Senior Systems Engineer

Vacancy Detail View vacancy list Senior System Engineer Role: Senior System Engineer Location: Fairfax, VA or Denver, CO Salary: $160,000 - $220,000 + Exceptional Benefits (Total Compensation up to $330,000) Clearance: Active TS/SCI (CI poly preferred) Benefits Employer-funded 401(k) contribution worth 25% of base salaryFlexible benefits allowance worth 25% of base salary (take as benefits or additional compensation)8 weeks PTOMedical, Dental & Vision coverageLife Insurance100% tuition reimbursement (Degrees, Certifications & Professional Development)Flexible working hoursLong-term, mission-critical programs supporting the US Intelligence Community Are you a senior Systems Engineer with deep experience across Linux, cloud-native technologies and software-driven systems within the Intelligence Community? We are supporting a specialist national security technology organisation looking to add a Senior Systems Engineer to its team in Fairfax, VA. This is a highly technical position for someone who can work across systems and software engineering, helping shape and modernise complex mission-critical environments. You'll work closely with developers and customers to solve technical challenges, improve system architecture and support the adoption of modern cloud-native and DevSecOps technologies. The environment includes an operationally supported container orchestration platform used across multiple government sites, enabling CI/CD and Continuous Operations. What you'll be doing Work with software and ground-processing teams to solve complex systems engineering challengesHelp modernise existing systems through containerisation, Kubernetes and modern deployment techniquesEvaluate architectures and conduct technical trade studies to improve system resiliencyDevelop prototypes and technical solutionsWork across Linux and cloud-native environmentsSupport DevSecOps, CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code initiativesDefine and document system architectures, interfaces, CONOPs and technical plansCollaborate directly with developers and Intelligence Community customersUse Jira and Confluence to manage technical roadmaps and engineering activity The underlying position specifically covers Kubernetes-based modernisation, architecture resiliency, prototyping and detailed systems documentation. What we're looking for Active TS/SCI clearance15+ years of relevant technical experienceBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related disciplineStrong technical Systems Engineering backgroundStrong Linux systems experienceExperience with cloud-native technologies and architecturesPrevious experience supporting an Intelligence Community customerStrong understanding of software engineering and modern software architecturesAbility to operate independently within complex technical environmentsStrong communication skills and confidence working directly with technical teams and customers Desirable Active CI PolyMaster's degree in a relevant technical disciplineSoftware Engineering backgroundKubernetes, Docker, Helm and container orchestrationDevSecOps and CI/CDAnsible, Terraform or PuppetPython, Bash, Go or similar scripting/programming languagesPrometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack or OpenSearchNRO ground systems experienceSIGINT experiencePKI, container security and zero-trust principles These technologies and domain areas align closely with the desired experience for the position. This is best suited to a Senior Systems Engineer, Principal Systems Engineer, Technical Systems Engineer or Systems Architect who has remained technically hands-on and wants to work on complex, mission-focused systems rather than move into purely managerial or programme-level work. Interested? Apply or get in touch for a confidential conversation. Keywords Senior Systems Engineer, Principal Systems Engineer, Cleared Systems Engineer, TS/SCI Systems Engineer, Top Secret Systems Engineer, Systems Architect, Technical Systems Engineer, Linux Systems Engineer, Cloud Systems Engineer, Software Systems Engineer, Systems Engineering, Linux, Cloud Native, Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, DevSecOps, CI/CD, Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Python, Bash, Go, Containerization, Container Orchestration, Infrastructure as Code, IaC, Systems Architecture, Ground Systems, Ground Processing Systems, NRO, SIGINT, Intelligence Community, IC, National Security, Government Contractor, Cleared Jobs, Security Clearance Jobs, TS/SCI Clearance, CI Poly, Fairfax VA, Northern Virginia, NOVA Location: Fairfax, Virginia | Salary: $160000 - $220000 per year | Job type: Permanent | Posted: 19/08/2026 Apply for this Vacancy View vacancy list