Systems Development Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC
Systems Development Engineer jobs in Washington, District of Columbia are concentrated in the Capitol Hill corridor, the Navy Yard area, and Tysons Corner, driven by federal agencies, defense contractors, and cloud infrastructure firms. Employers hiring right now include MTSI, Anduril, and MANTECH. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job ID: 2619018
Location: Washington, DC, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-12
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 25% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_HYBRID
Description
SAIC supports the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) in ensuring the defense acquisition community has the research and engineering capabilities required to define, develop, test, operate, and sustain defense systems across the acquisition life cycle. OUSW R&E develops and implements policy, builds workforce capability and capacity, and provides technical engagement with DoW Components, industry, and academia to shape the future of research and engineering.
SAIC is seeking a motivated, mid-career System Safety Engineer (SSE) to support Specialty Engineering initiatives under the guidance of senior engineers. This role supports the Director for Specialty Engineering within OUSW R&E and is intended for candidates with foundational System Safety Engineering experience in a defense environment. A successful candidate will work as part of a team analyzing defense systems to identify hazards, categorize risk, and recommend mitigation to reduce the probability/severity of a mishap resulting in injury to personnel, equipment damage, and/or damage to the environment. Candidates with experience supporting Joint Services Weapon Safety Review Boards are highly preferred. Candidates will use their expertise to develop and update DoW safety documentation (e.g., System Safety Management Plan), policies & guidance (e.g., Machine Learning System Safety Engineering Guide), and training material.
Specialty Engineering Support
- Assist with SSE reviews, updates, and configuration control activities
- Apply SSE best practices in support of DoW Specialty Engineering initiatives
- Support implementation of SSE best practices through development of SSE artifacts and supporting documentation
- Assist senior engineers in documenting System Safety Engineering processes, workflows, and lessons learned
- Help prepare materials that support System Safety Engineering adoption, including briefings and examples
- Participate in SSE Communities of Practice and Working Groups
- Support preparation of technical inputs to data calls, briefings, articles, and reports for government stakeholders
- Work with multidisciplinary teams to communicate technical concepts using models and visualizations
- Assist senior staff in coordinating across government and contractor teams as needed
Qualifications
Bachelor's and nine years or more experience; Master's and seven years or more experience; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.
- U.S. citizenship
- Active SECRET clearance
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline
- 10 years of experience in systems safety engineering
- Demonstrated experience using SSE methodologies and tools
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Clear written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to diverse audiences
- Current, active Secret clearance required
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with senior leadership in high-pressure environments, presenting analytical results and actionable recommendations
- Exposure to advanced Systems Safety Engineering concepts, practices, or coursework such as SSE issues with use of AI/ML within weapons systems
- Experience supporting DoW working groups, technical interchange meetings, or program reviews
Target salary range: $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
Job ID: 2619018
Location: Washington, DC, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-12
Category: Engineering and Sciences
Subcategory: Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 25% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: None
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_HYBRID
Description
SAIC supports the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) in ensuring the defense acquisition community has the research and engineering capabilities required to define, develop, test, operate, and sustain defense systems across the acquisition life cycle. OUSW R&E develops and implements policy, builds workforce capability and capacity, and provides technical engagement with DoW Components, industry, and academia to shape the future of research and engineering.
SAIC is seeking a motivated, mid-career System Safety Engineer (SSE) to support Specialty Engineering initiatives under the guidance of senior engineers. This role supports the Director for Specialty Engineering within OUSW R&E and is intended for candidates with foundational System Safety Engineering experience in a defense environment. A successful candidate will work as part of a team analyzing defense systems to identify hazards, categorize risk, and recommend mitigation to reduce the probability/severity of a mishap resulting in injury to personnel, equipment damage, and/or damage to the environment. Candidates with experience supporting Joint Services Weapon Safety Review Boards are highly preferred. Candidates will use their expertise to develop and update DoW safety documentation (e.g., System Safety Management Plan), policies & guidance (e.g., Machine Learning System Safety Engineering Guide), and training material.
Specialty Engineering Support
- Assist with SSE reviews, updates, and configuration control activities
- Apply SSE best practices in support of DoW Specialty Engineering initiatives
- Support implementation of SSE best practices through development of SSE artifacts and supporting documentation
- Assist senior engineers in documenting System Safety Engineering processes, workflows, and lessons learned
- Help prepare materials that support System Safety Engineering adoption, including briefings and examples
- Participate in SSE Communities of Practice and Working Groups
- Support preparation of technical inputs to data calls, briefings, articles, and reports for government stakeholders
- Work with multidisciplinary teams to communicate technical concepts using models and visualizations
- Assist senior staff in coordinating across government and contractor teams as needed
Qualifications
Bachelor's and nine years or more experience; Master's and seven years or more experience; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.
- U.S. citizenship
- Active SECRET clearance
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline
- 10 years of experience in systems safety engineering
- Demonstrated experience using SSE methodologies and tools
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Clear written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to diverse audiences
- Current, active Secret clearance required
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with senior leadership in high-pressure environments, presenting analytical results and actionable recommendations
- Exposure to advanced Systems Safety Engineering concepts, practices, or coursework such as SSE issues with use of AI/ML within weapons systems
- Experience supporting DoW working groups, technical interchange meetings, or program reviews
Target salary range: $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
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Find JobsSystems Development Engineer Job Market in Washington
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Aerospace & Defense
Systems Development Engineer Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a systems development engineer job in Washington?
Focus your search on Washington's dominant hiring sectors: federal IT contracting, defense and intelligence agencies, and the cloud and cybersecurity firms that support them. Roles concentrate near the Capitol Hill corridor, Navy Yard, and the Tysons Corner tech cluster in Northern Virginia. Candidates with active security clearances or experience on government cloud infrastructure have a meaningful edge in this market over generalist applicants.
Which companies hire systems development engineers in Washington?
Employers hiring systems development engineers in Washington right now include MTSI, Anduril, and MANTECH, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's hiring base leans heavily toward large federal contractors, defense-adjacent technology firms, and agencies with substantial internal engineering teams.
Are there remote systems development engineer jobs in Washington?
Yes, though availability depends on the role. Systems development engineering often involves infrastructure, automation, and platform work that can be done remotely, making it more remote-compatible than hands-on hardware roles. About 68% of systems development engineer openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of November 2026. Platform engineering and DevOps-focused positions within Washington's contractor ecosystem tend to offer the most remote flexibility.
How can I get a systems development engineer job in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Washington is through federal contractor internship programs and junior IT roles at mid-size contractors that staff government programs. Entry-level positions such as systems administrator, junior DevOps engineer, or cloud support associate are common stepping stones with Washington employers. Obtaining foundational certifications like AWS Cloud Practitioner or CompTIA Security+ and expressing willingness to pursue a security clearance significantly improves your candidacy with local firms.
Which industries hire the most systems development engineers in Washington?
The sectors hiring the most systems development engineers in Washington are Education and Aerospace & Defense, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's unique concentration of federal agencies and the contractors that support them makes government technology and national security the dominant drivers of local demand for this role.
Related Jobs in District of Columbia
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