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 Solution Train Engineer (STE) leads the coordination, execution, and continuous improvement of a complex technical Solution Train within a large‑scale Agile and cyber‑centric Department of Defense environment. This role ensures synchronized delivery across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs), manages technical dependencies, supports engineering alignment, and facilitates major planning and execution events. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, highly engaged leader who collaborates closely with engineering teams, program leadership, vendors, and cybersecurity organizations, guiding them in Lean‑Agile and systems engineering practices while removing obstacles to successful delivery. Core Tasks:
Facilitate Solution Train execution and large-scale organizational ceremonies, including:
Facilitate Solution Train execution and lead key events, including:
Pre- and Post‑Program Increment (PI) Planning
Solution Demos
Inspect & Adapt events
Value Stream Syncs
Cross‑train planning and coordination sessions
Manage and optimize value flow through the Solution Train using enterprise tools such as Jira and Confluence.
Coordinate architectural alignment, technical interdependencies, capabilities, and integration activities across multiple ARTs and technical suppliers.
Facilitate collaboration among engineering leads, PMO representatives, vendors, and external cybersecurity organizations.
Identify, track, and resolve cross‑team impediments, risks, issues, and dependencies.
Monitor Solution Train delivery performance and provide clear progress reporting, risk visibility, and dependency tracking.
Develop and maintain documentation related to system interdependencies, requirements, architectural decisions, risks, and delivery status.
Support alignment of technical strategy, solution intent, architecture, and implementation activities.
Promote transparency and effective information flow across teams, suppliers, and leadership.
Actively engage with teams to understand needs, coordinate support, and resolve issues.
Guide, mentor, and coach RTES, Scrum Masters, technical leads, and Agile leaders in Lean‑Agile systems engineering practices.
Drive continuous improvement by supporting retrospectives and implementing actionable improvements.
Ensure Agile practices are appropriately adapted for a complex, cyber‑focused DoD program.
Partner with leadership to ensure delivery aligns with contractual, technical, security, and mission objectives.
Demonstrate familiarity with systems engineering lifecycle, baseline management, and requirements traceability.
Support Lean‑Agile transformation and SAFe implementation activities.
Qualifications
Minimum 18 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or 15 years with a Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline, or 20 years of experience with a high school diploma
Experience developing products or managing engineering activities in software, systems, or technical environments.
Demonstrated experience coordinating complex technical programs across multiple ARTs or engineering organizations.
Strong understanding of Agile at scale, especially SAFe, within a cyber‑centric DoD environment.
Experience supporting DoD contracts, military programs, or government technology initiatives.
Background in cybersecurity, cyber operations, or information assurance.
Experience facilitating large‑scale planning, synchronization, and continuous improvement events.
Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, and other enterprise collaboration tools.
Strong communication, facilitation, organization, and stakeholder‑management capabilities.
Ability to work effectively with engineering teams, PMO, leadership, vendors, and cybersecurity groups.
Demonstrated ownership, engagement, and ability to drive issues to resolution.
Required Certifications:
Candidates must hold at least one:
SAFe Solution Train Engineer (STE)
SAFe Release Train Engineer (RTE)
SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC)
Core Competencies:
Solution Train leadership and facilitation
Lean‑Agile and SAFe implementation
Systems engineering and technical integration
Cross‑program dependency management
Cybersecurity and DoD program execution
Stakeholder collaboration and communication
Risk, issue, and impediment management
Technical documentation and reporting
Coaching, mentoring, and organizational leadership
Ownership, initiative, and hands‑on engagement
Location:Springfield, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4083
Help Desk Technician Springfield, VA Target Compensation: $90k – $120k TS/SCI with Polygraph Needed to Apply
Position Summary
The Help Desk Technician provides technical and functional support for a Commercial Off‑The‑Shelf (COTS) software solution delivered to a U.S. Government customer. The COTS platform integrates with external systems to support the federal acquisition lifecycle. This role serves as a primary point of contact for end users, resolves or routes incidents and service requests, supports adoption of the new system, and helps the program maintain reliable operations and a positive customer experience. The ideal candidate combines strong customer service, disciplined troubleshooting, clear communication, and familiarity with federal IT support environments.
