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Systems Engineer Expert with Security Clearance

Cornerstone DefenseHerndon, VA🇺🇸United StatesPosted Sep 8, 2026

Why This Role Stands Out

Elevate your career as a Systems Engineer Expert at Cornerstone Defense, where you'll tackle complex challenges for the Intelligence and Defense communities, enjoying excellent benefits and a supportive team environment. This hybrid role is ideal for experienced professionals with a TS/SCI w/ Polygraph clearance who thrive in fast-paced, high-profile settings and are eager to leverage their skills in advanced technologies. Apply today to join a company recognized as an Employer of Choice and contribute to critical national security missions.

Quick Overview

Seniority
Mid Senior
Work mode
Hybrid
Location
Herndon, VA, United States
Posted
1 week ago
DockerGCPMySQLAWSSplunkAgileAnsibleApacheAzureBashCloudFormationGitJenkinsKubernetesPowerShellPythonZero Trust

Job Description

Title: Systems Engineer Expert Location: Herndon, VA *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 : 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
  • Required Education, Experience, & Skills: We are actively seeking Systems Engineer with a Bachelors degree and a minimum of eleven (11) years experience. • Strong knowledge of Windows and Linux (RHEL based) operating systems • Familiarity with system hardening, security hardening, remote desktop, patch management, and configuration management tools • Experience supporting RMF or other accreditation frameworks (FedRAMP, NIST 800-53B, A&A, etc.) • Proficiency in scripting languages such as PowerShell, Python, Bash, Apache Web Services • Amazon Web services experience (EC2 instances, CloudFormation, S3 Storage, RDS (MySQL)) • Ability to work in a high profile fast-paced environment. • Strong oral and written communication skills • Conduct root cause analysis of noted system performance an operational issue. • Monitor the performance systems to analyze the metrics produced to identify areas of improvements and report potential anomalies. • Emergency after hours engineering support as needed. • Communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills: • Database Administrator (DBA) • Networking experience/ Automation • API Engineer • Experience working in air-gapped environments or with classified systems • Experience with Agile methodologies and working in sprint-based development cycles • Familiarity with security in CI/CD pipelines and container security (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) • Knowledge of zero trust architecture and identity/access management strategies • Toolsets & Platforms: • Security Tools: Splunk, Rapid 7 • Operating Systems: Windows Server, RHEL/CentOS, Ubuntu • Compliance Tools: Rapid 7, Greenlight, Illuminate • Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP • Automation/Scripting: PowerShell, Python, Bash, Ansible • DevSecOps: Jenkins, Git, Docker, Kubernetes • Soft Skills: • Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills • Excellent communication and documentation abilities • Self-starter with ability to manage multiple tasks

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