Sustainment Information Systems Software Engineer
Penn State University
State College, PA · HybridFull-time$122–231K/yrPosted 4mo agoStill listed today
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Job overview
Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory seeks a Sustainment Information Systems Software Engineer to support defense-focused applied research, particularly in NAVSEA environments and submarine platform support. The role develops sustainment systems, enterprise architectures, and cloud-native solutions, and collaborates with government, industry, and university partners. The position is fully onsite in State College, Pennsylvania, and requires U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain a government security clearance.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
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CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
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If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS The Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State is seeking an experienced Sustainment Systems Research and Development Engineer to join our Sustainment Information Systems Department. ARL’s mission is to deliver innovative engineering and technology solutions in support of the Department of Defense (DoD).
In this role, you will leverage your expertise in DevOps, enterprise architectures, digital transformation, and sustainment system software engineering to support applied research in defense applications, with an emphasis on NAVSEA environments and submarine platform support.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes applications from transitioning military members.
You Will:
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Lead and support the design, development, and deployment of advanced sustainment information systems for defense applications
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Define enterprise information system architectures and implement digital transformation best practices to optimize defense sustainment processes
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Prototype and demonstrate enterprise systems architectures leveraging modern cloud-native and DevOps approaches (Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD pipelines)
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Apply expertise in cloud, container orchestration, and software lifecycle automation to enterprise sustainment challenges
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Investigate and implement emerging technologies to enhance logistics, training, and sustainment systems
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Deliver professional reports and executive-level presentations documenting findings and recommendations
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Contribute to technical proposals, risk assessments, and cost/effort estimates for research initiatives
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Collaborate with government and industry sponsors as well as Penn State faculty on applied research projects
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Mentor junior engineers in software engineering, DevOps practices, and project execution
Additional responsibilities for higher level position includes:
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Lead and mentor a team of engineers in the development and implementation of software systems
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Engage with the sponsor and external collaborators to coordinate the development of complex software systems
Required skills/experience areas include:
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Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering or related discipline; advanced degree preferred
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7+ years of professional experience in software engineering, DevOps, and enterprise systems development
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Experience deploying solutions in NAVSEA cloud environments
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Experience working with and modernizing current sustainment information systems used by Trident Refit Facilities
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Proven ability to collaborate with DoD stakeholders to define requirements, evaluate solution paths, and deliver technical capabilities
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Demonstrated success driving digital transformation initiatives using cloud-native architectures and CI/CD automation
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Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, GitLab CI/CD, Helm, and supporting enterprise sustainment platforms
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Background in developing sustainment software solutions for defense applications.
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Excellent communication skills and ability to work independently or in multidisciplinary teams
Preferred skills/experience areas include:
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Certifications in Kubernetes, Azure, Scrum, and Security+ (as held by strong candidates)
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Published research or technical documentation in enterprise sustainment or digital engineering
This position will be fully on-stie located in State College, PA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process. This position will require periodic travel to remote locations in support of testing as part of a small team of researchers, engineers, and technologists.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Software (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science 14+ years of relevant experience Required Certifications: None If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Software (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science 5+ years of relevant experience Required Certifications: None
ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply. SALARY & BENEFITS The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $121,704.00 - $231,000.00. Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
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How this job compares
Set against the 41,554 open Software Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$122–231K/yr
- Pennsylvania median$111–205K/yr548 salary ranges
- US median$135–219K/yr33,110 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $176K, is 12% above the Pennsylvania median midpoint ($158K) — in the middle half of Software Engineer salary ranges in Pennsylvania.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 798 open Software Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania and 41,554 across the US. 8% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Pennsylvania
- Deloitte73 open
- Oracle72 open
- Carnegie Mellon University52 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Software Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (34,072 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 13,032 of the 41,554 open Software Engineer jobs (31%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 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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