Senior Mission / 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. 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 U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance 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. Previously part of a leading Fortune 100 company and headquartered in Dulles, VA; Nightwing became independent in 2024 but continues to support the nation’s most mission impactful initiatives. When we formed Nightwing, we brought a deep set of credentials and an unfaltering commitment to the mission. For over four decades, our team has been providing some of the world’s most technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence support services to the U.S. government on its most important missions. At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we’ll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team.