Junior Software Engineer — Level 1
Java AND Python, PySpark, ETL, Pig, MapReduce, JSON/BSON, and Hadoop. No telework.
Qualification path: Bachelor's degree + 2 years of relevant experience, or the contract's approved equivalent.
Apply for 390 →GS Consulting is hiring · Levels 1–4
TS/SCI Polygraph Software Engineer Jobs in Maryland
Build, test, and maintain mission software in secure environments. Explore cleared software engineering opportunities in Fort Meade and Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
Base salary: $110,000 to $270,000 per year. Compensation depends on level, relevant experience, customer requirements, and contract fit. GS offers health insurance and paid time off.
Apply for a Software Engineer RoleCompare the education and experience paths before applying. Software developers with relevant design, coding, testing, and integration experience can use those requirements to assess their fit, even if their previous title was different.
Selected current openings · Reviewed September 28, 2026
Open Java, Python, and mission software positions
Choose an opening by its actual technical stack. These positions need hands-on programming and delivery experience, from analysis and design through testing, integration, deployment, and maintenance.
Location: Maryland mission sites in the Fort Meade area. Confirm the assigned site and schedule with our recruiter; requisitions 390 and 404 explicitly offer no telework.
Clearance: We are seeking candidates with active TS/SCI and a current polygraph, at least a CI polygraph. Customer acceptance, polygraph type, and site access must be confirmed for the specific billet; a CI polygraph does not guarantee eligibility for every assignment.
Software Engineer — Level 2
Python AND C++ are required. Jira, GitLab, Docker, Agile planning, unit testing, and integration.
Qualification path: Bachelor's degree + 5 years of relevant experience, or the contract's approved equivalent.
Apply for 411 →Application Developer — Level 2
Java, Python, PySpark, Jupyter notebooks, data analysis, and large-scale analytic tools. No telework.
Qualification path: Bachelor's degree + 5 years of relevant experience, or the contract's approved equivalent.
Apply for 404 →Senior Java Developer — Level 3
Production Java development, analytic prototyping, testing, cloud integration, and collaboration with analysts. Maven and JavaScript are desirable.
Qualification path: Computer Science bachelor's degree + 8 years of relevant experience, or the contract's approved equivalent.
Apply for 405 →Principal Software Engineer — Level 4
Python, Java, R, AWS, data engineering, business intelligence, and AI/ML operations. NiFi and SIGINT architecture experience are desirable.
Qualification path: Bachelor's degree + 11 years of relevant experience, or the contract's approved equivalent.
Apply for 416 →These are selected openings from our latest review, not a complete list. Availability can change. Our recruiter will confirm the requisition, approved education equivalencies, customer requirements, and compensation before submission.
Relevant military and civilian backgrounds
Current cleared software developers, analytic developers, military programmers, and cyber personnel who have built and maintained production software may fit. General IT support or tool use alone is different from the programming experience these openings require.
What to include when you apply
List the languages you use in production, your contribution to deployed systems, testing and integration experience, and relevant degree coursework. Include only unclassified descriptions of your work. Customer-tool experience can be discussed with the recruiter.
Share your availability and preferred commute in the application. Discuss polygraph and customer-access details directly with the recruiter through the appropriate channels. Keep your resume and any examples unclassified.
Ask GS Consulting to review your fitExplore related cleared openings
GS Consulting Environment
Engineering Software That Survives Operational Pressure
At GS Consulting, software is not valuable because it compiles or looks good in a demo. It is valuable when it solves a mission problem, runs inside the customer environment, and remains understandable enough for the next engineer to improve it.
This role is built for engineers who care about fundamentals. You will apply algorithms, data structures, discrete mathematics, testing, validation, documentation, and practical judgment to build software for secure mission environments.
The Work
What the Role Looks Like Day to Day
SE work often starts with a requirement that needs to become working software. What should the system do? What data does it touch? What edge cases matter? What algorithm or structure keeps the implementation reliable, maintainable, and fast enough for the mission?
A typical day may include designing components, writing code, reviewing logic, testing behavior, debugging difficult failures, integrating with mission systems, documenting technical decisions, and briefing users or stakeholders on what the software can do.
