Senior Software Test Engineer (Flight Safety Systems)

Peraton•Fort Belvoir, VA

1d•$135,000 - $216,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Software Test Engineer supporting Flight Safety (FS) systems within a national security space mission environment, you will be responsible for testing, validating, and integrating mission-critical software tools used to perform Flight Safety operations. You will ensure system reliability and operational readiness for tools that support conjunction assessment (CA), space object tracking, and ground threat deconfliction analysis. In this role, you will serve as a technical SME focused on test planning, system validation, integration testing, and operational verification of FS software tools used in 24/7 operations. You will work closely with developers, system engineers, and operators to ensure that new capabilities and data sources are properly integrated into both legacy and evolving systems with minimal operational risk. You will also support mission protection activities by ensuring systems accurately process resident space object (RSO) catalogs, ephemeris data, and trajectory inputs to identify collision risks and support decision-making for space operations stakeholders. A strong understanding of orbital mechanics and astrodynamics tools will be used to design effective test cases and validate system outputs. Additionally, you will contribute to improving testing methodologies, system workflows, and operational procedures (TTPs) by identifying software issues, validating fixes in controlled environments, and supporting updates to training materials based on system changes and test outcomes.

Requirements

Minimum of 16 years w/o a degree or 14 years with AS/AA or 12 years with BS/BA; or 10 years with MS/MA; or 7 years with Ph.D
Active TS/SCI with adjudicated polygraph

Nice To Haves

2+ years of experience with Flight Safety or astrodynamics test tools (e.g., STK, ASW SuperCombo), or STK Level 2 certification
6+ years of combined experience in space operations, conjunction assessment, or flight safety systems testing
Strong understanding of orbital mechanics, conjunction analysis methods, and space domain awareness concepts
Experience validating or testing systems involving RSO catalogs, ephemeris data, and orbital propagation models
Ability to write and interpret Bash and Python scripts for test automation and data analysis
Familiarity with national security space mission environments (e.g., NRO-related systems and workflows)

Responsibilities

Lead integration and verification testing of new data sources and software capabilities within legacy and next-generation FS systems
Design, execute, and document software test plans, regression tests, and operational validation scenarios in test and pre-production environments
Use Bash and Python scripts to support automated testing, data validation, troubleshooting, and system analysis in Linux-based classified environments
Validate system performance by executing conjunction assessment and screening workflows, including RSO-to-RSO and RSO-to-ground proximity analysis (e.g., ASW “SuperCombo”-type runs)
Perform pre- and post-launch validation of TLEs, state vectors, and maneuver ephemeris data against cataloged RSOs to ensure collision risk mitigation logic is functioning correctly
Operate and validate orbit propagation and analysis tools (e.g., STK or ASW-type systems), ensuring correct input handling, output accuracy, and reporting consistency
Support defect identification, root cause analysis, and issue tracking for software anomalies discovered during test and operational use
Participate in test readiness reviews, flight safety meetings, and operational training/exercise events
Develop and maintain test documentation, validation reports, and user/training materials, and provide hands-on instruction (OJT) to team members
Collaborate with engineers, operators, and external stakeholders to ensure system changes meet operational requirements and safety thresholds