Lead Software Engineer at ICF in Reston, VA

Lead Software Engineer

Location: Reston, VA

Lead Software Engineer

Location: US Remote

Ready to make a difference?

ICF is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to lead the hands-on development and continued evolution of the Demand Response Optimization Program (DROP), a client-facing software product that helps utilities plan and evaluate programs designed to manage electricity demand. DROP brings together customer, program, device, and energy-usage data so utility teams can organize participants, plan operational activities, evaluate results, and improve future program performance.

The successful candidate will combine deep software-engineering skills, product thinking, strong communication, and an AI-first mindset. They will translate analytical methods and client needs into secure, reliable, maintainable software while contributing engineering improvements across Sightline ADAPT.

The Opportunity

DROP has progressed from an analytical concept into a product with automated workflows supporting customer and device assignments, program operations, data preprocessing, telemetry processing, performance analysis, and reporting. The next phase requires disciplined software engineering focused on reliability, extensibility, repeatable deployment, and continued product improvement.

This is a senior individual-contributor role. The Lead Software Engineer will remain hands-on, provide technical leadership to contributing engineers, and collaborate on roadmap decisions, engineering standards, delivery risks, and shared platform needs.

Why you will love working here:

• Quality of life: Flexible workplace arrangements, work-life balance
• Investment of the community: Donation matching, volunteer opportunities
• Investment in you: Tuition reimbursement, access to professional development resources, 401k matching, Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• And many, many more (Ask your recruiter for more details!)

What you will be doing:

Software Development and Technical Leadership

• Design, develop, test, document, implement, and maintain DROP components across the user interface, APIs, data services, and analytical workflows.
• Build capabilities for customer and device assignments, cohorting, program planning, telemetry processing, baselines, performance analysis, reporting, and related demand-response workflows.
• Refactor and modernize existing code to improve maintainability, performance, modularity, security, and reuse.
• Lead design decisions, code reviews, troubleshooting, and implementation guidance while coordinating broader technical decisions with the engineering team.
• Mentor contributing engineers and analytical developers assuming formal people-management responsibility.

Product Development and Client Delivery

• Partner with product leadership, utility consultants, and analytical specialists to understand user needs and translate them into product capabilities, technical requirements, acceptance criteria, and implementation plans.
• Provide technical options, estimates, dependencies, and delivery risks to support roadmap, sprint, and release decisions.
• Support client implementations, technical discovery, demonstrations, proposals, scopes of work, and solution reviews.
• Communicate capabilities, limitations, technical tradeoffs, and delivery risks clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Production Engineering and Data Integration

• Improve automated testing, CI/CD, logging, monitoring, error handling, data validation, deployment practices, and operational documentation.
• Develop and maintain data-intensive Python and SQL workflows in Microsoft Azure and Databricks environments.
• Integrate DROP with utility data sources, DERMS platforms, APIs, telemetry feeds, storage services, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and client environments as applicable.
• Collaborate with data engineers to define reliable schemas, interfaces, data-quality controls, and secure configuration patterns.

AI-First Engineering and Product Innovation

• Use AI-assisted engineering tools to improve development, testing, documentation, troubleshooting, and delivery efficiency while maintaining accountability for quality and correctness.
• Apply team standards for privacy, security, intellectual-property protection, auditability, evaluation, and human oversight when using AI-enabled tools or building AI-enabled features.
• Identify practical opportunities to incorporate generative AI, agentic workflows, machine learning, or automation into DROP and the software-development process.
• Evaluate AI-generated code and outputs critically through review, testing, validation, and monitoring.

What we need you to have (minimum qualifications):

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, data engineering, engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of software development or data-product engineering experience.
• Experience building and supporting production web applications in cloud environments.
• Strong software engineering experience with Python, SQL, APIs, data pipelines, front-end technologies, and cloud platforms.
• Experience with Git, automated testing, CI/CD, monitoring, troubleshooting, and production support.
• Ability to build reliable, maintainable software, leverage AI-assisted development tools, and translate product, analytical, and client requirements into technical solutions.

What we would like you to have:

• Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, data science, information systems, or a related field.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps, Databricks, Apache Spark, Docker, Power BI, or Microsoft Fabric.
• Experience with React, Next.js, FastAPI, .NET, or comparable modern full-stack frameworks.
• Experience building data-intensive SaaS products or configurable software using time-series, telemetry, event, AMI, or other high-volume operational data.
• Experience operationalizing machine-learning, optimization, generative-AI, or agentic capabilities, including evaluation and monitoring.
• Experience integrating software with third-party platforms, APIs, identity services, and client data environments.
• Experience with demand response, distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, DERMS, utility customer programs, or grid-interactive technologies.
• Experience modernizing analytical code or converting data-science workflows into production software.
• Experience supporting client-facing technical discussions, proposals, demonstrations, or implementation planning.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Work Authorization and Sponsorship

All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for new H-1B visa sponsorship by ICF. Candidates who currently hold valid work authorization may be considered for a change of employer petition, subject to company policy and applicable immigration requirements.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

Bot and Third-Party Applications

Please note that this application must be submitted directly by the applicant for consideration. Failure to do so may result in the application being excluded for consideration. Applicants needing an accommodation for disability or religious purposes in connection with the application process should contact Candidateaccommodation@icf.com for assistance.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at candidateaccommodation@icf.com. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range

There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is:

$108,476.00 - $184,409.00Nationwide Remote Office (US99)