Mission and Responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
Our Software Engineers work across the software development life cycle. Depending on your LCAT level, you will be expected to:
- Analyze, design, verify, validate, implement, and maintain complex software systems across multiple mission domains.
- Apply discrete mathematics, probability, statistics, logic, and computation fundamentals to solve hard software architecture problems.
- Use deep knowledge of algorithms, computer architecture, and data structures to optimize processing, system behavior, and mission logic.
- Generalize programming techniques and deploy them across secure mission environments using practical engineering judgment.
- Develop documentation, provide technical training, and present briefings and demonstrations to stakeholders, users, and engineering teams.
- For senior levels, provide formal leadership and mentorship for software development teams while improving programming methodologies, languages, and engineering practices.
Technical Domains
Required Technical Domains
Successful Software Engineers at GS Consulting need practical experience across several of the following technical domains:
- Full software development process from requirements analysis through maintenance
- Discrete mathematics, probability, statistics, logic, and computation
- Algorithm design, data structures, and computer architecture
- Secure application design, validation, testing, integration, and deployment
- Programming methodologies and multiple languages such as Python, C++, Java, and Rust
- Technical documentation, demonstrations, and stakeholder communication
- Team leadership, mentoring, code quality, and engineering practice improvement
Degree and Coursework Requirements
A Computer Science degree is the standard path. Engineering or Mathematics degrees may be considered when the program includes a concentration in algorithms, computer architecture (not network architecture), programming methodologies and languages, data structures, logic and computation, and advanced mathematics such as calculus or discrete mathematics. IT or Information Systems degrees may be considered when their coursework is equivalent in amount and type to a Computer Science major.
Tools and Mission Context
Good Mission Software Starts With Good Engineering
Software Engineers may work with Python, C++, Java, Rust, JavaScript, TypeScript, C, Go, databases, APIs, testing frameworks, CI systems, secure development practices, and customer specific mission platforms. The exact stack can change. The engineering discipline cannot.
Strong candidates can explain the tradeoffs behind a design, defend an algorithm choice, test the code that matters, and write software that another cleared engineer can understand six months later.
Compensation
Base Salary Range
Estimated compensation for Software Engineer roles ranges from $110,000 to $270,000 per year. Final compensation depends on SE level, years of relevant experience, clearance status, technical depth, customer requirements, contract fit, and location expectations.
The range is intentionally broad because this posting covers Levels 1 through 4. Senior Software Engineers are trusted with more complex design decisions, deeper system ownership, technical mentoring, and more independent responsibility for mission software quality.
Benefits
GS Consulting offers health insurance and paid time off (PTO).
Qualification Paths
LCAT Qualification Paths
Does GS Hire Entry-Level Software Engineers?
GS's Level 1 Software Engineer requirements allow a relevant master's degree with no experience, or a relevant bachelor's degree plus 2 years of experience. An associate degree plus 4 years may be considered for candidates with in-depth experience clearly related to the position. Degree coursework must meet the requirements below. These are cleared, onsite roles: the education path does not waive active TS/SCI or customer and site requirements. A bachelor's degree alone does not meet the Level 1 experience requirement.
Relevant experience must include programming and the software development process: requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, integration, deployment or installation, and maintenance. Associate-degree paths may be considered for candidates with in-depth experience clearly related to the position. Formal or informal leadership experience is preferred for Levels 3 and 4.
We are actively staffing billets across all four SE levels. Relevant experience should connect to software engineering, software development, algorithm design, data structures, testing, integration, architecture, documentation, or secure mission system development.
Level 1
- Associate Degree plus 4 years of experience
- Bachelor Degree plus 2 years of experience
- Master Degree plus 0 years of experience
Level 2
- Associate Degree plus 7 years of experience
- Bachelor Degree plus 5 years of experience
- Master Degree plus 3 years of experience
- Doctorate plus 0 years of experience
Level 3
- Associate Degree plus 10 years of experience
- Bachelor Degree plus 8 years of experience
- Master Degree plus 6 years of experience
- Doctorate plus 4 years of experience
Level 4
- Associate Degree plus 13 years of experience
- Bachelor Degree plus 11 years of experience
- Master Degree plus 9 years of experience
- Doctorate plus 7 years of experience
Career Growth
How Software Engineers Grow Across Levels
Growth in this role comes from stronger architecture judgment, better code quality, deeper mission system understanding, clearer communication, and the ability to help other engineers make better technical decisions.