Key Responsibilities
End-user support: Provide responsive Tier 1 and Tier 2 assistance by phone, email, ticketing system, virtual meeting, or other approved channels.
Incident management: Log, categorize, prioritize, troubleshoot, document, and resolve incidents in accordance with established procedures and service-level targets.
Service requests: Fulfill routine requests such as account support, access questions, and system navigation assistance.
Functional support: Help contracting officers, contracting specialists, program managers, and other users understand application workflows, business rules, data requirements, approvals, and reporting features.
Escalation: Reproduce issues, capture evidence, assess operational impact, and route unresolved problems to the technical product team.
User communication: Provide clear status updates, workarounds, resolution instructions, and closure confirmations using language appropriate for both technical and nontechnical audiences.
Deployment support: Participate in go-live preparation, readiness activities, user onboarding, and post-launch hypercare.
Knowledge management: Create and maintain knowledge articles, troubleshooting guides, frequently asked questions, and standard responses.
Problem identification: Analyze recurring tickets and trends; recommend corrective actions, usability improvements, training topics, and automation opportunities.
Operational reporting: Track ticket volume, aging, resolution time, backlog, customer feedback, and recurring issue categories.
Team coordination: Collaborate with program leadership, business analysts, developers, trainers, system administrators, cybersecurity staff, and customer stakeholders.
Continuous improvement: Contribute lessons learned and recommend improvements to support processes, tools, documentation, and user experience.
Required Qualifications
Active Top Secret Security Clearance with CI Polygraph.
Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Finance, Accounting, or a STEM-related discipline. Relevant professional experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
Experience supporting Intelligence Community or DoD programs.
Experience supporting users of web-based enterprise applications in a help desk, service desk, customer support, or application support role.
Ability to troubleshoot logically, ask effective diagnostic questions, reproduce issues, and document steps and outcomes accurately.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for nontechnical users.
Professional customer service skills, sound judgment, patience, attention to detail, and a strong sense of ownership.
Ability to prioritize competing requests, meet service expectations, and remain effective during go-live or high-volume support periods.
Experience using ticketing, knowledge-base, collaboration, and remote-support tools.
Ability to learn complex federal, DoD, and Agency-specific acquisition and business processes, terminology, roles, and business rules.
Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed government and contractor teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with federal acquisition processes and the responsibilities of contracting officers, contracting specialists, and program managers.
Prior experience implementing or supporting federal financial management systems (Oracle, Momentum, SAP, Appian, or similar).
Experience with identity and access management, single sign-on, role-based permissions, browsers, and common web-application integrations.
Experience creating knowledge articles, job aids, standard operating procedures, and user training materials.
Knowledge of software development life cycle (SDLC) practices, principles, and techniques as they apply to Agile development.
Relevant certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, or Security+.
Work Location and Schedule
Work will be performed at the customer site in Springfield, VA.
This is a full-time position supporting customer-defined operating hours, with occasional extended-hours, on-call, weekend, or surge support during software releases and the annual end-of-fiscal-year surge period in August and September.
Help Desk Technician Springfield, VA
Position Summary
The Help Desk Technician provides technical and functional support for a Commercial Off‑The‑Shelf (COTS) software solution delivered to a U.S. Government customer. The COTS platform integrates with external systems to support the federal acquisition lifecycle. This role serves as a primary point of contact for end users, resolves or routes incidents and service requests, supports adoption of the new system, and helps the program maintain reliable operations and a positive customer experience. The ideal candidate combines strong customer service, disciplined troubleshooting, clear communication, and familiarity with federal IT support environments.
Key Responsibilities
End-user support: Provide responsive Tier 1 and Tier 2 assistance by phone, email, ticketing system, virtual meeting, or other approved channels.
Incident management: Log, categorize, prioritize, troubleshoot, document, and resolve incidents in accordance with established procedures and service-level targets.
Service requests: Fulfill routine requests such as account support, access questions, and system navigation assistance.
