Computer Systems Architect - Mid to Expert Level (Maryland)

Fort George G. Meade Complex, MD – GG pay plan, grades 11/1 to 15/10. Open from 2026-08-10 to 2026-08-23.

About the role

Computer Systems Architects at NSA use commercial and government-developed hardware, software, networking, and security products to modernize IT architecture and support national security initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Modernize IT architecture through analysis of research and introduce changes based on evolving project requirements.
• Integrate industry trends, emerging technologies, and standards, as well as new vendor features.
• Collaborate with experts in technical and application teams to identify, evaluate, and recommend technical solutions to support project requirements.
• Produce compliance results for established project requirements and IT architecture.
• Define and analyze data requirements, mapping legacy data stores and formats to logical and physical data models.
• Propose standard ways for information transport between IT systems and storage within corporate knowledge databases.
• Perform architectural alignment of the enterprise logical data model and physical data models.

Please upload a copy of your transcripts from all schools attended prior to applying for this position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at this stage. The minimum qualifications require a degree demonstrating a concentration of Computer Science (CS) courses in foundational CS areas.

Qualifications

The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

• Degree: Must be in Computer Science (CS). Related fields (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics, Information Technology, Information Systems) may be considered if the program includes a concentration of courses in foundational CS areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); programming methodologies and languages; data structures; logic and computation; and advanced mathematics (e.g., calculus, discrete mathematics).
• Relevant Experience: Must include design/development of computer or information systems and involve engineering hardware and/or software over their lifecycle (requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, integration, deployment/installation, and maintenance), programming, computer systems research, reverse engineering, and/or computer/network security. Completion of military training in a relevant area, such as JCAC (Joint Cyber Analysis Course), may count toward experience (e.g., 24-week JCAC course counts as 6 months of experience).

Experience Levels

• Full Performance: Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree plus 1 year, or Doctoral degree with no experience. An Associate’s degree plus 5 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth, clearly related experience.
• Senior: Bachelor’s degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree plus 4 years, or Doctoral degree plus 2 years. An Associate’s degree plus 8 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth, clearly related experience.
• Expert: Bachelor’s degree plus 9 years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree plus 7 years, or Doctoral degree plus 5 years. An Associate’s degree plus 11 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth, clearly related experience.

Skills

The ideal candidate is a self-starter with a desire for continual learning and strong problem-solving, analytic, and interpersonal skills, able to:

• Work in a team environment.
• Adapt to change.
• Provide innovative solutions.
• Communicate effectively.
• Multi-task across multiple projects.

Specialized skills and experience may include:

• System administration with Windows, UNIX, and/or Linux.
• Programming and scripting experience (e.g., C, C++, Java, Assembly, Python, Perl, Ruby, Bash, Node.js, Spark, Puppet, SALT, KAFKA, HADOOP).
• Database design/development (e.g., NiFi, MongoDB).
• Network protocols and hardware.
• Virtualization fundamentals.
• Cloud architecture.
• Security architectures and appliances.
• Firewalls boundary device solutions/architecture.
• High-performance computing/data center.

Pay

Salary offers are based on education level, years of relevant experience, and work level for the position. Salary range varies by location and relevant experience.

• Salary Range: $105,262 – $197,200 (Full Performance, Senior, Expert).

Benefits

NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package. Training will be provided based on the selectee’s needs and experience.

Schedule

This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday, with a basic 8-hour workday requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).