Staff Engineer Jobs in Maryland
Staff Engineer jobs in Maryland are concentrated in the Baltimore metro, the Washington D.C. suburbs of Montgomery and Prince George's counties, and the Annapolis corridor, where federal contractors, defense primes, and technology firms keep consistent hiring volumes. Northrop Grumman, Leidos, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are among the most established employers of staff engineers in the state, with ongoing demand in systems engineering, software infrastructure, and embedded systems. The market sits at senior levels, with most openings expecting candidates who can lead technical direction across cross-functional teams. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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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.At the heart of Defining Possible is our commitment to missions. In rapidly changing global security environments, Northrop Grumman brings informed insights and software-secure technology to enable strategic planning. We’re looking for innovators who can help us keep building on our wide portfolio of secure, affordable, integrated, and multi-domain systems and technologies that fuel those missions. By joining in our shared mission, we’ll support yours of expanding your personal network and developing skills, whether you are new to the field, or an industry thought leader. At Northrop Grumman, you’ll have the resources, support, and team to do some of the best work of your career.
We are seeking a Senior Staff AI Systems Engineer to lead the architecture, development, and deployment of AI-enabled target recognition systems across multi-function RF sensors. In this role you will be a key contributor on a high performing team to implement end-to-end technical strategy, from data and model design through real-time deployment, with emphasis on performance, robustness, and mission reliability in contested environments. Come join us for this 100% on-site position from Linthicum, MD!
What You’ll Get To Do:
- Senior consultant for AI/ML target identification and classification for onboard real-time environments.
- Design and implement algorithms using machine learning and sensor fusion for multi-modal target recognition.
- Define data strategies including collection, labeling, simulation, synthetic data generation, domain adaptation, and data quality governance.
- Develop training and evaluation pipelines with rigorous performance metrics.
- Architect resilient real-time embedded solutions to execute within existing software architecture.
- Author technical specifications, interface control documents, and support HIL/SIL/flight/field test planning.
- Mentor engineers, lead design reviews, and guide technology maturation.
- Engage with customers and stakeholders to translate mission needs into technical roadmaps and executable milestones.
This position is contingent upon the successful transfer of an active U.S. Government Secret Clearance and the ability to obtain Special Program Access.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree with 14 years of experience, a master’s degree with 12 years of experience, or a PhD with 10 years of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or related technical fields; an additional 4 years may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- U.S Citizenship is required.
- A current/active U.S. Government Secret Clearance
- Ability to obtain Special Program Access (SAP)
- Experience in machine learning algorithms for automatic target recognition
- Experience deploying models to embedded multifunction radar platforms.
- Experience generating and incorporating synthetic data samples and using them to augment measured samples in a supervised and/or unsupervised training pipeline
- undefined
- Experience bridging the synthetic-to-real gap through data augmentation, transfer learning, adversarial training techniques, etc.
- Experience in software engineering skills in MATLAB, Python, C++11+, and/or Linux
- Experience with delivering real-time/mission-critical AI systems with clear performance ownership.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with SAR processing, GMTI/SMTI, STAP, ATR/AMTI, or RF signal classification.
- Knowledge of robustness and assurance methods including uncertainty estimation, calibration, out-of-distribution detection, and adversarial testing.
- Background in verification and validation for high-reliability systems and telemetry-driven monitoring.
- Understanding of autonomy stack integration, including navigation, planning, and tracking in contested environments.
- Active TS/SCI clearance
Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment which encourages your growth and supports the mutual success of our people and our company. Northrop Grumman benefits give you the flexibility and control to choose the benefits that make the most sense for you and your family.
Your benefits will include the following: Health Plan, Savings Plan, Paid Time Off and Additional Benefits including Education Assistance, Training and Development, 9/80 Work Schedule (where available), and much more!
Northrop Grumman has approximately 90,000 employees in all 50 states and in more than 27 countries. We strive to attract and retain the best employees by providing an inclusive work environment wherein employees are receptive to diverse ideas, perspectives, and talents to help solve our toughest customer challenges: to develop and maintain some of the most technically sophisticated products, programs, and services in the world.
Our Values. The women and men of Northrop Grumman Corporation are guided by Our Values. They describe our company as we want it to be. We want our decisions and actions to demonstrate these Values. We believe that putting Our Values into practice creates long-term benefits for shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and the communities we serve.
Our Responsibility. At Northrop Grumman, we are committed to maintaining the highest of ethical standards, embracing diversity and inclusion, protecting the environment, and striving to be an ideal corporate citizen in the community and in the world.
See All 123+ Staff Engineer Jobs in Maryland
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Find Staff Engineer JobsStaff Engineer Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Engineer Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Northrop Grumman29

- GEICO27

- Lockheed Martin17

- Xometry4

- Baltimore Aircoil Company4

Top Industries Hiring
- Insurance12
- Consulting & Professional Services3
- Technology & Software2
- Electronics & Hardware1
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff engineer jobs across Maryland.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, computer science, or a closely related technical field
- Seven or more years of progressively complex engineering experience including technical leadership
- Demonstrated expertise in systems engineering, software architecture, or embedded development
- Active or obtainable U.S. security clearance, preferred by many Maryland defense and federal contractors
- Experience mentoring junior and mid-level engineers and influencing organization-wide technical standards
- Proficiency with engineering tools and practices relevant to the team's domain such as CI/CD, MBSE, or cloud platforms
Staff Engineer Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff engineer in Maryland?
Becoming a staff engineer in Maryland typically requires a bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science followed by years of progressive technical experience until you can demonstrate senior-level ownership and cross-team influence. Maryland does not issue a state license specific to the staff engineer title, though engineers practicing in regulated disciplines such as civil or structural engineering must hold a Professional Engineer license through the Maryland Board for Professional Engineers. Most staff engineer roles in the state are reached through internal promotion or by moving laterally from a senior engineer role at a defense contractor, federal agency, or technology company.
Which companies hire staff engineers in Maryland?
Companies currently hiring staff engineers in Maryland include Northrop Grumman, GEICO, and Lockheed Martin, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Maryland's concentration of federal contractors and defense primes means many openings require or prefer candidates with an active security clearance.
Which Maryland cities have the most staff engineer jobs?
Bethesda, Baltimore, and Elkridge account for the largest share of staff engineer openings in Maryland. The Baltimore and D.C.-suburb markets drive most of the volume, anchored by large defense contractors, federal agencies, and research institutions like Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, which alone generates a steady stream of senior technical roles in systems and software engineering.
Are there remote staff engineer jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than many technical roles, because staff engineering is largely architecture, code review, and cross-team collaboration rather than hands-on physical work. About 65% of staff engineer openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though roles at defense contractors and federal agencies more often require on-site presence due to security requirements. The most remote-friendly openings tend to be at software and cloud-focused companies rather than government-adjacent employers.
How can I get hired as a staff engineer in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is to enter at a senior software engineer or systems engineer level and build the leadership record that Maryland employers use to evaluate staff-level candidates. Leidos, Northrop Grumman, and SAIC all run associate and new-graduate engineering programs in Maryland that place candidates in structured rotations where mentorship and clearance sponsorship are built in. Earning a Professional Engineer license through the Maryland Board for Professional Engineers, or building a visible portfolio of architecture decisions and open-source contributions, materially strengthens a promotion case for candidates who are still accumulating years of experience.
Where can I find and apply to staff engineer jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to staff engineer jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current Maryland openings in one place. Search the roles that match your background and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 123+ Staff Engineer Jobs in Maryland
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