Functional support: Help contracting officers, contracting specialists, program managers, and other users understand application workflows, business rules, data requirements, approvals, and reporting features.
Escalation: Reproduce issues, capture evidence, assess operational impact, and route unresolved problems to the technical product team.
User communication: Provide clear status updates, workarounds, resolution instructions, and closure confirmations using language appropriate for both technical and nontechnical audiences.
Deployment support: Participate in go-live preparation, readiness activities, user onboarding, and post-launch hypercare.
Knowledge management: Create and maintain knowledge articles, troubleshooting guides, frequently asked questions, and standard responses.
Problem identification: Analyze recurring tickets and trends; recommend corrective actions, usability improvements, training topics, and automation opportunities.
Operational reporting: Track ticket volume, aging, resolution time, backlog, customer feedback, and recurring issue categories.
Team coordination: Collaborate with program leadership, business analysts, developers, trainers, system administrators, cybersecurity staff, and customer stakeholders.
Continuous improvement: Contribute lessons learned and recommend improvements to support processes, tools, documentation, and user experience.
Required Qualifications
Active Top Secret Security Clearance with CI Polygraph.
Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Finance, Accounting, or a STEM-related discipline. Relevant professional experience may substitute for the degree requirement.
Experience supporting Intelligence Community or DoD programs.
Experience supporting users of web-based enterprise applications in a help desk, service desk, customer support, or application support role.
Ability to troubleshoot logically, ask effective diagnostic questions, reproduce issues, and document steps and outcomes accurately.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for nontechnical users.
Professional customer service skills, sound judgment, patience, attention to detail, and a strong sense of ownership.
Ability to prioritize competing requests, meet service expectations, and remain effective during go-live or high-volume support periods.
Experience using ticketing, knowledge-base, collaboration, and remote-support tools.
Ability to learn complex federal, DoD, and Agency-specific acquisition and business processes, terminology, roles, and business rules.
Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed government and contractor teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with federal acquisition processes and the responsibilities of contracting officers, contracting specialists, and program managers.
Prior experience implementing or supporting federal financial management systems (Oracle, Momentum, SAP, Appian, or similar).
Experience with identity and access management, single sign-on, role-based permissions, browsers, and common web-application integrations.
Experience creating knowledge articles, job aids, standard operating procedures, and user training materials.
Knowledge of software development life cycle (SDLC) practices, principles, and techniques as they apply to Agile development.
Relevant certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, or Security+.
Work Location and Schedule
Work will be performed at the customer site in Springfield, VA.
This is a full-time position supporting customer-defined operating hours, with occasional extended-hours, on-call, weekend, or surge support during software releases and the annual end-of-fiscal-year surge period in August and September.
Location:Odenton, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4082
Title: Senior Information System Security Manager Location: Odenton, MD Compensation Range: $145 – 165k Clearance: *Active DoD Secret
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 Senior Information System Security Manager (ISSM) oversees the cybersecurity posture of DISA systems, ensuring compliance with DoD security requirements and safeguarding sensitive information. This role includes full lifecycle ownership of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process, development and execution of cybersecurity policies, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, security documentation oversight, and coordination with cross‑functional engineering and program teams. The ISSM ensures systems remain secure, accredited, and fully compliant with DoD standards.
Core Tasks:
Manage the full RMF lifecycle to achieve and maintain system Authority to Operate (ATO).
Provide ISSM support across FISMA, certification, and accreditation requirements.
Conduct recurring assessments of security controls and documentation within eMASS and PPSM to maintain accuracy, compliance, and audit readiness.
Manage whitelist records and address vulnerabilities identified through IAVMS scans; develop and track POA&Ms.
Maintain eMASS control records and POA&Ms in alignment with ATO conditions, approval requirements, and remediation timelines.
Coordinate cybersecurity activities for interim and final authorization to test and operate—ensuring assessments, mitigation planning, patch validation, and reporting are executed effectively.
Develop and deliver cybersecurity documentation including test plans, test reports, implementation plans, STIG/configuration artifacts, vulnerability assessment reports, and full authorization package materials.
