Principal Systems Engineer ( TS​/SCI Poly

Systems Engineer

Location: Annapolis Junction, MD
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Advanced Data Systems, Multimedia Processing, Distributed Storage
Compensation: $221,000 – $247,000 annually (commensurate with experience)

Clearance Requirement: TS/SCI with Polygraph

We are seeking a Systems Engineer to design, develop, and integrate large-scale, secure, high-throughput storage and retrieval systems. This role focuses on multimedia and multilingual content processing across globally distributed environments, leveraging modern distributed storage frameworks and integrating Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) technologies.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in distributed storage architectures, metadata analytics, performance optimization, and secure system integration for mid-to-large scale programs.

• Design, develop, and support distributed peer-to-peer storage and retrieval systems operating at scale (500+ nodes)
• Architect solutions for ingesting, storing, indexing, and retrieving large volumes of multimedia and multilingual content
• Develop and optimize metadata indexing, summarization, data mining, visualization, and analytics capabilities
• Define and implement system performance, availability, scalability, manageability, and security requirements
• Design and optimize storage, retrieval, backup, and data retention strategies for globally distributed, high-throughput systems
• Develop and deploy storage solutions within clustered and cloud-based environments
• Integrate and extend COTS and GOTS products from multiple vendors into cohesive system architectures
• Design and implement distributed storage routing and querying algorithms
• Implement and manage storage area networks (SANs), data warehouses, and data marts
• Collaborate with end users and cross-functional Integrated Product Teams (IPTs)
• Plan and integrate secure, compliant solutions aligned with legal, policy, and regulatory requirements
• Lead and contribute to agile and spiral development efforts
• Produce clear, concise technical documentation for system designs, issues, and training materials

• Extensive experience working with large-scale multimedia and multilingual content processing systems
• Strong background in distributed peer-to-peer storage architectures and large-node environments
• Proven experience with metadata-driven systems, analytics, and data visualization
• Hands‑on experience integrating and extending COTS and GOTS technologies
• Experience developing and deploying storage solutions in clustered or cloud environments
• Demonstrated ability to work directly with users and within cross‑IPT environments
• Experience leading or contributing to agile and/or spiral development models
• 20+ years of experience in relative work and scope

• Deep knowledge of distributed storage frameworks such as HDFS, Hadoop, HBase, Accumulo, or Big Table
• Experience with storage routing and querying algorithm development
• Experience implementing and optimizing SANs, data warehouses, and data marts
• Expertise in system performance tuning, scalability planning, and high‑availability architectures

• Competitive compensation
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 15% 401(k) contribution
• 30 PTO days with carryover available
• Annual company apparel credit

Compensation & Benefits Flexibility:

NOTE:

Client can also provide no benefits or adjust current benefits to accommodate a higher salary. Adjusted benefits may include reducing the amount contributed to the 401(k), the amount of leave, or other components. Client can also offer a higher salary in lieu of benefits, or adjust the current benefits package to accommodate increased compensation. Adjustments may include modifications to the 401(k) contribution, paid time off, or other benefit components, based on candidate preference.

• Work on complex, mission‑critical systems at enterprise scale
• Competitive compensation package
• Opportunity to influence architecture and design decisions on advanced data platforms
• Collaborative, engineering‑focused environment with high technical impact

We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non‑merit factor.