Data Engineer

BAE Systems•McLean, VA

6d•$132,962 - $226,035•Onsite

About The Position

BAE Systems is hiring a Data Engineer to provide technical leadership in its Chief Innovation Strategy Organization (CSO), based in McLean, Virginia. The role focuses on data science and engineering in an AI-centric software environment, with responsibility for designing and delivering end-to-end data architectures and high-visibility systems. The engineer will work with varied structured and unstructured data, data lakes, cloud-deployed databases, AI/ML services, and agentic systems, while developing frameworks that support reliable data and useful insights. The position also involves engaging with stakeholders, shaping technical pathways, and mentoring other engineers. The successful candidate will contribute to a multidisciplinary engineering organization developing capabilities for customers and internal use. They will help define technical requirements and assess feasibility for new initiatives, improve application performance and deployment processes, and maintain architectural quality across projects. The role is onsite in McLean, VA, with flexible work and time options and occasional travel to BAE Systems sites, partner facilities, and stakeholder meetings. It reports to the Sr. Director, Capability Development.

Requirements

2–5 years of professional software development experience.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent practical experience is also mentioned as a plus in the education description.
Leadership experience with database systems, modern data lakes, and cloud-deployed data ontologies.
Understanding of data science and interest in using data to deliver insights and intelligence.
Demonstrated success working on technical teams, partnering with research or product stakeholders, and helping develop other engineers.
Expertise in multiple programming languages, such as Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, Java, or C++.
Experience or understanding of microservices architecture, cloud-to-embedded systems, and distributed systems design.
Understanding of containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes, Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform and Ansible, and enterprise-grade CI/CD pipelines.
Ability to design for accreditation and deployment.
A record of delivering viable systems from start to finish and adapting to changing tools and frameworks.
Experience executing rapid-cycle R&D in defense, aerospace, advanced prototyping, or adjacent mission areas.
Experience with AI/ML frameworks and human-machine teaming.
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Onsite work in McLean, VA; occasional travel to other BAE Systems sites, partner facilities, and stakeholder meetings.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
TS/SCI security clearance.
Deep fluency in at least two of the following: Software Engineering, AI Harness Engineering, Cybersecurity, Systems Engineering, or Hardware/Firmware/Embedded Systems.
Routine use of AI-assisted development tools and LLMs to optimize architecture, automate testing, and accelerate delivery.
Proactive exploration of technology stacks and industry advancements.

Responsibilities

Design and implement end-to-end data environments, including ontology frameworks that account for varied data types and arrival rates and support analytical and delivered-data needs.
Improve application performance, streamline deployment, and implement robust data ETL frameworks.
Collaborate with Principal Investigators, strategists, and technical leadership to scope requirements, evaluate feasibility, and architect solutions for new initiatives.
Mentor junior data engineers in AI-native engineering practices, modern workflows, and clean-code principles.
Troubleshoot complex production bottlenecks and ensure architectural consistency across multi-domain projects.
Provide technical leadership in data lake and cloud database design and implementation, complex data designs for AI/ML service integration and agentic systems, and AI-oriented data controls, proxy configuration, and security design.
Lead high-impact technical initiatives, define technical pathways, and contribute to the development of other engineers.