Expert System Engineer

Cornerstone Defense LLC; Annapolis, Northern (MD, KY); Hybrid; USD 265,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Generous PTO

401(k)

HSA/FSA

Life/Disability Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Perks at Work

Referral Program

Leads Generation

529 Plan

Fitness Reimbursement

Travel Assistance

Norton LifeLock

Financial & Legal Services

Job summary

Cornerstone Defense LLC in Annapolis Junction, MD, is seeking an Expert Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration, and maintenance of complex systems, ensuring reliability and mission alignment. This role collaborates across engineering teams to translate requirements into robust solutions.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree with 10 years of experience or higher, or an advanced degree with several years in lifecycle engineering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or relevant field plus 10 years of relevant experience, OR Master’s degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 6 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience must be in engineering systems over their lifecycle (conception, design & development, testing, production, deployment, operation, maintenance & support, decommissioning).

Responsibilities

• Drive system-level requirements analysis and lead CONOPS development for complex programs.
• Architect and validate end-to-end system designs, including functional and physical architectures.
• Oversee value modeling, trade studies, and risk analysis for major design decisions.
• Define and approve test and evaluation frameworks, ensuring alignment with customer standards.
• Lead integration and acceptance testing for large-scale systems and mentor junior engineers.
• Serve as a technical authority for interface design, data modeling, and system specifications.
• Apply advanced engineering principles to optimize system performance.
• Provide lifecycle management guidance on upgrades and technology insertion.
• Represent the organization in customer and vendor engagements, ensuring technical compliance and innovation.

Skills

TS/SCI clearance

Systems engineering

Requirements analysis

CONOPS development

System architecture

Test & Eval

Lifecycle management

Vendor collaboration

Technical leadership

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or relevant field

Master's degree in related field

Doctoral degree in related field

Job description

Title: Expert Systems Engineer

Location: Annapolis Junction, MD

Compensation Range: $265 -$285K

*Clearance:*Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph needed to apply *

Company Overview:

Cornerstone Defense is the Employer of Choice within the Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities of the U.S. Government. Realizing early on that our most prized assets are our employees, we continually focus our attention on improving the overall work/life experience they have supporting the mission. Our Team is pushed every day to use their industry leading knowledge to provide end-to-end solutions to combat our nation’s toughest and most secure problems. If you are looking for a place to not only be professionally challenged, but encouraged and supported by a company that cares, don't look any further than Cornerstone Defense.

Benefits Overview:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
• Generous PTO Policy
• 401(k)
• HSA and FSA options
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement and Training
• Perks at Work Discount Program
• Referral Program
• Leads Generation Program
• CollegeAmerica 529
• Fitness Reimbursement Program
• Travel Assistance
• Norton Lifelock Benefit Solutions
• Life Planning Financial & Legal Services

Position Description:

The Systems Engineer supports the design, development, integration, and maintenance of complex technical systems, ensuring they operate reliably and meet organizational needs. This role works closely with cross‑functional teams to translate requirements into effective system solutions, troubleshoot issues, implement improvements, and maintain thorough technical documentation. The Systems Engineer evaluates system performance, supports lifecycle management, collaborates with vendors when needed, and ensures alignment with industry best practices. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work in a dynamic technical environment are essential for success in this position.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or relevant technical field plus 10 years of relevant experience, OR
  Master's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 6 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience must be in engineering systems over their lifecycle (for example, conception, design & development, testing, production, distribution/deployment, operation, maintenance & support, decommissioning).

Responsibilities:

• Drive system-level requirements analysis and lead CONOPS development for complex programs.
• Architect and validate end-to-end system designs, including functional and physical architectures.
• Oversee value modeling, trade studies, and risk analysis for major design decisions.
• Define and approve test and evaluation frameworks, ensuring alignment with customer standards.
• Lead integration and acceptance testing for large-scale systems and mentor junior engineers.
• Serve as a technical authority for interface design, data modeling, and system specifications.
• Apply advanced engineering principles (control theory, signal processing, networking, software development) to optimize system performance.
• Provide strategic guidance on lifecycle management, system upgrades, and technology insertion.
• Represent the organization in customer and vendor engagements, ensuring technical compliance and innovation.