Systems Engineer - Mid to Expert Level (Maryland)

As a Systems Engineer with the National Security Agency, you will help shape the future of national security systems by designing, integrating, and optimizing complex technologies that directly affect mission outcomes.

Responsibilities

In this challenging environment, innovation and critical thinking are essential as you work to safeguard the nation's most sensitive information through cutting-edge solutions. This position is multifaceted, highly visible across the enterprise, and extremely rewarding. You will collaborate with technical leaders, senior engineers, developers, and analysts to innovate and drive the future of IT Security.

• System Design and Integration: Spearhead the development of system architectures, ensuring seamless integration and functionality across a wide range of platforms.
• Project Leadership: Lead cross-functional teams through the full project lifecycle, from concept through delivery. Manage project timelines, budgets, and quality metrics to ensure mission success.
• Technical Oversight: Provide expert guidance on technical issues and oversee the implementation of engineering best practices to enhance system reliability and performance.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate technical risks through thorough analysis and proactive planning. Maintain system resiliency in areas such as system security (particularly in a Zero Trust environment), reliability, data integrity, compliance, regulations, operational efficiency, and user experience.
• Mentoring and Collaboration: Foster a collaborative and continuous improvement environment through mentoring junior engineers and promoting knowledge-sharing within the team.

Valuable expertise in fields like cybersecurity, electrical or computer engineering, physics, computer science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, network architecture, IT infrastructure, and hybrid communications will be leveraged to drive the development of next-generation technologies.

Mid-Career Systems Engineers

Mid-career systems engineers have experience leading systems engineering efforts and are ready to apply or expand that knowledge within the Intelligence Community. These engineers:

• Develop expertise and grow their breadth of knowledge.
• Mentor the next generation of systems engineers.
• Communicate with technical teams and make recommendations to senior leadership.
• Collaborate with senior engineers on system integration and testing.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation.

Senior Systems Engineers

Seasoned professionals drive the Agency's largest and most challenging technical projects to ensure success. These engineers:

• Participate in technical decision-making or function in an advisory role.
• Lead technical teams and define and manage technical requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Identify and manage technical program risk.
• Evaluate architectural design for efficiency improvements.
• Capture, analyze, and recommend updates to enterprise and mission architectures to ensure resiliency.
• Design and implement large-scale systems and architectures, and oversee system integration and testing.
• Develop and maintain technical roadmaps and strategies.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to ensure systems meet business and operational requirements.
• Identify potential technical risks and opportunities.
• Mentor other systems engineers.

Qualifications

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

• Degree: Must be in either Engineering or a relevant technical field (e.g., computer science, mathematics, or physics). If the program is not ABET accredited, it must include specified coursework in differential and integral calculus and 5 of the following 18 areas:
  • statics or dynamics
  • strength of materials/stress-strain relationships
  • fluid mechanics, hydraulics
  • thermodynamics
  • electromagnetic fields
  • nature and properties of materials/relating particle and aggregate structure to properties
  • solid state electronics
  • microprocessor applications
  • computer systems
  • signal processing
  • digital design
  • systems and control theory
  • circuits or generalized circuits
  • communication systems
  • power systems
  • computer networks
  • software development
  • any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, or soil mechanics
• Relevant Experience: Must be in engineering systems over their lifecycle (e.g., conception, design & development, testing, production, distribution/deployment, operation, maintenance & support, decommissioning).

Full Performance: With an Engineering degree, entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. With a degree in a relevant technical field, entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's or Doctoral degree plus 1 year of relevant experience.

Senior: Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 3 years of relevant experience.

Expert: Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 10 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 6 years of relevant experience.

Pay

Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.

• Salary Range: $105,262 - $197,200 (Full Performance, Senior, Expert). Salary range varies by location, work level, and relevant experience to the position.

Benefits

NSA offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Schedule

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