Red Alpha
Junior Systems Engineer (1 day telework/week, TS/SCI with Polygraph required)
6950 Columbia Gateway Dr, Columbia, MD 21046-2701
On-site · $85k–$140k (as posted)
First seen by offpeak October 5, 2026
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A day in the life:
We have an immediate need for a Junior Systems Engineer to contribute to the planning, design, and implementation of a mission-critical system. This role works closely with government customers, systems engineers, software developers, and UX professionals to help translate mission needs into well-defined software capabilities.
The Junior Systems Engineer will support requirements development, Agile planning, developer coordination, functional testing, and customer demonstrations throughout the development lifecycle. This is a collaborative, hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving challenging problems, working across technical and customer teams, and helping move software capabilities from requirements through delivery.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Work directly with government customers and stakeholders to gather, analyze, and document functional requirements and decompose them into detailed technical requirements.
- Translate requirements into clear Jira user stories, epics, and acceptance criteria for the development team.
- Support sprint planning and backlog grooming by helping ensure stories are appropriately scoped, prioritized, and sequenced.
- Collaborate closely with developers to answer requirements and implementation questions and help address blockers throughout each sprint.
- Conduct initial functional testing of new features to validate development against established requirements before broader QA and customer review.
- Present completed features and new development to the government customer and capture feedback for future iterations.
- Partner with the UX team on new designs to ensure usability and design considerations are reflected in requirements and user stories.
- Actively participate in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, demonstrations, and retrospectives.
*Up to one day of telework per week is permitted*
What you bring to the table:
- A Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science or a related field from an accredited institution or four (4) additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree
- Ability to work directly with customers and stakeholders to elicit, analyze, and document functional requirements.
- Ability to translate requirements into actionable Jira user stories and epics for development teams.
- Experience conducting functional/manual testing of application features.
- Familiarity with Agile software development methodologies and collaboration tools such as Jira and Confluence.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical work to non-technical stakeholders.
- Familiarity with software development concepts (e.g., Java or JavaScript frameworks, RESTful microservices) sufficient to communicate effectively with developers.
Bonus Skills:
- Familiarity with Cloud-based architecture and deployment (Amazon Web Services).
- Exposure to UX/design collaboration or wireframing tools.
- Familiarity with domain knowledge surrounding government agency reporting and dissemination policies.
The total package:
Our total compensation package was strategically designed with our members in mind with the intention to: reward our members for their hard work and commitment to our customers' missions; allow members to share in Red Alpha's success as we continue to grow and expand our footprint; provide long-term career opportunities through stability and internal mobility; and provide the resources our members need to support themselves and their dependents in the form of a robust benefits package. Our total compensation package includes a competitive base salary and benefits such as health, life/disability, 401k, paid time off, professional development, and generous bonus programs. Please visit our benefits tab for additional information. Salary Range:- Disclosed pay ranges are a general guideline, and are not a guarantee of a final salary or compensation. Our approach in determining final salaries takes into consideration a number of factors such as education, certifications, total years of relevant professional experience, actual level of expertise, and the responsibilities of the role itself.
- Based on the outlined roles, responsibilities, and requirements, the projected pay range for this position is: $85,000 - 140,000.
- Retire sooner than planned: Get closer to retirement with up to 10% in 401k contributions, immediately vested.
- Have a career AND a life: Enjoy up to 5 weeks of leave (25 days of personal time off) and 11 paid floating holidays.
- Stay at your best: As a member, we'll pay 100% of your premiums for comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance. We'll also pay the majority of the premiums for your family. Let's not forge free access to a fully equipped state of the art gym!
- Keep current on new technologies and technological advancements: $5250 per year towards ongoing education, trainings, certifications, and maintaining professional memberships.
- Dress in style: Spend up to $300 per year on company branded merchandise featuring top quality brands such as Under Armour, Nike, Carhartt, YETI, etc.
- Enjoy the culture: Attend fun company events throughout the year such as our Oktoberfest, summer picnic, and annual holiday party! These are all in additon to your team events which may include happy hours, baseball games, snowboarding, RenFest, and more!