Lead cybersecurity governance activities—managing system architectures, security requirements, protection plans, IAVA actions, and IA compliance objectives.
Prepare documentation, evidence, and briefings for DISA OAB reviews and support the team throughout the review and adjudication process.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of experience or Master’s degree with 6+ years (additional experience may substitute for education).
CISSP, CISM, or equivalent senior‑level cybersecurity certification.
Detailed knowledge of DoD cybersecurity policies, frameworks, and standards such as NIST 800‑53, RMF, FISMA, ICD 503, and JSIG.
Extensive experience maintaining ATOs for DoD enterprise systems.
Experience with system security engineering, risk management, and vulnerability assessment methodology.
Strong understanding of network security principles and common cyber tools (firewalls, IDS/IPS, SIEM, endpoint protection).
Ability to operate independently and collaboratively across cross‑functional teams.
Excellent communication skills with experience preparing and presenting detailed cybersecurity reports.
Preferred:
Experience managing security for complex DoD programs or mission‑critical systems.
Hands‑on experience with vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and audit tools.
Advanced certifications such as CISA, CEH, CSSP, etc.
Experience with configuration and change management processes in secure environments.
Experience supporting automation processes and continuous ATO (cATO) initiatives.
Location:Linthicum Heights, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4078
Title: Senior Cyber Systems Engineer Location: Linthicum Heights, MD Compensation Range: $195 – $215K *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 *
Core Tasks:
Perform cybersecurity assessments of large-scale DOD systems, utilizing an OCO (Offensive Cyber Operations) mindset to perform DCO (Defensive Cyber Operations) activities.
Perform long term, in depth vulnerability assessments leveraging systems engineering principals and knowledge, utilizing any available information, including architecture diagrams, build specifications, design documentation, and systems architecture
Perform independent verification & validation of security requirements and capabilities. Incorporating systems resiliency and security engineering concepts into acquisition documents (e.g., Performance Work Statements).
Perform technical evaluations of contractor proposals for systems resiliency, security, and cyber security considerations.
As a technical leader, Sr Systems Engineers will report to you directly. You will ensure they are fully utilized, their best skillset is being used, while encouraging them to exceed technical performance expectations. Participate in building a strong team with depth in the system engineering process and how it can be utilized in different areas within the mission space.
Leverage your interpersonal skills to foster relationship development with our customers to gain additional insights, information, and documentation to improve our ability to accomplish our mission
Qualifications
The Senior System Engineer will have minimum 12 years of System Engineering experience
High School Diploma: + 12 years System Engineering Experience
Relevant Bachelor's degree: STEM field + 8 years System Engineering
Relevant Master's degree: STEM field + 6 years System Engineering
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 Expert Application Developer designs, develops, and maintains backend libraries and integration services that convert diverse data formats into a standardized internal schema used across multiple applications. This is a hands‑on backend role focused primarily on Java, with occasional Python support. No UI development is involved.
The role also includes system administration duties, including managing MongoDB, working within Linux environments, performing server upgrades, installing RPMs, monitoring services, and troubleshooting operational issues.
Key responsibilities include implementing data ingestion and transformation logic, building reusable libraries for common data formats, ensuring performance and scalability, and contributing to architectural decisions. Collaboration is done through Git‑based workflows, code reviews, and continuous development improvements. The ideal candidate has strong Java expertise, familiarity with Python, experience with varied data formats, and practical Linux/MongoDB administration experience.
Core Tasks:
Design, develop, and maintain backend libraries and services for data ingestion, transformation, and standardization.
Implement reusable schemas consumed by multiple organizational applications.
Develop Java-based solutions, with supplemental Python work when needed.
Create shared libraries supporting common data formats.
Ensure backend system performance, scalability, and reliability.
Contribute to architectural decisions related to data modeling and integration patterns.
Administer and optimize MongoDB services.
Perform Linux-based system administration tasks, including server upgrades and RPM installations.
Monitor operational services and troubleshoot environment issues.
Collaborate via Git source control, code reviews, and iterative workflow improvements.
