Sr Principal Systems Engineer
Actalent · Colorado Springs, CO
$120,000–$160,000from the description
Jul 22, 2026
Colorado Springs, CO
Jul 24, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A senior engineering role supporting a Missile Defense Command and Control program, focused on integrating test suites into development labs, writing and automating scripts for message data analysis and remote host configuration, and troubleshooting system and prototype issues. The work involves Linux-based scripting, virtualized environments, and integration testing, and suits an experienced systems engineer holding an active Secret clearance and DoD 8140 IAT Level II certification.
Senior level · 8+ years · Colorado Springs, CO · Bachelor's required · Secret clearance · Contract
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
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
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $104,090 (middle half $86,062–$133,513). 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 (9)
The pay range is listed as '$120,000–$160,000/hr' in the posting, which is almost certainly a formatting error — the figures are far more consistent with an annual salary for a cleared engineering role in Colorado Springs. The period has been recorded as Unspecified since the posting's stated basis ('$/hr') is implausible at face value.
The role requires an active Secret clearance at hire, with the ability to obtain Top Secret/SCI — the hard gate is Secret; TS/SCI is aspirational and not a current requirement.
DoD 8140 IAT Level II certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+) is explicitly required but names no single specific tool, so it is captured in notes rather than as a named technology skill.
Integration testing and virtualized environments are listed as required but name no specific tool; they are omitted from the skills list per guidelines.
Database administration appears under 'Additional Skills & Qualifications' (preferred) alongside Docker and Kubernetes, but names no specific database product — omitted as insufficiently concrete.
The role is genuinely ambiguous between systems/lab integration work (15-1244) and scripting/automation-heavy software development (15-1252); the primary day-to-day duties (lab integration, test configuration, scripting, remote host automation) lean toward systems administration/integration rather than shipping production software.
The title says 'Principal' but the actual scope — lab integration, test support, scripting — and the experience thresholds (8 years with a BS) are consistent with a Senior individual contributor, not a true org-wide Principal.
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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