Systems Integration Engineer

Markent Personnel; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Top Echelon LLC in Germantown, MD is seeking a Systems Integration Engineer to own the integration, testing, and troubleshooting of EO/IR payloads within customer platforms. You will serve as the technical bridge between engineering teams, U.S.-based customers, and prime contractors in a hands-on, high-visibility role.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 3+ years of experience in systems engineering, integration, or field engineering, with 35% annual travel and initial

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer).
• 3+ years in systems engineering, integration, test engineering, or field engineering.
• Hands-on experience with system-level integration and troubleshooting.
• Experience with government/defense customers.
• Prior customer-facing technical role (Field Engineer, Systems Integrator, Solutions Engineer).
• Travel readiness and ability to train internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead System & Payload Integration across customer platforms.
• Perform troubleshooting and root-cause analysis at component, subsystem, or interface level.
• Hardware & hands-on work: assembly, wiring, and harness validation.
• Software & SDK integration support between payloads and customer systems.
• Execute defined test procedures and system validation.
• Collaborate with customers and internal teams; provide training and documentation.
• Coordinate international travel for onboarding and support.

Skills

Customer-facing

Systems engineering

Integration

Troubleshooting

Hardware interfaces

Software integrations

Field engineering

Root cause analysis

Travel readiness

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer)

Tools

Test equipment

SDKs

Job description

Systems Integration Engineer

Location: Germantown, MD (On-site with 35% travel & some international travel)

Salary: $110,000 - $135,000 + Annual Bonus

Overview

Seeking acustomer-facing Applications/Integration Engineer to own theintegration, testing, and troubleshooting of EO/IR payloads within customer platforms. This role serves as thetechnical bridge between the engineering teams, U.S.-based customers, and prime contractors.

Will be responsible forend-to-end system integration, working acrosshardware, software, and mechanical interfaces, and will act as the primary technical point of contact during integrations, deployments, and field support.

This is a hands-on, high-visibility role requiring strongsystems thinking, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues in real-world customer environments.

Core Requirements

• Must have Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer Engineering)
• 3+ years of experience in systems engineering, integration, test engineering, or field engineering roles
• Hands-on experience with system-level integration and troubleshooting
• Experience working with government, defense, or security customers
• Prior customer-facing technical role (Field Engineer, Systems Integrator, Solutions Engineer)
• Ability to operate without detailed manuals in dynamic environments
• Strong root cause analysis and problem-solving skills
• Ability to travel 35% annually based upon needs, with 2-3 weeks of initial training internationally
• Experience working with integrated hardware systems (components, subsystems, payloads, or platforms)
• Electrical wiring, connectors, and harnesses
• Power distribution and signal flow
• Mechanical interfaces and physical integration
• Comfort performing assembly/disassembly and field diagnostics
• Experience supporting software-enabled systems or SDK-based integrations
• Understanding of communication protocols, data/message flow, and system interfaces
• Experience in troubleshooting software issues related to upgrades or configuration
• Experience executing or supporting test procedures and system validation

  Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with EO/IR, ISR, radar, sensor, UAV, or defense systems
  • Experience supporting international engineering teams
  • Familiarity with UAV, maritime, vehicle, or other surveillance platforms

  Key Responsibilities

  System & Payload Integration

  • Lead integration of EO/IR payloads into customer platforms
  • Understand and validatepayload-to-platform interfaces, including power, data, mechanical, and communication protocols
  • Support both prime and sub-contractor integration scenarios
  • Translating customer system requirements into actionable technical execution

  Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis

  • Performsystem-level troubleshooting to identify whether issues originate at the component, subsystem, or interface level
  • Analyze test outputs, logs, and data to determine root cause and corrective actions
  • Decide whether issues require:
  • Component replacement
  • Subsystem removal
  • Escalation to engineering teams
  • Support rapid issue resolution during factory testing, integration testing, and field deployments

  Hardware & Hands-On Technical Work

  • Perform assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of payloads and integrated systems
  • Trace electrical wiring, connectors, and harnesses to isolate faults
  • Validate proper power delivery, signal flow, and mechanical connections
  • Support physical inspections and system validation at customer sites

  Software & SDK Integration Support

  • Support software and SDK-based integrations between payloads and customer systems
  • Troubleshoot communication issues, data/message flow, and integration mismatches
  • Work with software engineers to resolve bugs related to upgrades, versioning, or configuration
  • Interpret logs and error messages to support integration debugging

  Testing & Validation

  • Execute and support defined test procedures for payloads and integrated systems
  • Support software and SDK-based integrations between payloads and customer systems
  • Troubleshoot communication issues, data/message flow, and integration mismatches
  • Work with software engineers to resolve bugs related to upgrades, versioning, or configuration
  • Interpret logs and error messages to support integration debugging

  Customer & Internal Collaboration

  • Serve as theprimary technical interface with customers during integrations
  • Clearly explain technical issues, risks, and resolutions to non-specialist stakeholders
  • Coordinate closely with engineering teams in Israel and U.S. program stakeholders
  • Support training, documentation, and knowledge transfer activities

  Personal Attributes for Success

  • Self-starter with strong initiative and an ownership mindset
  • Comfortable wearing multiple hats in a fast-moving environment
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to build trust with customers and internal stakeholders
  • Adaptable, curious, and motivated to deeply understand complex systems

  Training & Travel

  • Initial onboarding and technical training in Israel (2-3 weeks)
  • Ongoing collaboration with international engineering teams
  • Periodic international and domestic travel for customer support and training (40% annual average)