Systems Engineer

Position Overview
Cadence Coalition LLC is seeking a Systems Engineer (Intermediate / Level II) to support the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Emerging Technology Directorate under the Services for Technology Engineering and Knowledge Management Modernization (STEaKMM) effort.
The selected candidate will act as a lead technical engineer, executing systems integration testing and supporting assessments, evaluations, pilots, and transitions of emerging technologies for potential DoD use.
Primary Responsibilities
• Serve as lead technical engineer, independently or with minimal oversight, to execute systems integration and testing activities.
• Assess emerging technologies for maturity, scalability, security, suitability, and DoD deployment feasibility.
• Develop engineering evaluations, system architecture diagrams, integration plans, technical reports, and supporting briefings.
• Assist with setting up, configuring, deploying, and testing technologies in test and production-like environments.
• Develop operational use cases, test plans, measures of success, and evaluation reports.
• Conduct security assessments and vulnerability scanning, and prepare the documentation needed for Authorization to Operate (ATO) and technology transition decisions, including System Security Plans, ports and protocols documents, and scan results.
• Coordinate technical requirements, engineering findings, and integration risks with Government stakeholders.
• Produce Technology Assessment Reports covering maturity, usability, security, scalability, DoD deployments, cost model, market research, problem space, Technology Readiness Level (TRL), architectural view, and system integration plan.
• Develop pilot architectures, bills of materials (hardware and software licensing), pilot plans, and post-pilot findings, and brief results to Government leadership and the Authorizing Official.
• Support transition of successful pilots to operational stakeholders, including transition plans, system design documents, configuration and risk management plans, operational readiness reviews, and technical exchanges.
• Maintain the Technology Watchlist of emerging technologies, with qualitative maturity, impact, and strategic-relevance ratings.
Required Qualifications
• Minimum six (6) years of systems engineering, integration, and testing experience, including at least five (5) years of Department of Defense (DoD) experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field. Four (4) years of specialized experience beyond the six (6) required may be substituted for the degree.
• Active DoD Secret security clearance.
• Ability to perform system integration testing independently or with minimal oversight.
Security and Certification Requirements
• U.S. citizenship and an active, final DoD Secret clearance with a favorably adjudicated Tier 3 investigation (or Continuous Evaluation enrollment current within five years, reflected in DISS) at the start of performance.
• Must currently hold, at minimum, a DoD 8140 Basic proficiency level certification for the DCWF work role aligned to assigned privileged-access duties (for example, 451 System Administrator for TAC lab deployment work) and keep it current.
• Must be able to comply with DISA information-security, CUI-handling, and personnel access requirements, including signing a DISA Non-Disclosure Agreement and completing DISA initial and annual mandatory security training.
Work Location and Schedule
• Primary place of performance is DISA Headquarters at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
• Work supports DISA technology engineering and/or knowledge management requirements; onsite access is subject to Government facility and seating arrangements.
• Hybrid schedule with daily Monday through Friday on-site coverage at DISA, 6914 Cooper Avenue, Fort Meade, and core hours of 0900 to 1500 ET; the on-site/telework balance is set by the Government COR and may change with mission needs.
• Occasional local and CONUS travel may be required, with written COR approval in advance.
• Key personnel are required to be onboard at the beginning of the period of performance.
Preferred Qualifications
• Hands-on experience evaluating or piloting emerging technologies within DoD environments.
• Experience producing technical architectures, technology-readiness assessments, test artifacts, or ATO-support documentation.
• Experience applying a repeatable technology evaluation methodology and the DoD Risk Management Framework (DoDI 8510.01).
Application Requirements
Applicants should submit a current resume clearly identifying:
• Bachelor’s degree (or qualifying experience substitution) and at least six years of relevant experience, including five years of DoD experience.
• Experience leading systems engineering and integration testing.
• Current active Secret clearance status and availability to work at Fort Meade.
• DoD 8140 certification details for each certification held: certification type, certification number, expiration date, and certification provider.
• Willingness to be named as key personnel in Cadence Coalition’s proposal and to sign a letter of commitment.
About Cadence Coalition
Cadence Coalition LLC provides information technology, cybersecurity, software engineering, intelligence, mission support, training, and emerging-technology solutions to federal and defense customers.
Cadence Coalition LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.