Senior Mission / Systems Engineer

Nightwing; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 122,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental insurance

401k plan

Paid time off (PTO) and holidays

Additional insurances

Job summary

Nightwing seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to design, integrate, and deploy enterprise-scale systems for national security missions from its Maryland site. You will work with an experienced team to build complex compute, storage, networking, and security architectures across on-prem and cloud environments.

The role requires 5+ years in systems engineering, strong Linux and containerization skills, and expertise in IaC, CI/CD, and secure system design.

Qualifications

• A STEM degree or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of practical Systems Engineering experience in design, development, integration, and testing of complex hardware and software systems.
• Proven expertise in enterprise systems architecture including compute, storage, networking, and virtualization.
• Experience with Systems Integration, test execution, and documenting results.
• Strong knowledge of Linux and system administration, tuning, and optimization.
• Experience designing and deploying containerized environments (Kubernetes/OpenShift/Docker) at scale.
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools (Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Chef) and GitOps workflows.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present technical material to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work weekends and nights periodically to support integration and testing efforts.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance with Polygraph

Responsibilities

• Work with experienced team members on system development, integration, and deployments for mission-critical intelligence operations.
• Design, architect, and integrate complex systems infrastructure across the full lifecycle—from requirements analysis to deployment.
• Lead systems integration efforts, test execution, and documentation for custom hardware and software systems.
• Architect high-availability, fault-tolerant systems that integrate compute, storage, networking, and security components.
• Interact with development teams, customers, end users, hardware and software teams to resolve issues.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve problems across all phases of the system lifecycle.
• Generate briefings and present technical material to team members, customers, and management as needed.
• Develop and maintain system documentation including diagrams, ICDs, requirements, and procedures.
• Recognize customer needs and relay them as potential business development opportunities.
• Perform capacity planning, performance tuning, and optimization for large-scale distributed environments.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies including AI/ML accelerators and HPC storage solutions.
• Contribute to decision-making and idea generation to push products beyond current limits.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

Systems Engineering

Enterprise architecture

Linux administration

Containerization

IaC (Ansible, Terraform)

Testing & debugging

Education

STEM degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

Docker

Terraform

Ansible

GitOps

Puppet or Chef

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Senior Systems Engineer

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Nightwing is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer who strives for excellence and has a passion to be part of a team that strengthens our nation and improves the security of our world. Join a team at the forefront of building enterprise-scale systems that integrate advanced hardware, software, and network architectures to empower intelligence operations. Nightwing develops trusted strategic and tactical SIGINT solutions that secure the interests of the U.S. and its partners.

Our work environment is passionate, highly collaborative, and provides engineers the freedom to strengthen and expand their skills, explore new and creative ideas, and work closely with our nation's finest service members-all while embracing integrity, innovation, and work-life balance. With access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and opportunities to lead complex integration efforts, you’ll architect tomorrow’s mission systems today.

This is an ONSITE position based out of our National Business Park, Maryland location.

What You Will Do

• Work with experienced team members on system development, integration, and deployments for mission-critical intelligence operations that protect our country.
• Design, architect, and integrate complex systems infrastructure across the full lifecycle-from requirements analysis and architecture design through integration, testing, and operational deployment.
• Lead systems integration efforts, test execution, and test results documentation for custom hardware and software systems of high complexity.
• Architect high-availability, fault-tolerant systems that seamlessly integrate compute, storage, networking, and security components in on-premises and cloud environments.
• Interact with development teams, customers, end users, hardware design teams, and software design teams to resolve discrepancies, issues, and technical challenges.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve problems in all phases of the system lifecycle using strong troubleshooting and debugging skills.
• Generate briefings and present technical material to team members, customers, and Nightwing management as necessary.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive system documentation including architecture diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), requirements, plans, procedures, and technical specifications.
• Recognize areas of improvement or customer needs and relay them to senior staff as business development possibilities.
• Perform capacity planning, performance tuning, and system optimization for large-scale distributed environments supporting high-volume data operations.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies including AI/ML accelerators, distributed computing platforms, and high-performance data storage solutions.
• Be an integral part of a team that makes decisions and generates ideas that will push products above and beyond.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multi-disciplinary teams.

Qualifications You Must Have

• A STEM degree (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of practical experience in Systems Engineering including experience with design, development, integration, and testing of custom hardware and software systems of high complexity
• Proven expertise in enterprise systems architecture, including compute infrastructure, storage systems, networking, and virtualization technologies.
• Experience with Systems Integration, test execution, and test results documentation
• Strong knowledge of Linux and/or Linux variants, including system administration, tuning, and optimization
• Experience identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems in all phases of the system lifecycle
• Experience interacting with development teams, customers, and stakeholders to resolve discrepancies and technical issues
• Experience designing and deploying containerized and orchestrated environments (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker) at scale
• Strong problem solving and debugging skills with ability to diagnose complex system issues across multiple technology layers
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Chef) and GitOps workflows
• Excellent communication skills with ability to generate briefings and present material to technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to work weekends and nights periodically to support integration and testing efforts
• Active TS/SCI security clearance with Polygraph

Qualifications We Prefer

• Experience with Fiber Optics, RF, or Telecommunications standards and processing techniques
• Experience with Design, Development, Integration, and Test of complex Communication systems and SIGINT mission systems
• Experience developing high-speed processing hardware or complex control software
• Understanding of telecommunications systems concepts and signal processing fundamentals
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python or Bash
• Experience generating test scripts to automate integration and deployment processes
• Experience formalizing, developing, and writing requirements, plans, and procedures based on customer discussions, briefings, interactions, and statements of work
• Experience developing system level designs, high-level control and data interfaces
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GovCloud) including hybrid cloud architectures
• Knowledge of high-performance computing (HPC) environments, GPU acceleration, and parallel processing architectures
• Experience with CI/CD pipeline integration for system deployments and automated configuration management
• Background in DevSecOps practices, including security hardening (STIG compliance), vulnerability management, and zero-trust implementation
• Experience architecting systems to support machine learning workflows, including GPU clusters and model serving infrastructure

Why Join Nightwing?

• Advanced Infrastructure: Work with cutting-edge compute, storage, and networking technologies that power national security missions.
• Mission-Critical Impact: Design and deploy systems that directly support intelligence operations protecting national interests and making the world a safer place.
• Technical Leadership: Lead complex integration efforts and mentor talented engineers in a dynamic, high-impact environment.
• Innovation at Scale: Architect solutions for some of the most challenging technical problems involving massive data volumes, real-time processing, and stringent security requirements.
• Collaborative Culture: Partner with elite engineers, intelligence professionals, and service members in a passionate work environment that values technical excellence, creativity, and work-life balance.
• Freedom to Grow: Strengthen and expand your skills, explore new and creative ideas, and work on R&D efforts that push the boundaries of what's possible.

Security Clearance Type

TS/SCI with Polygraph

Security Clearance Status

Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

Salary & Benefits

The salary associated with this position ($122,000-$253,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.

Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.

Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.