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Senior Systems Engineer, Space RF Systems

AeroVironment

Germantown, MDFull-time$91–139K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$91–139K/yr
Location
Germantown, MD
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Top Secret clearanceBachelor's degree

Job overview

AeroVironment seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to join its Space RF Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test team. The engineer will support and lead systems engineering work across projects, manage product requirements, and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders. The role also supports continuous improvement of systems engineering capabilities and may lead special projects within the SEIT or Engineering organization.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Systems EngineeringRequirements ManagementVerification MethodologiesRF Communication SystemsSatellite ArchitectureAerospaceINCOSE SE HandbookISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023Model-Based Systems EngineeringCAMEOMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft VisioSitting and StandingComputer and Telephone Keyboard Operation

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Engineering or Related Technical Discipline5+ Years Systems Engineering ExperienceSystems Engineering DegreeTop Secret ClearanceU.S. Citizenship

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off

Full job description

Albuquerque, NM

Germantown, MD

20521 Seneca Meadows Pkwy, Germantown, MD

Full time

8758

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

AV is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Systems Engineer to join our Space RF Systems Engineering, Integration, and Test (SEIT) Team. Our exciting programs will revolutionize how we connect with satellite assets, enabling faster and more secure data transmission. You will be a key member of a team performing and leading traditional systems engineering tasks for multiple projects as well as supporting the continuous improvement of our formal SE capabilities. You will interface and coordinate with multiple external and internal organizations, including stakeholders and other engineering disciplines. You may be asked to lead special projects within the SEIT or Engineering organization.

Position Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include supporting the effort to capture and manage product requirements, as well as supporting other standard systems engineering efforts as needed in support of our product lines.

Typical tasks may include:

  • Working with the Program Manager, Chief Engineer, and RF team to understand, develop, and document customer needs and system requirements.

  • Working in collaboration with RF engineers to derive and allocate subsystem requirements.

  • Supporting system test planning, verification, and validation efforts.

  • Creating and maintaining technical documentation, specifications, and interface documents, including the use of standard tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Visio.

  • Participating in formal company and customer technical reviews.

  • Supporting other engineering disciplines as needed in problem solving, risk management, and impact analysis.

  • Providing full life cycle support for changes to product baselines for specific customers.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Competencies)

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering or a related technical discipline.

  • 5+ years of traditional systems engineering experience.

  • Working knowledge of standard systems engineering life cycle processes, requirements management, and verification methodologies.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

  • Degree in Systems Engineering.

  • Familiarity with RF communication systems, satellite architecture, or aerospace.

  • Working knowledge of the systems engineering processes as described in the INCOSE SE Handbook and/or ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023.

  • Experience with CAMEO or other Model Based Systems Engineering tools and techniques.

Physical Demands

  • Ability to work in an office and production environment (Constant)

  • Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Clearance Level

Top Secret

The salary range for this role is:

$91,000 - $138,750

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits : AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits .

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR

U.S. Citizenship is required. Secret or Top Secret clearance, or the ability obtain a clearance is desired.

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Careers at AeroVironment (https://www.avinc.com/careers/our-team)

How this job compares

Set against the 11,187 open Systems Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 31, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$91–139K/yr
  • Maryland median$122–200K/yr518 salary ranges
  • US median$116–186K/yr8,198 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $115K, is 29% below the Maryland median midpoint ($161K) — in the lowest quarter of Systems Engineer salary ranges in Maryland.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 650 open Systems Engineer jobs in Maryland and 11,187 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Maryland
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Systems Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (9,476 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 4,656 of the 11,187 open Systems Engineer jobs (42%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 31, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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