System Engineer (All Levels)

Adaptic; Maryland; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Adaptic seeks Systems Engineers to design, integrate, and evolve architectures powering mission success. You will work across the full lifecycle—from requirements to deployment—across DoD and IC environments, tackling complex problems and guiding systems that operate at scale.

Roles span early career to senior, with opportunities to lead design and integration efforts, coordinate with stakeholders, and deliver architecture artifacts while ensuring robust system performance and evolution.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with polygraph is required.
• Experience in systems engineering, system integration, or related technical roles.
• Understanding of system architecture, requirements development, and integration processes.
• Experience working across hardware, software, and networked systems.
• Strong problem solving and ability to analyze complex challenges.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly across teams and stakeholders.
• A degree in Systems Engineering or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

• Analyze user needs, CONOPS, and system architectures to define and refine requirements.
• Translate requirements into scalable system designs and technical solutions.
• Support or lead system design, development, and integration efforts.
• Guide trade‑offs across hardware, software, and architecture components.
• Integrate COTS/GOTS solutions into end‑to‑end systems.
• Develop architecture artifacts (diagrams, data flows, interface definitions).
• Support system integration, test planning, and validation activities.
• Contribute to system engineering documentation (requirements, designs, test plans).
• Collaborate with software engineers, system admins, and mission stakeholders.
• Identify risks, resolve technical issues, and support performance improvements.
• Assist deployment activities and provide guidance to operators and users.
• Engage with government stakeholders and program leadership on technical evolution.

Skills

TS/SCI with polygraph

Systems engineering

Requirements analysis

System integration

Trade-off analysis

COTS/GOTS integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering or related field

Tools

SysML

UML

Job description

Design the Systems That Drive the Mission: Join us as a Systems Engineer!

At Adaptic, our Systems Engineers don\u2019t just support systems—they design, integrate, and evolve the architectures that power mission success. Working across the DoD and Intelligence Community, you\u2019ll help bring complex capabilities to life from concept through deployment.

Whether you\u2019re early in your career or leading system architecture and integration efforts, we\u2019re looking for Systems Engineers at all levels who enjoy solving complex problems, working across disciplines, and building systems that matter.

Your Impact

You\u2019ll work across the full systems engineering lifecycle—requirements, design, integration, testing, and deployment—supporting solutions that operate at scale in high-stakes environments. Day-to-day, that can look like:

• Analyzing user needs, CONOPS, and system architectures to define and refine system requirements

• Translating requirements into scalable system designs and technical solutions

• Supporting or leading system design, development, and integration efforts

• Guiding trade‑off decisions across hardware, software, and architecture components

• Integrating COTS/GOTS solutions into complex, end‑to‑end systems

• Developing system architecture artifacts (e.g., diagrams, data flows, interface definitions)

• Supporting system integration, test planning, and validation activities

• Contributing to system engineering documentation (e.g., requirements, design, test plans)

• Collaborating with software engineers, system administrators, and mission stakeholders

• Identifying risks, resolving technical issues, and supporting system performance improvements

• Supporting deployment activities and providing technical guidance to operators and users

• Engaging with government stakeholders and program leadership on technical decisions and system evolution

Qualifications

• All positions require an active TS/SCI with polygraph

• Experience in systems engineering, system integration, or related technical roles

• Understanding of system architecture, requirements development, and integration processes

• Experience working across hardware, software, and networked systems

• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to analyze complex technical challenges

• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly across teams and stakeholders

• A degree in Systems Engineering or a related technical field (or equivalent experience)

Nice to Have

• Experience with system‑of‑systems integration or large‑scale distributed environments

• Familiarity with architecture frameworks, modeling, or systems engineering methodologies

• Experience with COTS/GOTS integration and evaluation

• Exposure to cloud, DevOps, or modern infrastructure environments

• Experience supporting mission or operational environments within the IC/DoD