Job Details
Responsibilities Given the pace of technology and evolving capabilities and goals of adversaries in the cyber realm and foreign nation state actors, Software Engineers at the NSA are tasked to keep up with and develop technologies/abilities to maintain our advantage in national defense and information gathering. In this role, you will develop the systems needed to manage data (collect, extract value, route, etc.) at scale, build user interfaces, protect the nation's systems, and identify and develop support infrastructure as a service provider to the Agency and Intelligence Community. Make an IMPACT As a Software Engineer at NSA, the creativity of you and your team is essential to engineering effective solutions for internal and Agency-supported customers around the world. Your efforts will drive global impacts that may include: saving lives of U.S. and ally soldiers; providing U.S. policy and decision makers with critical, timely intelligence; ensuring the continued safety of U.S. citizens and residents by thwarting foreign adversaries; and defending vital networks. Whether your focus is Counter-Terrorism, Cybersecurity, Foreign Intelligence, or providing support to other Intelligence Community agencies, you can take pride in knowing your efforts are protecting others, rather than stuffing a balance sheet. Job Summary What does a Software Engineer do at NSA? The answer changes daily, but always involves solving difficult problems and keeping pace with, or even establishing, the state of the art in software development and system security. Whether an aspiring or established Software Engineer, NSA has opportunity for you to contribute, learn, and grow in virtually any Computer Science focus area, including: Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing (HPC), Quantum Computing Research, Data Analytics, Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence (ML/AI), Cryptology/Cryptography, and countless others. If it is considered Computer Science, chances are good we have at least one team focused on it. Individual opportunities are too numerous to list, so tell us what you want to do and let's talk The greatest variety of opportunity is in our Fort Meade, MD location, followed by San Antonio, TX, with more limited, but equally important needs in Aurora, CO and Fort Gordon, GA. Qualifications The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Degree must be in Computer Science (CS) or Software Engineering. Related fields (e.g., Engineering, Mathematics) may be considered relevant if the programs contain, at minimum, a concentration of courses in the following foundational CS areas: algorithms; computer architecture (not network architecture); programming methodologies and languages; data structures; logic and computation; and advanced mathematics (for example, calculus, discrete mathematics). Relevant experience must be in the software development process (i.e., requirements analysis, software design, implementation, testing, integration, deployment/installation, and maintenance) and programming. ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL Entry is with a Bachelor's degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in depth experience that is clearly related to the position. FULL PERFORMANCE Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree and no experience. An Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position. SENIOR Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position. EXPERT Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience or a Master's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. An Associate's degree plus 11 years of relevant experience may be considered for individuals with in-depth experience that is clearly related to the position. Competencies With a broad range of positions available, tools, platforms, and methodologies used will vary from one team to another. Use of industry norms is common, including but not limited to: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GitLab, Atlassian Suite, Open Source (see code.nsa.gov for examples of NSA contribution, like Ghidra, Apache Accumulo, and Apache Nifi), Databases (both relational and non-relational), various languages (Java, C, C++, Python, etc.) Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position. Salary ranges vary by location and work level. The largest need is in and around our headquarters location in Fort Meade, MD, with a growing number of positions available in San Antonio, TX. Positions for applicants with some initial experience are also available in: Aurora, CO and Fort Gordon, GA. Salary Range: $77,745 - $183,500 (Entry/Developmental, Full Performance, Senior, Expert) On-the job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee. Work Schedule: Typical work schedule is Monday - Friday, with basic 8 hour/day work requirements between 0600 and 1800 (flexible). How to apply U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. Due to time sensitive communications regarding your application, please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept email from noreplyintelligencecareers.gov. Please review the job posting thoroughly to ensure you meet the described qualifications and are aware of all associated requirements. To apply for this position, please click the 'Apply' button located at the top right of this posting. After completing the application for the first time, or reviewing previously entered information, and clicking the 'Submit' button, you will receive a confirmation email. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as job postings could close earlier than the closing date due to sufficient number of applicants, or the position is no longer available. You may be asked a series of questions depending on the position you apply for. Your responses will be used as part of the application screening process and will assist in determining your eligibility for the position. Be sure to showcase within your resume those experiences relevant to this position. Failure to provide the required information or providing inaccurate information will result in your application not being considered for this position. Only those applicants who meet all position qualifications, may be contacted to begin employment processing. Please remain diligent in monitoring email and your SPAM folder. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. Please visit our Diversity link for more information. This position is a Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) position in the Excepted Service under 10 U.S.C. 1601. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility. DCIPS Disclaimer The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority.