Software Systems Engineer

Job Description

SAIC is seeking a Software Systems Engineer to own full stack development and technical maturation of a government software prototype as it transitions from research/prototype status to a Program of Record (PoR) for our customer site in North Charleston, SC.

Job Duties:

• Resilient System Design: Develop distributed systems for secure, reliable operation in degraded, bandwidth-limited, and autonomous environments.
• Full-Stack Development: Build and maintain backend services, frontend applications, and infrastructure, hardening prototypes to meet DoD security, scalability, and operational standards.
• Data Security & Compliance: Implement secure data pipelines and protocols, ensure RMF compliance, support ATO accreditation, and follow secure development practices like container hardening and CI/CD security.
• Networking & Integration: Design segmented networks, real-time communications, hardware integration, and modular deployments for mission-critical applications.
• Operational & Mission Support: Create user-centric tools for tactical use, diagnostics, air-gapped provisioning, and deliver scalable, mission-aligned engineering solutions.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelors and five (5) years or more work experience; (4) four years of additional work experience accepted in lieu of degree.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Go, Python.
• Systems Integration Experience: Demonstrated ability to integrate heterogeneous hardware, communications links, containerized software services, and data pipelines into a unified, operationally deployable system. Preferably experience with multi-transport networking, pub/sub architectures, edge-to-cloud data federation, and API/protocol translation across diverse sensor or platform types.
• Active, hands-on use of AI development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar AI coding assistants) as part of daily engineering work.
• Practical experience with cybersecurity-conscious software engineering - secure coding practices, vulnerability remediation, container/infrastructure hardening, or similar.
• Experience taking prototype/research-grade code and maturing it into a production, supportable system.

Required Security Clearance:

• Must be a US Citizen, no clearance required to start but must be able to obtain and maintain an active Secret clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Direct experience supporting an ATO package (SSP development, control implementation, POA&M management, eMASS).
• Experience with containerization/orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipeline security.
• Familiarity with DoD software acquisition processes and prototype-to-Program-of-Record transitions.
• Experience with cloud environments (AWS GovCloud or similar) in an accredited/compliance-driven context.
• Prior experience in a DoD, IC, or other federal contracting environment.
• Proficiency with React and Rust.
• Familiarity with the general lifecycle of moving a system through security accreditation (RMF, ATO, or equivalent commercial/compliance frameworks), prior direct ATO experience is a strong plus but not mandatory.

About Us

SAIC® is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.


We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.