Systems Engineering (Ignite Innovator Pgm), Associate- Herndon or Blacksburg, VA

Program Overview

About The Role

Peraton is seeking Entry-Level Systems Engineers to join the Ignite Innovator Program located at our Technology and Engineering Strategic Delivery Center in Herndon, VA or Blacksburg, VA . The ideal candidate will support exciting projects across Peraton in areas such as communications, space, cybersecurity, defense, health, and mobile.

The target start date for this position is January 2026 for December 2025 grads and June 2026 for May/June 2026 grads.

The Ignite Innovators program is Peraton’s premier, two-year, technical leadership development program that serves as your bridge from college to an empowered career in national security. As an Ignite Innovator, you’ll receive hands-on training from industry leaders, gain vital experience working on missions that matter, and begin developing your long-term career goals. Upon completion of the program, Ignite Innovators have the opportunity to transition to Peraton mission sector programs.

Responsibilities:

• Design, test, and support leading edge technology solutions in areas such as cybersecurity, satellite ground systems, information management systems, cloud computing, and mobility.
• Work in a collaborative, team-oriented Agile software development environment to help shape the direction of the project.
• Support the software engineering life-cycle in areas such as requirements/story development and management, system architecture and design, component/system/operational testing, documentation development, security accreditation, system deployment, and IT support.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field and 0-2 years of relative experience.
  • December 2025 and/or May/June 2026 grads are welcome to apply.
• Familiarity with software development and/or scripting languages, such as Java, C++, Perl, Bash, etc.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Ability to quickly adapt and learn new technologies and concepts.
• You have hands-on experience through coursework and/or internships.
• You are self-motivated, independent, detail oriented, responsible team-player.
• You have strong written and oral communication skills.

Desired Qualifications:

• 3.0 and above GPA.
• Have a solid understanding of software engineering life-cycles, such as Agile or Iterative development.
• Have experience with Windows and Linux operating systems, database technologies, web application servers, and/or automated testing tools.
• Have familiarity with application or network installations, configuration, and/or administration.

Location:

• Herndon, VA.
• Blacksburg, VA

#PeratonEarlyCareer

SCA / Union / Intern Rate or Range

Details

Target Salary Range: $66,000 - $106,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.