Software Engineer-Test & Verification 3 at PDS Defense
Colorado Springs, CO
$70–$75/hrfrom the description
Jul 27, 2026
Colorado Springs, CO
Jul 28, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A contract Software Engineer focused on test and verification for the C2BMC (Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications) missile defense program. The role involves developing and executing both manual and automated tests in integrated environments, building test infrastructure, and verifying software requirements across interfaces and system capabilities. Candidates need an active Secret clearance and substantial experience with automated testing in Agile/DevSecOps settings.
Senior level · 7+ years · Colorado Springs, CO · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Contract
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $131,346 (middle half $98,479–$152,931). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
The '3' in the title (Software Engineer-Test & Verification 3) indicates a level-3 / senior-grade position within the staffing firm's classification scheme.
Experience requirement is tiered by degree: 7+ years with a Bachelor's, 5+ years with a Master's, or 3+ years with a PhD. The 7-year figure is used as the overall years minimum (the Bachelor's path, which is the minimum degree required).
Security+ certification (or a similar DoD 8570-compliant cert) is listed as required but with a 60-day grace period from start date; it is treated as a hard gate.
DevSecOps experience is described as 'Basics' in the job description body and 'extremely desirable' under Preferred Qualifications — listed as preferred accordingly.
This is a W2 contract role (52-week duration) placed by PDS Defense, Inc. as a staffing intermediary for what appears to be a Boeing/Northrop-type MDA program.
The role is 100% onsite in Colorado Springs, CO; no remote work is available.
Requires a Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Posting is for a contract engagement — the market benchmarks below price full-time roles, so read the comp comparison with that in mind.
Read the full posting
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