Systems Test Engineer - Senior

Peraton•Bethesda, MD

1d•$86,000 - $138,000

About The Position

Join Peraton in advancing the safety, efficiency, and modernization of the National Airspace System (NAS) through the FAA’s Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) contract. As a trusted partner to the Federal Aviation Administration, Peraton helps deliver the systems and services that keep our nation’s skies safe and connected. We’re looking for innovative professionals who thrive in mission-critical environments and are passionate about shaping the future of air traffic management. This is your chance to make an impact on one of the world’s most vital transportation infrastructures, working alongside leaders in aviation, engineering, data science, and systems integration. At Peraton, you won’t just support the mission you’ll define it. Test the systems that keep America’s airspace safe. We are seeking a Systems Test Engineer - Senior to support high-visibility Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) modernization programs. In this role, you will be responsible for planning, executing, and validating tests across integrated hardware and software systems—ensuring new capabilities meet the highest standards for safety, performance, and compliance before deployment into the National Airspace System (NAS). This is an excellent opportunity to work at the intersection of engineering rigor and public-sector mission, gaining hands-on experience in federal programs that directly impact aviation safety and efficiency nationwide. Step into a critical role at the heart of aviation modernization. In this position, you will: Ensure FAA modernization initiatives meet performance, safety, and compliance standards, while identifying and mitigating risks before deployment. Your work directly protects the integrity of the National Airspace System, ensuring that new technologies are resilient, compliant, and dependable. The impact is real, the mission is critical, and the results of your work help keep air travel across the country safe, efficient, and future-ready.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship Required.
Must have the ability to obtain / maintain a Public Trust clearance.
Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience; or Masters degree and 6 years; or Associate’s degree and 10 years experience; or HS diploma/equivalent and 12 years experience.
Experience in systems or software testing roles.
Strong knowledge of systems engineering and testing methodologies (V-Model, Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid).
Hands-on experience with test automation tools (Selenium, JUnit, PyTest, or similar).
Familiarity with test management tools (JIRA, TestRail, HP ALM).
Experience testing in multi-tier environments (applications, databases, networks, hardware).
Experience in performance/load testing tools (JMeter, LoadRunner).

Nice To Haves

Direct FAA or NAS configuration management experience.
Familiarity with air traffic, aviation, or mission-critical systems testing.
Professional certifications such as ISTQB Certified Tester, CSTE, or Certified Test Engineer.
Experience supporting FAA NextGen modernization programs or aviation-related systems.
Familiarity with safety engineering principles and hazard-based testing methodologies.
Experience developing automated regression testing frameworks for federal systems.
Background in cybersecurity testing and integration with resilience requirements.

Responsibilities

Ensure FAA modernization initiatives meet performance, safety, and compliance standards, while identifying and mitigating risks before deployment.
Develop and execute system test plans, test cases, and test scripts for FAA systems.
Perform functional, regression, integration, and performance testing of hardware and software.
Validate system compliance with FAA standards, NIST frameworks, and federal requirements.
Collaborate with engineers, developers, and product owners to define test requirements and acceptance criteria.
Conduct automated and manual testing, analyzing results and troubleshooting issues.
Document test results, prepare test reports, and track defects to resolution.
Support verification and validation (V&V) activities for modernization programs.
Ensure test environments are properly configured and aligned with FAA operational environments.
Participate in design reviews, readiness assessments, and risk analyses.
Support continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) testing in DevSecOps pipelines.
Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams, including contractors and subcontractors.
Write and execute manual and automated test scripts.
Troubleshoot to identify root causes of system or integration failures.
Provide technical input for system certification, safety cases, and compliance reviews.