Analyze varied and evolving data formats (JSON, XML, CSV, custom).
Provide problem-solving and technical insight across both development and operational domains.
Qualifications Education: • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Mathematics (a minimum of four years of equivalent military experience may substitute for the degree). – or – • Master’s degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. Experience Requirements: • 12+ years with a Bachelor’s degree, or 10+ years with a Master’s degree, including knowledge/experience in three or more of the following: – System Requirements Analysis – Software System Design – Software System Development – Software System Integration – Software System Testing 8+ years of experience in four or more of the following: – Developing software applications in C, C++, or Java – Developing software for Unix, Linux, or Windows environments – Developing DLLs for Windows – Development on computer telephony platforms using Dialogic or similar technologies – Object-oriented programming – Knowledge of common protocols/standards (TCP/IP, SNMP, H.323, X.25, 802.11, 802.16, SIP, MEGACO, MGCP) – Web development with XML, PHP, MySQL, ColdFusion, or Apache – Scripting with Perl, Python, Bourne shell, C shell, or proprietary languages – Database experience with Sybase, Oracle, or Microsoft – Reverse engineering and software analysis – Kernel-level knowledge of Unix (Linux) – Bit-level data analysis
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 Senior Technical Operations Advisor provides expert-level technical, operational, and strategic support to the Office of the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (ODPCA). Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, this role supports DoD cyber workforce and readiness policy development, cyber operations forces initiatives, USCYBERCOM training and readiness efforts, cyber force design, and defensive cyber operations.
Core Tasks:
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting DoD cyber workforce, cyber operations forces, and readiness policy development.
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting development of DoD cyber workforce and readiness policy guidance.
Assist ODPCA leadership in implementing, leading, and sustaining DoD cyber operations forces strategies and initiatives.
Support implementation, leadership, and oversight of ODPCA cyber workforce priorities and Department-wide tasks.
Evaluate execution and performance of cyber workforce and Cyber Operations Forces programs to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory guidance.
Apply knowledge of readiness standards, requirements, and metrics to assess organizational capability against assigned mission demands.
Support USCYBERCOM Joint Cyber Training and Joint Force Coordinator roles, including mission-essential task identification and readiness reporting.
Assist ODPCA oversight of U.S. Cyber Command’s implementation of cyber force design and command‑and‑control activities.
Prepare and deliver technical briefings and recommendations to ODPCA leadership and senior DoD stakeholders.
Provide technical and analytical support for policy development addressing defense of critical infrastructure, control systems, operational technology networks, devices, and information.
Provide analytical and strategic support for Defensive Cyber Operations, including evaluation, development, and integration of relevant policies, strategies, forces, operational concepts, personnel requirements, and organizational structures.
Apply expert knowledge of adversary emulation, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, post‑exploitation, and cyber threat intelligence to improve DODIN defensive posture.
Analyze adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and translate technical findings into actionable policy, readiness, workforce, and operational recommendations.
Support assessments of CMF, CPT, CSSP, Red Team, and related cyber mission capabilities.
Provide expert technical advice on cyber operations, operational technology environments, readiness, force structure, training, and defensive cyber capabilities.
Coordinate with DoD Components, USCYBERCOM, Service cyber organizations, technical teams, and senior leadership.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a relevant field.
Expert‑level technical certification (e.g., GPEN, GXPN, OSCP, GIAC, or equivalent).
Minimum 15 years of experience in offensive and/or defensive cyberspace operations.
Expert‑level experience in adversary emulation, TTP analysis, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and post‑exploitation.
Deep understanding of CMF, CPT, CSSP missions and DoD Red Team methodologies, including DoDI 8585.01.
Ability to provide expert guidance supporting policy development, strategy decisions, and recommendations to improve the DODIN defensive posture.
Knowledge of cyber threat intelligence and operational technology environments.
Experience supporting cyber workforce, readiness, training, force design, or defensive cyber operations initiatives.
Ability to interface effectively with senior‑level management.
Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, briefing, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to provide expert technical support and advice.
