Software Design Engineer Jobs in Baltimore, MD
Software Design Engineer jobs in Baltimore are in strong demand, concentrated in the Inner Harbor tech corridor, Harbor East, and the emerging Port Covington development, with openings across defense contracting, cybersecurity, and health IT. Employers hiring right now include Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Health System, and Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Missions Systems is seeking experienced RF engineers in the following areas: Antennas, Electromagnetics, Computational Electromagnetics, RF/Microwave design, Digital beamforming, Hardware/Subsystem Integration and Test, and Antenna Control Design.
The qualified candidate will work with a diverse and talented team of engineers developing innovative and cost-effective systems that support a broad range of products and business areas across the lifecycle of a program. Applicants should possess the ability to communicate effectively and clearly present technical approaches and findings.
What you'll get to do:
Responsibilities may include testing and troubleshooting Line Replacement Modules (LRM) and Circuit Card Assemblies (CCA) of RF architecture, recommend data driven requirements threshold adjustments, perform subsystem analysis including hardware from RF to digits, support for performance testing, requirements verification, and more.
Experienced applicants will have at least a bachelor’s degree in science or other related technical degree or have equivalent experience testing and troubleshooting, integration, designing, developing and/or testing radio frequency (RF) with or without digital. Candidates would have the ability to troubleshoot complex problems which require the regular use of ingenuity and creativity.
In addition, this candidate should have demonstrated technical ability/leadership and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- RF and/or digital hardware test and/or troubleshooting
- Troubleshot electronic equipment to the component level.
- Integrated Receiver Exciter Assemblies (IREX)
- Highly integrated subsystems including receiver exciter hardware
- RF Performance Analysis
- Computational Electromagnetics, Statistics
- Subsystem Control Design
- RF Measurements and Data Reduction
- Integration and test of RF assemblies
- Subsystem requirements (hardware and software) derivation, flow-down, and configuration
- Comfortable creating test support applications and tools using MATLAB, python, etc.
- Experience with Atlassian Tool Suite, Git
- Active Interim Secret or higher clearance.
This role is contingent upon candidates having a current, active Government Secret Clearance.
Basic Qualification for Engineer:
- Bachelors Degree in Engineering or related discipline with 2 years of experience in the areas described in the job description above. 0 years of experience with a Masters Degree. An additional 4 years of experience is acceptable in lieu of a degree.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- A current, active Government Secret clearance is required
- Demonstrate problem solving skills to a variety of RF/Microwave design and test related problems of increasing scope and complexity as assigned
- Proven knowledge of electrical engineering, design software and equipment
- Expertise Testing and Troubleshooting in a Manufacturing Environment
- Experience troubleshooting RF hardware/subsystems
Basic Qualifications for Principal Engineer:
- Bachelors Degree in Engineering or related discipline with 5 years of experience in the areas described in the job description above. 3 years of experience with a Masters Degree. An additional 4 years of experience is acceptable in lieu of a degree.
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- A current, active Government Secret clearance is required
- Expertise Testing and Troubleshooting in a Manufacturing Environment
- Demonstrate problem solving skills to a variety of RF/Microwave design and test related problems of increasing scope and complexity as assigned
- Proven knowledge of electrical engineering, design software and equipment
- Expertise with troubleshooting RF hardware/subsystems
Preferred Qualifications
- Current Active DoD Secret Clearance.
- Experience Testing, Troubleshooting or designing RF hardware/subsystems
- Troubleshot electronic equipment to the component level.
- Experience with RF lab test equipment: signal generator, oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, etc.
- Hands on experience in at least one type of these test set: Common RF Test Set (CRFTS), LM-STAR, Hiller Test sets, Phase Noise Test sets and consoles
- Experience troubleshooting and resolving HW/SW integration problems
- Experience with using or developing software to control hardware (such as MATE or AMAX)
- Experience with test scripting, data analysis, and/or signal processing
- Experience mentoring other design and/or RF test engineers
See All 37 Software Design Engineer Jobs in Baltimore
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Find Software Design Engineer JobsSoftware Design Engineer Job Market in Baltimore
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman8

- Johns Hopkins Health System5

- Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP5

- ST Engineering2

- Quanta Services2
Top Industries Hiring
- Education2
- Construction & Real Estate2
- Consulting & Professional Services2
- Retail1
- Manufacturing1
Software Design Engineer Jobs in Baltimore: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a software design engineer job in Baltimore?
Baltimore's strongest hiring comes from its defense and intelligence contracting ecosystem, health IT firms tied to institutions like Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Medical System, and cybersecurity companies concentrated in the Baltimore-Columbia-Annapolis corridor. Candidates who hold active security clearances or have embedded systems experience stand out locally. Targeting mid-size government contractors in the I-95 and BWI corridor alongside downtown health tech firms gives you the most realistic pipeline.
Which companies hire software design engineers in Baltimore?
Baltimore software design engineer roles are posted by Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Health System, and Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Baltimore's employer base skews toward defense primes, federal IT contractors, and hospital-affiliated technology groups rather than pure consumer software companies.
Are there remote software design engineer jobs in Baltimore?
Yes, though roles with hardware integration or on-site lab requirements tend to be in-person. About 71% of software design engineer openings tied to Baltimore are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, with most flexibility concentrated in application-layer and cloud-focused positions. Defense-cleared roles in the Baltimore area most often require at least partial on-site presence at a government facility.
How can I get a software design engineer job in Baltimore with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Baltimore is through junior engineering or associate systems engineer roles at mid-size federal contractors, many of which operate near the BWI Tech Park and Fort Meade corridor and actively hire early-career candidates willing to pursue a security clearance. Baltimore's health IT sector, including vendors supporting Hopkins and Mercy Health, also hires junior developers into design-adjacent roles. A portfolio demonstrating embedded or systems-level work and any clearance eligibility gives candidates a concrete local edge.
Which industries hire the most software design engineers in Baltimore?
Most software design engineer openings in Baltimore sit in Education, Construction & Real Estate, and Consulting & Professional Services, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Baltimore's proximity to federal agencies, major hospital systems, and the NSA campus in nearby Fort Meade makes defense, health IT, and cybersecurity the dominant drivers of local engineering hiring.
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