Systems Engineer

Essential Systems Inc; Maryland; On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

PTO

Job summary

Essential Systems Inc. is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to lead the design, integration, and development of Access Control, Intrusion Detection, and Video Surveillance Systems in nuclear power plant environments.

The role requires hands-on technical leadership across system architecture, integration, and development oversight, with focus on high reliability and long-term operability. Travel to customer sites may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Software, or related).
• 10+ years of experience designing and integrating systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and detailed design of nuclear physical protection and security systems in compliance with 10 CFR 73.
• Confirm systems meet nuclear industry requirements for regulatory compliance, high reliability, and operability.
• Integrate hardware, software, communications, sensors, actuators, and HMIs into cohesive system solutions.
• Provide technical written and verbal direction to vendors, integrators, and internal development teams.
• Author, maintain, and control System Documentation.

Skills

System architecture

Technical leadership

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

CAD software

MS Word

Excel

Job description

Job Description

Systems Engineer

Overview

We are seeking an experienced systems engineer to lead the design, integration, and development of our Access Control, Intrusion Detection, and Video Surveillance Systems in industrial, nuclear power plant environments. This engineering role requires hands‑on technical leadership across system architecture, integration, and development oversight, nuclear plant physical protection systems. Although this role involves the use of Cyber Controls, this is NOT a position for a Cyber Security Engineer.

Familiarity with intrusion detection systems, access control systems, and video surveillance systems is desired but not required. The ability to ensure our systems meet high-reliability and long-term operability is necessary. Writing/documentation skills, MSWord, Excel, and CAD software skills, and proficient with various computer hardware/software platforms are required.

Key Responsibilities

System Architecture, Design & Integration

• Lead the architecture and detailed design of nuclear physical protection and security systems in compliance with 10 CFR 73. These are small to mid-size systems, often with two servers and 5 to 8 workstations. They are completely closed systems, traditional infrastructure, with no Internet, no wireless, no cloud computing. They involve a redundant network design for servers, workstations, and field equipment. Designed for no single point of failure.


• Confirm the systems meet requirements specific to the nuclear power plant industry to ensure our systems meet regulatory compliance, high-reliability, and long-term operability.


• Integrate hardware, software, communications, sensors, actuators, and HMIs into cohesive system solutions.


• Provide technical written and verbal direction to vendors, integrators, and internal development teams.


• Author, maintain, and control System Documentation related to the system designed.

Development & Implementation Support

• Support system development activities including configuration definition, design reviews, and technical baseline control.


• Participate in FAT, SAT, installation oversight, and system commissioning.


• Resolve technical issues identified during integration, testing, or operational use.


• Support lifecycle activities including upgrades, modifications, and obsolescence management.


• Ability to travel occasionally (out of state) to customer site for walkdowns, meetings, and brief installation oversight.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Systems, Electrical, Software, or related).


• 10+ years of experience designing and integrating systems.

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications

• Direct experience working under 10 CFR 73 (e.g., §§ 73.46, 73.55)


• Experience with NEI security guidance and NRC inspection procedures (IP 71130 series)


• Prior work with nuclear utilities, EPC firms, or nuclear security integrators


• Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, and developing nuclear security systems, with supporting authorship of SRS/HRS, SDD, HDD, and ICDs


• Former Navy nuclear, DOE, or DoD security engineering background with NRC crossover


• INCOSE or similar systems engineering affiliation

Personal Attributes

• Strong systems thinker with practical engineering judgment


• Comfortable making and defending design decisions


• Methodical, disciplined, and detail-oriented


• Operates professionally in sensitive environments


• Team oriented with strong interpersonal skills and professional manner

Compensation & Growth

• Competitive senior‑level compensation
  
  
  
  • Approximately $100K to $150K depending on experience
  
  
  
  


• Health insurance, Retirement plan, PTO


• Opportunity to play a foundational technical role in a growing nuclear security practice