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MQ-25 Vehicle Management System (VMS) Software Lead Engineer

The Boeing Company

Hazelwood, MOJob$198–268K/yrSeen 4 days agoSeen in employer's feed 4 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$198–268K/yr
Location
Hazelwood, MO
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Secret clearance

Job overview

The Boeing Company seeks a lead software engineer for the MQ-25 Vehicle Management System Software program in Hazelwood, Missouri. The role focuses on the VMS Computer Operational Flight Program for Engineering Manufacturing and Development and Obsolescence contracts. The engineer will lead development and integration of real-time embedded flight-critical software and teams supporting the unmanned aircraft’s vehicle management system.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Real-Time Embedded SoftwareAdaDO-178DO-254System Safety EngineeringMIL-STD-882Software VerificationC#Software Development LifecycleAgile Software DevelopmentClearCaseGitTactical Aircraft Mission SystemsGreen Hills Compiler

Qualifications

U.S. CitizenshipBachelor's Degree14+ Years Software Engineering10+ Years Embedded Systems5+ Years Team LeadershipBachelor's in Listed Field and 14+ Years Related Experience or Bachelor's and 18+ Years Direct Experience or 22+ Years Related Experience3+ Years DO-178 Experience3+ Years DoD System Safety Experience2+ Years Software Verification Experience2+ Years Tactical Aircraft Mission Systems ExperienceU.S. PersonSecret Clearance

Benefits

Medical Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off
Relocation Assistance

Full job description

Job Description

At Boeing, we innovate and collaborate to make the world a better place. We’re committed to fostering an environment for every teammate that’s welcoming, respectful and inclusive, with great opportunity for professional growth. Find your future with us.

The Boeing Company is looking for a MQ-25 Vehicle Management System (VMS) Software Lead Engineer to join the MQ-25 Vehicle Systems Software program in Hazelwood, MO . This position will focus on VMS Computer (VMSC) Operational Flight Program (OFP) for the Engineering Manufacturing and Development (EMD) and Obsolescence contracts.

The MQ-25A Stingray will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and pioneer the integration of manned and unmanned systems within the carrier air wing. The Vehicle Management System (VMS) team is developing and integrating an MQ-25 avionics software suite that provides communication and control with various aircraft subsystems, sensors, and the refueling system.

We are looking for engineers who want challenging and unique opportunities to develop real-time embedded flight critical software for the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

Position Responsibilities:

  • Leads activities to develop, document and maintain complex architectures, requirements, algorithms, interfaces and designs for software systems

  • Leads development of code and integration of complex software components into a fully functional software system

  • Develops software verification plans, test procedures and test environments, executing the test procedures and documenting test results to ensure software system requirements are met

  • Leading 10+ Engineers to develop code and integration of the complex software components for a new Vehicle Management Systems Computer (VMSC)

  • Leading 10+ Engineers to develop black box tests for embedded software systems

  • Provides technical leadership for software projects and leads software supplier management activities

  • Leads development, selection, tailoring and deployment of processes, tools and metrics

  • Leads software research and development projects. Leads estimating activities

  • Serves as a subject matter expert for software domains, system-specific issues, processes and regulations

  • Tracks and evaluates software team and supplier performance to ensure product and process conformance to project plans and industry standards

  • Trains and mentors’ others

  • Serves as organization spokesperson on advanced projects and programs

  • Acts as an advisor to management and customers on advanced technical research studies

This position is expected to be 100% onsite. The selected candidate will be required to work onsite in Hazelwood, MO.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/ Experience):

  • This position requires the ability to obtain a US Security Clearance for which the US Government requires US Citizenship as a condition of employment (An interim and/or final U.S. Secret Clearance Post-Start may be required)

  • Bachelor's Degree

  • 14+ years of proven experience as a Software Engineer

  • 10+ years of experience developing software for real-time embedded systems

  • 5+ years of experience leading teams and/or leading initiatives

Preferred Qualifications (Desired Skills/Experience):

  • Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited course of study in engineering, engineering technology (includes manufacturing engineering technology), chemistry, physics, mathematics, data science, or computer science and 14+ years of related work experience or Bachelor’s Degree and 18+ years of directly related work experience or 22+ years of related, relevant experience

  • Experience programming in Ada

  • 3+ years of experience with DO-178, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification

  • Experience with DO-254 avionics compliance standards

  • 3+ years of technical experience in DoD based system safety engineering in accordance with MIL-STD-882

  • 2+ years of experience with verification of Software Engineering requirements

  • Experience programming in C#

  • Experience in all phases of the software development life cycle

  • Experience with Agile software development

  • Experience working with software version control tools such as ClearCase or Git

  • 2+ years of experience developing software for unmanned or manned tactical aircraft vehicle mission systems

  • Experience with Green Hills compiler

Conflict of Interest:

Successful candidates for this job must satisfy the Company’s Conflict of Interest (COI) assessment process.

Drug Free Workplace:

Boeing is a Drug Free Workplace where post offer applicants and employees are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies.

CodeVue Coding Challenge:

To be considered for this position you will be required to complete a technical assessment as part of the selection process. Failure to complete the assessment will remove you from consideration.

Pay & Benefits:

At Boeing, we strive to deliver a Total Rewards package that will attract, engage and retain the top talent. Elements of the Total Rewards package include competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities.

The Boeing Company also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work.

The specific programs and options available to any given employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

Pay is based upon candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

Summary Pay Range: $198,050 - $267,950

Applications for this position will be accepted until Nov. 13, 2026

Export Control Requirements:

This position must meet U.S. export control compliance requirements. To meet U.S. export control compliance requirements, a “U.S. Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. §120.62 is required.

“U.S. Person” includes U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee.

Export Control Details:

US based job, US Person required

Education

Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Required

Relocation

This position offers relocation based on candidate eligibility.

Security Clearance

This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance for which the U.S. Government requires U.S. Citizenship. An interim and/or final U.S. Secret Clearance Post-Start is required.

Visa Sponsorship

Employer will not sponsor applicants for employment visa status.

Shift

This position is for 1st shift

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Boeing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Boeing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

How this job compares

Set against the 8,420 open Software Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 8, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$198–268K/yr
  • Missouri median$128–235K/yr90 salary ranges
  • US median$148–250K/yr6,332 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $233K, is 26% above the Missouri median midpoint ($186K) — in the top quarter of Software Engineering salary ranges in Missouri.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 103 open Software Engineering jobs in Missouri and 8,420 across the US. 10% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Missouri
Experience
This posting asks for at least 14 years of experience — more than three in four Software Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for (median 7 years, across 6,438 postings).
Education
2,186 of the 8,420 open Software Engineering jobs (26%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 8, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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