Preferred:
Former military Red Team operator, CPT operator, Hunt operator, CMF Team Lead, or commander.
Experience supporting USCYBERCOM Joint Cyber Training, Joint Force Coordinator roles, mission-essential task development, or readiness reporting.
Experience with DoD cyber force design, command‑and‑control, operational technology security, or DODIN defense.
Advanced experience translating highly technical cyber operations and assessment results into senior‑level policy and strategic recommendations.
Location:Arlington, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4074
Title: Security Cooperation Analyst Location: Arlington & Alexandria, VA Compensation Range: $185 -$205K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI 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 *
Position Description: The Security Cooperation Analyst supports the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Operations Policy (DASW COP) by providing policy, analytical, and technical expertise that advances cyberspace security cooperation programs across the Department. Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, this role contributes to defensive cyber operations, critical infrastructure protection, cyber resilience, and whole‑of‑government efforts to counter malicious cyber threats. Candidates may be considered at the Journeyman or Senior level depending on experience.
Core Tasks:
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting DoD cyber workforce, cyber operations forces, and readiness policy development.
Assist DASW COP leadership in developing and updating DoW policy for defensive cyber operations, including the defense of critical infrastructure, the defense industrial base, and critical warfighting capabilities.
Support DASW COP leadership in drafting policy to deter, prevent, and respond to DoW and national‑level cybersecurity intrusions and incidents, enhancing resiliency and agility.
Assist implementation of lines of effort under DoW’s Cyber Strategy.
Support DoW participation in whole‑of‑government efforts to counter malicious cyber threats, coordinating with diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence, and network defense communities.
Provide policy oversight and alignment assessments for cyberspace security cooperation programs to ensure consistency with DoW policy and strategy.
Use knowledge of security cooperation processes to assess feasibility of proposed cyber security cooperation programs.
Support development, coordination, and implementation of cyberspace security cooperation policies, strategies, programs, and initiatives.
Analyze proposed cyber security cooperation activities for feasibility, alignment, risks, resource needs, and implementation considerations.
Coordinate with DoW and Service staffs, military commands, interagency organizations, diplomatic partners, international stakeholders, law enforcement, intelligence, and network defense communities.
Provide technical support, policy analysis, and senior‑level guidance on cyber security cooperation, defensive cyber operations, cyber resilience, and related initiatives.
Support policy reviews, stakeholder engagements, working groups, and senior‑level coordination sessions.
Track program activities, milestones, risks, issues, action items, and coordination requirements.
Brief complex cyber policy, operational matters, and security cooperation topics to senior‑level leadership.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a relevant field.
Minimum 8 years of combined experience within the Office of the Secretary of War and/or Service staff supporting cyberspace security cooperation development and implementation.
Knowledge of cyberspace security cooperation processes and activities.
Ability to assess feasibility of proposed cyber security cooperation programs.
Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice.
Ability to interface effectively with senior‑level management.
Excellent verbal, interpersonal, written, coordination, and presentation skills.
Preferred:
Master’s degree from an accredited university.
Experience supporting DoW, Service, combatant command, interagency, or international cyber security cooperation programs.
Familiarity with DoW Cyber Strategy, defensive cyberspace operations, critical infrastructure protection, defense industrial base resilience, cyber resiliency, and cyber incident response.
Experience developing policy, coordinating across organizational boundaries, and preparing executive‑level briefings and decision‑support materials.
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 Offensive Cyber Operations Analyst supports the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Operations Policy by providing analytical, strategic, and technical expertise that informs the development, implementation, and assessment of policies, strategies, and plans for offensive cyberspace operations. Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, this role contributes to shaping DoW offensive cyber initiatives, evaluating operational effectiveness, and producing senior‑level decision materials that ensure offensive cyber missions are aligned with national and departmental priorities.
Core Tasks:
Provide analytical and strategic support for Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO), including monitoring and evaluating planned and executed operations and campaigns.
Conduct deliberate analysis of offensive cyber missions, operational objectives, risks, authorities, and outcomes.
Support the development and implementation of policies, strategies, plans, and authorities related to offensive cyberspace operations.
