System Engineer 4

Columbia Technology Partners • Annapolis Junction, MD

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About The Position

Columbia Technology Partners is seeking a System Engineer 4 to support the design, integration, and lifecycle management of complex mission systems. This role applies systems engineering principles across all phases of the system lifecycle while serving as a technical leader, architect, and customer-facing engineer. The ideal candidate will work closely with government stakeholders, analysts, developers, and partner organizations to deliver innovative solutions that address critical mission requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of systems engineering experience; Master's degree and 8+ years; PhD and 8+ years; or High School Diploma/GED and 14+ years of systems engineering experience.
• Experience leading system architecture, technical design, and large-scale system integration efforts.
• Proven ability to work directly with customers and stakeholders to develop requirements and translate mission needs into technical solutions.
• Strong technical communication skills, including architecture documentation, engineering artifacts, technical presentations, and customer-facing deliverables.
• U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants.
• DOD 8570 Certification
• This position requires an active Security Clearance with appropriate Polygraph.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with data science, analytics architecture, AI/ML integration, or advanced data exploitation capabilities.
• Intelligence Community experience supporting SIGINT, RF, multi-INT, targeting, or analyst mission workflows.
• Knowledge of integration technologies, including REST APIs, GraphQL, Apache NiFi, Apache Camel, messaging platforms, or enterprise data exchange solutions.
• Familiarity with Java/Spring Boot environments and data modeling approaches involving relational, search, or graph-based architectures.

Responsibilities

• Apply systems engineering principles across the ISO/IEC 15288 lifecycle process areas, supporting systems from concept development through operational deployment and sustainment.
• Lead system architecture and integration efforts, defining technical approaches, integration patterns, interface requirements, and API contracts across multiple mission systems.
• Collaborate directly with government customers, analysts, operators, and partner organizations to translate operational needs into technical requirements and system capabilities.
• Develop and maintain integration architecture documentation, technical roadmaps, engineering artifacts, and customer-facing guidance.
• Analyze technical alternatives and recommend engineering solutions that balance mission needs, performance requirements, and technical risk.
• Design and support integration strategies leveraging REST APIs, GraphQL services, messaging platforms, and enterprise data exchange technologies.
• Work closely with development teams to guide technical implementation efforts and support system integration activities throughout the development lifecycle.
• Support the architecture of data-driven capabilities, helping define analytics requirements and enabling analysts to derive actionable insights from complex, multi-source data environments.
• Evaluate opportunities to incorporate AI/ML technologies, including anomaly detection, recommendation engines, pattern recognition, and advanced analytics capabilities that enhance mission effectiveness.
• Participate in technical exchanges, architecture reviews, and cross-program engineering discussions with customers, stakeholders, and partner organizations.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams while coordinating the work of other engineers and technical staff.
• Analyze and recommend engineering standards, best practices, and processes to improve system quality, performance, and maintainability.
• Contribute to the development of innovative solutions addressing complex intelligence, mission operations, and systems integration challenges.
• Present technical approaches, system capabilities, and engineering recommendations to audiences ranging from end users and analysts to engineers, program managers, and senior leadership.

Benefits

• Medical: CTP offers 3 superior plans, bringing our employees both in-network and out-of-network options.
• Vision + Dental: Both free to you + paid in full by CTP.
• Retirement: 401k - 6% company contribution
• PTO + Leave: A work life balance is extremely important to our team here at CTP, which is why our paid time off plans are so lucrative. Offering customizable leave plans to meet your needs is just one of our many perks! Jury Duty, Bereavement + Military Leave provided.
• Career Growth: Up to $10,000 provided for approved career-related learning, training, education, and/or tuition.
• Life and AD&D Insurance/Short-Term & Long-Term Disability: More peace of mind, at zero cost to you.
• Profit Sharing Bonus: End of year cash gets added to your bottom-line.
• Referral Bonus Program: Our tiered program provides an incentive with each stage of the hiring process your referral passes. Our bonuses range from $7,000-$20,000, if your referral joins the team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED