Jr. Systems Engineer (FTE)

Aptino, Inc.; Jessup (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aptino, Inc. in Annapolis Junction, MD is seeking a Junior Systems Engineer to support planning, development, testing, and delivery of mission-critical software for government customers.

You will work with systems engineers, developers, and UX teams to translate requirements into technical specs and align with Agile processes. The role emphasizes collaboration, backlog refinement, early testing, and effective communication to ensure features meet customer expectations throughout the software

Qualifications

• Ability to gather, analyze, and document functional requirements with customers.
• Familiarity with Jira, user stories, epics, and acceptance criteria.
• Understanding of Agile/Scrum development processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Gather, analyze, and document customer and stakeholder requirements, translating them into detailed technical specifications.
• Develop Jira epics, user stories, and acceptance criteria for software development teams.
• Refine and prioritize sprint backlogs, ensuring tasks are clearly defined, appropriately scoped, and ready for development.
• Support developers by clarifying requirements, answering implementation questions, and resolving blockers.
• Perform initial manual and functional testing to validate features against requirements and identify defects before formal QA and customer review.
• Demonstrate completed features to government customers, gather feedback, and support future enhancements.
• Collaborate with UX teams on designs, wireframes, and usability requirements.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, reviews, demonstrations, and retrospectives, throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Maintain clear documentation and communication among customers, stakeholders, and technical teams.

Skills

Requirements analysis

Agile/Scrum

Communication

Software concepts

Java basics

RESTful APIs

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Role: Jr. Systems Engineer

Location: Annapolis Junction, MD (Onsite)

Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire

Position Overview:

Seeking a Junior Systems Engineer to support the planning, development, testing, and delivery of mission-critical software solutions. This role involves working with government customers, systems engineers, developers, and UX teams to define requirements, coordinate Agile development, and ensure software capabilities meet customer expectations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Gather, analyze, and document customer and stakeholder requirements, translating them into detailed technical specifications.




• Develop Jira epics, user stories, and acceptance criteria for software development teams.




• Refine and prioritize sprint backlogs, ensuring tasks are clearly defined, appropriately scoped, and ready for development.




• Support developers by clarifying requirements, answering implementation questions, and resolving blockers.




• Perform initial manual and functional testing to validate features against requirements and identify defects before formal QA and customer review.




• Demonstrate completed features to government customers, gather feedback, and support future enhancements.




• Collaborate with UX teams on designs, wireframes, and usability requirements.




• Participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, reviews, demonstrations, and retrospectives, throughout the software development lifecycle.




• Maintain clear documentation and communication among customers, stakeholders, and technical teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to gather, analyze, and document functional requirements directly with customers and stakeholders.




• Experience or familiarity with Jira, user stories, epics, acceptance criteria, and Confluence.




• Understanding of manual functional testing, defect identification, and requirements validation.




• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and software development lifecycle processes.




• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting technical information to non-technical audiences.




• Basic understanding of software development concepts, including Java, JavaScript frameworks, RESTful APIs, and microservices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with AWS, cloud architecture, and software deployment.




• Exposure to UX design, wireframing, or prototyping tools.




• Awareness of government reporting, information-sharing, and dissemination policies.