Space Protection Software Test Engineer

SAIC; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC in Chantilly, VA seeks a Space Protection Software Test Engineer to join the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence group. You will coordinate with development contractors and stakeholders to verify space protection and I&W capabilities before deployment, ensuring tests meet user needs and system requirements.

As SME and SPO representative, you will lead test planning, perform verification testing, track discrepancies, and support transition to operations while aligning with program

Qualifications

• Experience in testing software systems for space or ground components.
• Familiarity with testing principles (functional, regression, integration, system).
• Knowledge of space mission operations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Completes validation testing to ensure software operates as expected.
• Oversees requirements verification testing and planning.
• Leads planning of enterprise System Test events.
• Identifies testing discrepancies and recommends fixes.
• Participates in refinement of requirements, designs, and testing capabilities.
• Assists in oversight of software development, deployment and operation.
• Represents the SPO during PI planning and related events.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

TestRail

Bugzilla

Confluence

Job description

Description

SAIC is seeking a Space Protection Software Test Engineer to join the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence Business Group providing systems engineering and technical advisory services to a Government Intelligence Community (IC) customer. The customer is developing the next generation of space and ground systems, architectures, and hardware and software solutions.

The Space Protection Software Test Engineer will serve as the subject matter expert (SME) and System Program Office (SPO) representative coordinating with the development contractor and stakeholders (including end user operators) for test verification of new space protection and Indications and Warning (I&W) capabilities prior to deployment into operations. The Space Protection Software Test Engineer collaborates within a team of mission-related SMEs to coordinate requirements/mission validation testing, support verification testing (and sell-off), identify/track discrepancies, and assist transition to operations activities.

The Space Protection Software Test Engineer responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Completes validation testing to ensure Space Protection and I&W software operate as expected in its intended environment and meets user expectations.
• Performs oversight, management, planning, and execution of requirements verification testing.
• Leads the planning and coordination efforts required to support designated enterprise System Test events.
• Identifies and reports software testing discrepancies, assesses their impacts, and makes recommendations on potential workarounds and fixes to ensure requirement verification.
• Participates in refinement of requirements, designs, and testing capabilities to meet user needs.
• Assists the SPO in providing oversight of software development, implementation, deployment, and operation of ground processing systems providing space protection capabilities.
• Represents the SPO during third-party software developer’s Program Increment (PI) planning, Pre-planning, Sprint Close-out, and Demonstration events providing SPO’s priorities for test events.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s and 9 or more years of experience; master’s and 7 or more years of experience; PhD and 5 or more years of experience in Computer Science, Engineering, Information systems, related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with Poly.
• Experience developing, testing, or fielding space software systems, either space or ground components.
• Hands-on experience using industry standard testing principles and methodologies (functional, regression, integration, system, UAT) for software testing and analysis.
• Familiarity with space mission operations, preferably at NRO.

Desired:

• Experience in space protection or space domain awareness systems, activities, or operations.
• Experience in developing automated integration tests.
• Experience with test management and use of defect tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, TestRail, Bugzilla, or similar).
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and tools (Confluence/Jira) to include participation in scrums, development of solution epics/features, and continuous integration/continuous deployment.
• Familiarity with NRO’s System’s Engineering Directorate (SED) and its Requirements Development/Management, RFC, and Lifecycle Readiness processes.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.