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Senior Distributed Systems Engineer Jobs in Waltham, MA

Senior Systems Engineer

Cambridge, MA ยท On-site

$82K - $220K/yr

The Secure Solutions Group within the System's Engineering Directorate is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to support concept and architecture, and requirement development of trustworthy secure ...

Overview SENIOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER LOCATION: Hanscom AFB, MA SALARY RANGE: $135,000 - $145,000 *depending on experience, certifications, and qualifications JOB STATUS: Full-Time CLEARANCE: Secret ...

Sr. Systems Engineer

Danvers, MA ยท On-site

$55 - $60/hr

Beyond execution, the Senior Systems Engineer provides strategic guidance, mentors engineering staff, and drives continuous improvement across client environments. The position requires ownership of ...

Overview SENIOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER LOCATION: Hanscom AFB, MA SALARY RANGE: $140,000-$150,000 annually* *depending on experience, certifications, and qualifications JOB STATUS: Full-Time CLEARANCE:

Senior Systems Engineer

Ashland, MA ยท On-site

$107K - $147K/yr

We are looking for an experienced Senior Systems Engineer to support and enhance a secure enterprise technology environment in Framingham, Massachusetts. This role focuses on maintaining reliable ...

Senior Systems Engineer

Tewksbury, MA ยท On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

Raytheon is seeking a talented and motivated Senior Systems Engineer to join our team within the Systems Engineering and Test Capabilities (SETC) Discipline, supporting the LTAMDS and GhostEye Radars.

Senior Systems Engineer

Tewksbury, MA

$112K - $154K/yr

Raytheon is seeking a talented and motivated Senior Systems Engineer to join our team within the Systems Engineering and Test Capabilities (SETC) Discipline, supporting the LTAMDS and GhostEye Radars.

Senior Systems Engineer

Tewksbury, MA

$112K - $154K/yr

Raytheon is seeking a talented and motivated Senior Systems Engineer to join our team within the Systems Engineering and Test Capabilities (SETC) Discipline, supporting the LTAMDS and GhostEye Radars.

Senior Systems Engineer

Boston, MA ยท Remote

$107K - $146K/yr

We are seeking an accomplished Senior Systems Engineer to take a leading role in the engineering, administration, and ongoing optimization of the firm's enterprise Systems and Compute environment.

Senior Systems Engineer

Boston, MA ยท On-site

$113K - $155K/yr

We are seeking an accomplished Senior Systems Engineer to take a leading role in the engineering, administration, and ongoing optimization of the firm's enterprise Systems and Compute environment.

Senior Systems Engineer

Boston, MA ยท On-site

$140K - $195K/yr

WHOOP is seeking a highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer to join our Systems Engineering team within the hardware organization. This position bridges multiple disciplines-Electrical, Mechanical ...

Senior Systems Engineer

Tewksbury, MA ยท On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

Raytheon is seeking a talented and motivated Senior Systems Engineer to join our team within the Systems Engineering and Test Capabilities (SETC) Discipline, supporting the LTAMDS and GhostEye Radars.

Showing results 41-60

Senior Distributed Systems Engineer information

See Waltham, MA salary details

$60.4K

$134.6K

$189.9K

How much do senior distributed systems engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior distributed systems engineer in Waltham, MA is $134,567.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $112,700.00 and $154,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior distributed systems engineer?

Senior Distributed Systems Engineers are experienced professionals who design, build, and maintain large-scale computing systems that run across multiple machines or locations. They focus on ensuring reliability, scalability, and performance of distributed applications, often dealing with challenges like data consistency, fault tolerance, and network latency. These engineers typically have deep expertise in distributed computing principles, programming languages, and cloud infrastructure. They also mentor junior team members and help architect robust solutions for complex technical problems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior distributed systems engineer?

A Senior Distributed Systems Engineer requires deep expertise in computer science fundamentals, scalable system architecture, and proficiency in programming languages such as Java, Go, or Python, often supported by a relevant degree and significant experience in distributed systems. Familiarity with tools like Kubernetes, Docker, Kafka, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) is typically expected, along with knowledge of monitoring and CI/CD pipelines. Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills help in tackling complex engineering challenges and collaborating across teams. These skills are crucial for designing robust, scalable, and reliable systems that support organizational growth and high availability.

What are some common challenges senior distributed systems engineers face when designing scalable systems?

Senior Distributed Systems Engineers often encounter challenges such as managing data consistency, ensuring fault tolerance, and minimizing latency across multiple nodes. Balancing trade-offs between availability and partition tolerance (as outlined by the CAP theorem) is a frequent consideration. Additionally, coordinating between development and operations teams to maintain system reliability and efficiently resolve issues that arise in production environments is crucial. Strong communication skills and a deep understanding of distributed architectures help address these complexities effectively.

