
- Partner with program officers, product owners, and other technical leads to define roadmaps and delivery milestones.
- Represent the team in program reviews, weekly/quarterly stakeholder meetings, and client demos.
- Drive continuous improvement: performance tuning, security hardening, and operational excellence.

Required Qualifications

- 7+ years of full‑stack development experience, with at least 2 years leading architecture decisions. 10+ years in the field is a bonus.
- Proven track record delivering production‑grade web applications at scale.
- Strong proficiency in modern front‑end (React, TypeScript, CSS‑in‑JS) and back‑end (Node.js/Express, Python, Java) technologies.
- Deep understanding of REST/GraphQL APIs, authentication/authorization (OAuth, OIDC), and cloud‑native patterns.
- Experience with issue‑tracking and CI/CD tools (Jira, GitLab, GitHub Actions).

- BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience (Master’s a plus).

**Preferred Qualifications**

- Hands‑on experience with Docker and Kubernetes (EKS, GKE, AKS).
- Deployments on AWS, GCP, or Azure; familiarity with IaC (Terraform, CloudFormation).
- Knowledge of serverless architectures and event‑driven designs.
- Experience with high‑availability, multi‑tenant SaaS platforms.

**About You**

- Insatiable appetite to learn new technologies and share knowledge.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and forging clear paths to success.
- Passionate about building products you’d proudly use yourself.
- Thrives in a team that pushes each other to excel daily.

The description below provides further information on Draper's view of its principal staff members.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities
• Independently execute task assignments.
• Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques, adheres to software best practices.
• Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
• Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
• Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
• Communicates with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
• Independently drive solutions to complex problems, develop requirements, propose ways forward when customer requirements are unclear or incomplete, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in their discipline.
• Identify program/system-level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
• Leads the design of system architecture, delegating tasks and collecting feedback on designs as needed.
• Lead a medium size team of engineers across multiple disciplines.

Skills/Abilities
• Curiosity-driven approach to solving complex, customer-driven problems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrate an ability to learn new programming languages and technologies quickly.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively and openly with multi-disciplinary program team members, program leadership, and non-technical personnel.
• A team player able to work in a fast-paced environment with the ability to balance multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Demonstrate strong organization, planning, and time management skills to achieve program goals

Education
Requires a bachelor's in Computer Science or other related field. Master's degree is preferred.

Experience
10+ years experience in Software Engineering or related field.

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Secret clearance is desired, Top Secret clearance is preferred.

Connect With Draper for Future Opportunities! If you don't find the right posting in our Career Opportunities, you may submit your resume for future consideration.

Job Location - City:

St. Petersburg

Job Location - State:

Florida

Job Location - Postal Code:

33716

The US base salary range for this full-time position is

$95,000.00 - $245,000.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.  Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact hr@draper.com.