SW Test & Evaluation Engineer

Summary

Join a mission-driven engineering team operating at the cutting edge of U.S. Defense, Aerospace, Human Factors, and Security innovation. As a SW Test & Evaluation Engineer, you’ll help shape next‑generation software and hardware capabilities supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). DCS is an employee‑owned organization where bold ideas, technical rigor, and creative problem‑solving fuel real-world impact. This role places you right in the center of high‑tempo R&D efforts — working hands-on with advanced tools, multidisciplinary experts, and emerging technologies to evaluate, refine, and enhance systems critical to national security. If you love transforming complex technical challenges into validated, high‑performance solutions, this is your arena. Essential Job Functions: You won’t just test systems — you’ll push them forward. Evaluate cutting-edge software and hardware capabilities and explore their performance envelope in real research environments. Research & prototype new performance-enhancing technologies to improve existing platforms. Design and develop forward‑leaning capabilities for AFRL programs that directly support DoD missions. Guide development teams with technical direction that influences both near-term deliverables and long-term architecture. Strengthen system reliability through DevSecOps updates, cybersecurity compliance, vulnerability scans, and ATO-supporting activities. Document innovations and build user-ready manuals that help deploy new capabilities with clarity and confidence. Collaborate across engineering teams, SMEs, and mission partners to co-create solutions that matter. Your contributions will shape mission systems used by the Air Force — and improve how operators interact with and rely on emerging technologies. Required Skills: Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship Must have an active Secret (or higher) clearance BS degree (or higher) in engineering/science + 8 years of relevant experience Proven experience in system/software test & evaluation Strong object‑oriented programming experience CI/CD pipeline automation with embedded security checks Ability to work independently and collaboratively Excellent written & verbal communication skills Desired Skills: AFRL system familiarity Experience with sensing, tracking, or fusion algorithms 5+ years in SW/HW T&E Cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, GCP) DoD/IC tool knowledge Advanced STEM degree preferred Team leadership & mentoring capability Why Join DCS: You’ll be part of a powerful, multidisciplinary ecosystem where innovation is expected, ideas matter, and your technical influence has tangible impact on DoD mission success. Employee ownership means your success is tied to the organization's success — and your work contributes to advancing national defense across air and space domains.

Job Description

Join a mission-driven engineering team operating at the cutting edge of U.S. Defense, Aerospace, Human Factors, and Security innovation. As a SW Test & Evaluation Engineer, you’ll help shape next‑generation software and hardware capabilities supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). DCS is an employee‑owned organization where bold ideas, technical rigor, and creative problem‑solving fuel real-world impact. This role places you right in the center of high‑tempo R&D efforts — working hands-on with advanced tools, multidisciplinary experts, and emerging technologies to evaluate, refine, and enhance systems critical to national security. If you love transforming complex technical challenges into validated, high‑performance solutions, this is your arena. Essential Job Functions: You won’t just test systems — you’ll push them forward. Evaluate cutting-edge software and hardware capabilities and explore their performance envelope in real research environments. Research & prototype new performance-enhancing technologies to improve existing platforms. Design and develop forward‑leaning capabilities for AFRL programs that directly support DoD missions. Guide development teams with technical direction that influences both near-term deliverables and long-term architecture. Strengthen system reliability through DevSecOps updates, cybersecurity compliance, vulnerability scans, and ATO-supporting activities. Document innovations and build user-ready manuals that help deploy new capabilities with clarity and confidence. Collaborate across engineering teams, SMEs, and mission partners to co-create solutions that matter. Your contributions will shape mission systems used by the Air Force — and improve how operators interact with and rely on emerging technologies. Required Skills: Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship Must have an active Secret (or higher) clearance BS degree (or higher) in engineering/science + 8 years of relevant experience Proven experience in system/software test & evaluation Strong object‑oriented programming experience CI/CD pipeline automation with embedded security checks Ability to work independently and collaboratively Excellent written & verbal communication skills Desired Skills: AFRL system familiarity Experience with sensing, tracking, or fusion algorithms 5+ years in SW/HW T&E Cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, GCP) DoD/IC tool knowledge Advanced STEM degree preferred Team leadership & mentoring capability Why Join DCS: You’ll be part of a powerful, multidisciplinary ecosystem where innovation is expected, ideas matter, and your technical influence has tangible impact on DoD mission success. Employee ownership means your success is tied to the organization's success — and your work contributes to advancing national defense across air and space domains.