What is the difference between Senior Distributed Systems Engineer vs Cloud Solutions Architect?

AspectSenior Distributed Systems EngineerCloud Solutions Architect
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, experience with distributed systemsBachelor's/Master's in CS, IT, or related, cloud certifications (AWS, Azure)
Work EnvironmentDesigning, developing, and maintaining distributed systems in tech companiesDesigning cloud infrastructure solutions for clients or internal teams
Industry UsageTech, finance, e-commerce, and enterprise sectorsIT consulting, cloud service providers, enterprise IT departments

The Senior Distributed Systems Engineer focuses on building and optimizing distributed computing systems, while the Cloud Solutions Architect designs cloud infrastructure solutions. Both roles require technical expertise and often overlap in cloud environments, but their primary responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What are popular job titles related to Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Waltham, MA?

For Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Waltham, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Waltham, MA look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs in Waltham, MA are:

What cities near Waltham, MA are hiring for Senior Distributed Systems Engineer jobs?

Cities near Waltham, MA with the most Senior Distributed Systems Engineer job openings:

Senior Systems Engineer

Draper

Cambridge, MA โ€ข On-site

$82K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 27 days ago


Job description

Overview:
Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.
Job Description Summary:
The Secure Solutions Group within the System's Engineering Directorate is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to support concept and architecture, and requirement development of trustworthy secure platforms that resist cyber, reverse engineering, and supply chain threats across Draper's mission areas. The group has multidisciplinary proficiencies in secure systems architecture, hardware security and resilience, software security and resilience, system validation and accreditation, and cryptography.
Specific responsibilities include the following:
โ€ข Work with cross disciplinary team of system, hardware, and software engineers to support program execution.
โ€ข Communicate with program members, program offices, and sponsors to present work to the technical and evaluation community.
โ€ข Bring a systems engineering prospective to support development system architectures for secure solutions.
โ€ข Support analysis of Draper, customer, and sponsor developed systems to evaluate effectiveness and suitability
This role will involve working across a multi-disciplinary team (including external and internal stakeholders) innovating new microelectronics system solutions over the full system development lifecycle.
Job Description:
Duties/Responsibilities
โ€ข Independently execute system engineering lifecycle assignments.
โ€ข Adapt appropriately to changes in program priorities and requirements.
โ€ข Adheres to existing best practices and Quality Management System processes.
โ€ข Continues to expand their depth/knowledge in their technical discipline through formal and informal learning.
โ€ข Work within multi-disciplinary teams and independently execute assignments
โ€ข Drive solutions to complex problems with limited direction
โ€ข Lead small teams (few than five people) and align team towards program goals.
โ€ข Provides insight and suggests design modifications based on analysis outcomes, and to apply analysis techniques across a range of technical challenges
โ€ข Identify program/system-level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies.
โ€ข Actively mentor less experienced engineers and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback
โ€ข Performs other duties as assigned.
Skills/Abilities
โ€ข Highly-organized, capable of approaching problems with a system-level perspective.
โ€ข Strong oral and written communication skills.
โ€ข Practical experience with simulation-based performance analysis.
โ€ข Practical experience with the systems engineering process.
โ€ข Roles may require proficiency with modeling and simulation, computer language coding, descriptive modeling (e.g. SysML), STPA, and/or other engineering analysis tools
โ€ข Knowledge of GN&C, avionics architectures, fault tolerance, cyber/security, comms/encryption, threat modeling or other technologies may be required as defined in the summary.
Education
Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or related field. Masters degree or higher preferred.
Experience
5-10 years experience as systems engineer or related role.
Additional Job Description:
  • Independently derive system-level requirements based on mission requirements and defines plan and approach to solve complex problems.
  • Subject Matter Expert (SME) able to develop and implement security approaches through a program lifecycle.
  • Generate technical reports and presentations with appropriate guidance for delivery to external audiences.
  • Familiar with writing proposals to commercial and Government Sponsors

Applicants selected for this position may be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.
Current in-scope Secret security clearance required, Top Secret preferred
Connect With Draper for Future Opportunities! If you don't find the right posting in our Career Opportunities, you may submit your resume for future consideration.
Job Location - City:
Cambridge
Job Location - State:
Massachusetts
Job Location - Postal Code:
02139-3563
The US base salary range for this full-time position is
$82,300.00 - $220,000.00
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.
Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.
Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We understand the value of inclusivity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact hr@draper.com.