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.