Patrick O'Shea
Coffee, a clear head, then a bike ride before the workday even starts — cycling is his "mental therapy."
Read Patrick's story →Trade the Beltway for the Bay. Real engineering work on the water, a fifteen‑minute commute, and a company where you own a piece of what you build.
Southern Maryland isn't a compromise. It's the same mission-critical work, minus everything that made the Beltway exhausting.
Southern Maryland's economy doesn't run on one employer — it runs on defense. That's a steady bet, and it's growing.
Three ASEC employees, three different paths to Lexington Park. Full stories and video linked below.
Coffee, a clear head, then a bike ride before the workday even starts — cycling is his "mental therapy."
Read Patrick's story →A mother and daughter who work at the same company — and greet each other at the front door most mornings.
Read their story →Navy veteran, published author, lifelong kayaker on the Patuxent — and her son is serving now too.
Read Julia's story →ASEC is 100% employee-owned. Every person on the team — engineer, analyst, admin — holds a stake in what we build for the Warfighter.
Every employee has a stake in ASEC's success through our Employee Stock Ownership Program — no buy-in required.
Flexible hours, an approachable executive team, and a culture where no one's just a number.
Systems engineering, test & evaluation, logistics, and IT — all in direct support of NAS Pax River and the Warfighter.
Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River, minutes from your desk — plus the Governor's Cup Yacht Race every fall.
Live music, local art, and food trucks in the county seat, on repeat all summer.
From The Ruddy Duck to farm-to-table at The Front Porch — plus four local farmers markets.
Living history a few miles from the office, for weekends that don't feel like a commute.
Straight answers from the team, not HR copy. If yours isn't here, ask us directly.
Not even close. Most of us didn't. I was in Arlington for six years before I made the move — plenty of the team came from DC, Alexandria, or Waldorf. We hire the person, then help you figure out the move.
— Systems Engineer, relocated from Arlington, VAIf you already hold an active clearance, it typically transfers with a sponsorship change and you can be working within weeks. If you don't, we sponsor candidates for roles that require one — it's a longer timeline, but it's a path we use regularly. Talent Acquisition will walk you through exactly where you stand before you accept an offer.
— Test & Evaluation teamI used to budget an hour each way on 395 and call it a good day. Now it's fifteen minutes down Route 235, and I've genuinely forgotten what a backup looks like. It's the change people notice fastest.
— Program Support, formerly DC MetroYou don't buy in — shares are allocated to you as part of your compensation and vest over time. No one explains it well until you're in it, but the short version: the better ASEC does, the more your share is worth. It changes how people talk about the company in meetings.
— Logistics team, 4 years inIt depends on the role and level, so ask directly during your offer conversation — Talent Acquisition can walk you through what's available. What I can tell you is housing dollars go noticeably further here than they did in Northern Virginia.
— Recruiting-adjacent, heard this question a lotSmall enough that leadership knows your name, structured enough that the work is real and mission-driven. Nobody's precious about hierarchy — if you have a better way to do something, you're expected to say so.
— Information Technology team