About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Role overview

This entry-level role is for an Associate Cyber Software Engineer in the Pathways program based in Centennial, CO. The confidential client is a leading aerospace and defense technology company supporting government, civil and commercial customers. The Pathways program provides hands-on software engineering experience, structured learning, and mentorship to help early-career technologists grow into mission-focused engineers.

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What You’ll Do

You will join a multidisciplinary team to design, develop, test, and maintain software systems used for mission-critical applications.

• Design, develop, document, test, and debug applications and system software
• Collaborate with hardware engineers and equipment designers during planning and integration
• Analyze user needs and system capabilities to resolve software design and implementation issues
• Prepare operating instructions and ensure software standards and best practices are followed
• Contribute to the development of compilers, utility programs, and other tooling as needed

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Basic Qualifications (required)

Candidates must meet all items below to be considered:

• Be completing or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD from an accredited institution
• Major or have majored in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or another STEM-related field
• Be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance (required)
• Be able to obtain Special Access Program eligibility within a reasonable period as determined by the confidential client

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Preferred / Nice-to-have

• Demonstrated academic or internship experience in software development or systems engineering
• Experience with software verification and validation, unit testing, or automated test tooling
• Familiarity with software lifecycle practices and configuration management
• Strong problem-solving ability and effective written/verbal communication

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Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range (Colorado posting requirement): $83,800 - $125,800 per year
• Relocation assistance may be available
• Access to training, mentorship, and career development through the Pathways program
• Standard benefits for full-time employees including health, retirement, and paid time off; specifics provided by the confidential client upon hire

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Location & Travel

• Primary work location: Centennial, CO (on-site or site-access as required by program)
• Travel: approximately 10% (varies by assignment)

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Clearance & Eligibility

• U.S. citizenship is required to obtain the necessary government security clearance
• Candidates must be able to obtain Top Secret clearance and Special Access Program eligibility when required

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Why apply

This Pathways opportunity is designed for early-career engineers who want real program experience, mentorship, and a structured development path into software and systems roles supporting national defense and space missions. If you are motivated by technical challenges and public-service impact, this role offers fast learning and meaningful responsibility.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.