Program Lead/Systems Engineer

Title: Program Lead/Systems Engineer
Location: Ft. Meade, MD (10% Travel)
Compensation Range: $190 - $210k
Clearance: * Active DoD TS/SCI

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:
Cornerstone Defense offers a very comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to: 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 Program Lead/System Engineer oversees system-level requirements, directs integration and verification activities, and manages user acceptance testing to ensure JWICS systems remain fully operational. This position involves both technical leadership and supervisory duties, including management of a 10-15-person team, coordination with internal and external stakeholders, system engineering documentation, risk management, and schedule estimation.

Core Tasks:

• Lead and supervise a technical team of 10-15 personnel, conducting performance reviews, managing time charges, and providing coaching, mentoring, and daily leadership.
• Conduct requirements gathering, gap analysis, use case development, functional/specification development, test planning, and system design documentation.
• Execute systems engineering activities including requirements analysis, implementation planning, third-party coordination, integration and testing, deployment, and system assessments.
• Apply systems engineering methodologies for system planning, design, execution, and sustainment.
• Support development of technical platform processes, system specifications, I/O definitions, and hardware/software compatibility guidance.
• Develop, maintain, and manage systems engineering documentation, diagrams, and models using approved SE tools.
• Identify and manage project dependencies, associated risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Monitor technical variances, facilitate issue resolution, and ensure successful delivery of system capabilities.
• Report technical status, progress, and risks to leadership on a consistent basis.
• Identify and manage external dependencies impacting engineering and delivery timelines.
• Estimate levels of effort, resource requirements, and contribute to project scheduling.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 10+ years of professional experience, or a Master's degree with 8+ years of experience (equivalent experience may be considered).
• Active TS/SCI security clearance.
• Security+ or SecurityX certification (DoD 8140-compliant, Systems Administrator - Intermediate level).
• Experience designing, developing, and delivering data-driven operational capabilities within DoD environments.
• 3+ years of supervisory or management experience.
• 3+ years of experience with network engineering fundamentals and virtualization (foundational VMware or Omnissa Horizon required).
• 2+ years of project planning experience.
• 2+ years of risk management or change management experience.
• Experience with Windows and Linux/RHEL operating systems.
• Proven ability to operate within highly technical teams in fast-paced environments.
• Strong written/verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to brief senior leadership and partner with engineers, architects, and customer stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with personnel across varying disciplines and technical backgrounds.

Preferred:

• Understanding of network routing devices and configurations.
• ITIL Foundation knowledge or certification.
• Experience with OS scripting languages (Perl, Python, Shell).
• Experience with databases (SQL, Oracle) and database migrations.