Location: Annapolis Junction, MD 
Clearance: TS/SCI with Polygraph required 
Work Type: On-site (with customer-approved flexibility)

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Systems Engineer to lead the planning and execution of complex systems engineering efforts for large-scale, mission-critical programs. This role requires a seasoned professional capable of managing programs of significant scope and complexity, particularly those involving high-volume data processing and distributed storage solutions.
The Systems Engineer will serve as a technical lead, driving the design, integration, and optimization of systems while ensuring full compliance with security and policy directives. This position is ideal for a strategic thinker who excels in cross-functional environments and has a deep background in both COTS/GOTS integration and custom distributed algorithms.

Key Responsibilities

System Design & Leadership

• Lead and manage comprehensive Systems Engineering efforts, overseeing the full lifecycle from requirements gathering to deployment.
• Develop and refine system performance, availability, scalability, manageability, and security requirements for mid-to-large scale programs.
• Plan and integrate secure, compliant solutions based on legal, policy, and federal compliance directives.
• Lead agile and/or spiral development models to ensure iterative delivery of high-quality system components.

Data & Storage Engineering

• Architect and optimize storage, retrieval, backup, and retention strategies across globally distributed, high-throughput multimedia systems.
• Design and implement storage area networks (SAN), data warehouses, and data marts.
• Develop and deploy storage solutions within clustered or cloud environments, including the development of distributed storage routing and querying algorithms.
• Work with internals of HDFS, Hadoop, and/or HBase/Accumulo (Big Table) to manage massive datasets.

Integration & Technical Operations

• Integrate and extend COTS and GOTS products from multiple vendors into cohesive system architectures.
• Oversee ingest and processing systems for large volumes of multimedia and multilingual content, ensuring seamless audio playback and object retrieval for end users.
• Manage distributed peer-to-peer content storage and retrieval systems with scales exceeding 500 nodes.
• Utilize metadata indexing, summarization, data mining, and visualization analytics to enhance system utility.

Collaboration & Documentation

• Serve as a primary technical lead interacting with users and participating in cross-Integrated Product Team (IPT) environments.
• Develop high-level technical documentation for system issues, architectural changes, and user training.
• Ensure all system engineering processes are documented to maintain rigorous federal standards.

Required Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.
• 20+ years of related systems engineering experience on programs of similar scope, type, and complexity.
• Bachelor’s degree in System Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or a related discipline.
  • Five (5) additional years of SE experience may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
• Demonstrated experience in planning and leading large-scale Systems Engineering efforts.
• Deep technical proficiency in distributed storage, HADOOP ecosystems, and high-throughput content systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record in metadata data mining and visualization analytics.
• Expertise in optimizing globally distributed text and multimedia retrieval systems.
• Experience integrating complex COTS/GOTS solutions within the Intelligence Community (IC).
• Strong background in legal and policy compliance for secure data environments.

Benefits
Our client offers a comprehensive, flexible benefits package supporting financial security, health, and work-life balance.
Retirement

• 15% automatic company 401(k) contribution (3% safe harbor + 12% discretionary profit sharing).
• 100% immediate vesting with no waiting period.
• Pre-tax and Roth options available.

Paid Time Off & Flexibility

• PTO accrued at 13% of hours worked (≈ 30 days annually for full-time employees).
• Up to 240 hours of PTO carryover.
• Flexible options to adjust PTO or 401(k) contributions in exchange for salary adjustments.

Health & Wellness

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with significant company contributions.
• Platinum POS ($0 deductible) or High Deductible POS options.
• Company contributes 25% of the deductible to your HSA quarterly.

Insurance & Education

• Company-paid Life, AD&D, and Disability insurance (Short-term and Long-term).
• Up to $5,000 annually for certifications, courses, conferences, and books.
• $100 annually toward company-branded apparel.

Why This Role

This position provides the opportunity to steer the technical direction of high-impact programs involving massive-scale data and distributed architectures. It is designed for a senior leader who thrives on solving "Big Data" challenges and navigating the complexities of mission-critical government systems.
We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, or military service.