At GS Consulting, SE growth can lead deeper into software architecture, systems engineering, mission application development, advanced analytics, cybersecurity engineering, technical leadership, or broader mission systems roles.
Why GS Consulting
A Smaller Team Close to the Technical Problem
GS Consulting takes a direct approach to cleared mission support. We care whether the person in the seat can reason through the problem, write dependable code, test the implementation, and explain the technical tradeoffs clearly.
SE work is not just ticket completion. It takes discipline, software judgment, mission context, and the humility to build systems that other people have to operate, secure, and maintain.
Role Questions
Software Engineer FAQ
What does a Software Engineer do at GS Consulting?
A Software Engineer at GS Consulting analyzes, designs, validates, implements, and maintains complex mission software. The role uses computer science fundamentals, algorithms, data structures, discrete mathematics, testing, integration, documentation, and practical engineering judgment to build software that works inside secure operational environments.
What clearance is required for GS Consulting Software Engineer roles?
GS Consulting Software Engineer roles require an active TS/SCI clearance. Candidates must also be able to meet customer, contract, and site access requirements for the specific billet. A current polygraph is required. The recruiter will confirm whether your polygraph type and access meet the specific customer requirements.
What are the Software Engineer levels 1, 2, 3, and 4?
Software Engineer levels reflect increasing software development experience, architecture judgment, mission system understanding, technical ownership, and team leadership. Level 1 starts at 0 to 4 years depending on education path. Level 2 ranges from 0 to 7 years. Level 3 ranges from 4 to 10 years. Level 4 ranges from 7 to 13 years.
What programming languages are useful for Software Engineer candidates?
Useful languages may include Python, C++, Java, Rust, JavaScript, TypeScript, C, Go, or other mission relevant languages. The exact stack depends on the customer environment. Strong candidates should emphasize fundamentals, code quality, testing, integration, security awareness, and the ability to learn the language or framework needed for the mission.
What degree fields qualify for Software Engineer roles?
A Computer Science degree is the standard path. Engineering or Mathematics degrees may be considered when the program includes a concentration in algorithms, computer architecture (not network architecture), programming methodologies and languages, data structures, logic and computation, and advanced mathematics such as calculus or discrete mathematics. IT or Information Systems degrees may be considered when their coursework is equivalent in amount and type to a Computer Science major.
Does GS hire entry-level software engineers?
GS's Level 1 Software Engineer requirements allow a relevant master's degree with no experience, or a relevant bachelor's degree plus 2 years of experience. An associate degree plus 4 years may be considered for candidates with in-depth experience clearly related to the position. Degree coursework must meet the requirements below. These are cleared, onsite roles: the education path does not waive active TS/SCI or customer and site requirements. A bachelor's degree alone does not meet the Level 1 experience requirement.
What skills make a strong Software Engineer candidate?
Strong candidates understand the full software development process. They can turn requirements into working systems, reason through algorithms and data structures, write maintainable code, test their work, debug difficult problems, document decisions, and communicate clearly with users, analysts, engineers, and mission stakeholders.
What does a Software Engineer earn?
Estimated compensation for GS Consulting Software Engineer roles ranges from $110,000 to $270,000 per year. Final compensation depends on SE level, years of relevant experience, clearance status, technical depth, customer requirements, contract fit, and location expectations.
Are these Software Engineer jobs onsite?
Yes. These Software Engineer positions support work in the Fort Meade, MD and Annapolis Junction area. Because the work is tied to cleared facilities, sensitive systems, mission data, and customer requirements, candidates should expect onsite work rather than a remote arrangement.
How do I apply for GS Consulting Software Engineer roles?
Use the Apply for a Software Engineer Role button on this page or email your resume directly to info@gsconsultingllc.com. Include your general clearance status, education, relevant software development experience, and the SE level you want to discuss. Share only information you are permitted to disclose.
Ready to write the code that matters?
Send us your resume. Please include your active clearance level, primary programming languages, software development experience, mission system background, and the specific SE level you are targeting.