Assist leadership in assessing the alignment of OCO activities with DoW policy, strategy, guidance, and operational requirements.
Apply knowledge of intelligence‑development‑operations, targeting, and USCYBERCOM processes to support OCO policy and strategy development.
Provide technical support and advice on offensive cyber capabilities, processes, mission execution, and operational planning.
Prepare analyses, reports, briefings, summaries, and decision‑support materials for senior DoW leadership.
Brief complex cyber operational, policy, strategy, and risk concepts to GO/FO/SES‑level leaders.
Coordinate with DoW organizations, USCYBERCOM, intelligence partners, operational commands, and other stakeholders to synchronize offensive cyber activities.
Support identification of operational risks, capability gaps, policy issues, and opportunities to improve offensive cyber mission effectiveness.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a related field.
Minimum 12 years of experience supporting offensive cyberspace operations.
Demonstrated experience providing technical support and advice on offensive cyber capabilities, processes, and mission execution.
Familiarity with intelligence‑development‑operations, targeting, and USCYBERCOM processes.
Knowledge of offensive cyber policy development, strategy formulation, and implementation.
Minimum 5 years of experience briefing complex cyber operational, policy, and risk concepts to GO/FO/SES‑level leaders.
Ability to interface effectively with senior‑level leadership.
Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
Preferred:
Master’s degree from an accredited university.
Experience supporting DoW or USCYBERCOM offensive cyber policy, planning, or operations.
Familiarity with cyber authorities, operational planning processes, and joint cyberspace operations.
Location:Arlington, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4072
Title: Defensive Cyber Analyst Location: Arlington & Alexandria, VA Compensation Range: $185 -$205K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI 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 *
Position Description: The Defensive Cyber Analyst supports Cyber Operations Policy leadership by providing technical, policy, and analytical expertise that advances defensive cyberspace operations, critical infrastructure protection, defense industrial base resilience, and national‑level cyber incident response initiatives. Depending on experience, candidates may be hired at either the Journeyman or Senior level. This position supports operations across the Pentagon and associated DoW mission spaces.
Core Tasks:
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting DoD cyber workforce, cyber operations forces, and readiness policy development.
Support the development and update of DoW policy for defensive cyber operations, including defense of critical infrastructure, the defense industrial base, and critical warfighting capabilities.
Assist in developing policies and strategies to deter, prevent, and respond to cybersecurity intrusions and incidents.
Support implementation of lines of effort under the DoW Cyber Strategy.
Provide technical and analytical support on defensive cyber capabilities, processes, operations, and execution.
Support cyber resilience, incident response, threat mitigation, and layered defense initiatives.
Contribute to whole‑of‑government efforts addressing malicious cyber threats in coordination with diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence, and network defense organizations.
Assess the alignment and feasibility of cybersecurity cooperation programs with DoW policy and strategy.
Brief complex cyber operational, policy, and risk concepts to GO/FO/SES‑level leaders.
Coordinate with senior leaders, military commands, interagency partners, and other stakeholders to ensure synchronized defensive cyber operations and policy implementation.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a relevant field.
Minimum 8 years of experience in defensive cyberspace operations, critical infrastructure protection, defense industrial base resilience, incident response, or a related field.
Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and advice on defensive cyber capabilities, policies, processes, and operations.
Familiarity with defensive cyber policy development, strategy formulation, and implementation.
At least 5 years of experience briefing complex cyber operational, policy, and risk concepts to GO/FO/SES‑level leaders.
Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
Ability to interface effectively with senior-level leadership.
Preferred:
Master’s degree from an accredited university.
Experience with cybersecurity cooperation, whole‑of‑government cyber initiatives, or defense industrial base policy.
Familiarity with DoW cyber strategy, critical infrastructure protection, and national‑level cyber incident response.
Location:Arlington, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4071
Title: Senior Readiness Data Analyst Location: Arlington & Alexandria, VA Compensation Range: $185 -$205K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI 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 *
Position Description: The Readiness Data Analyst supports the Office of the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (DPCA) for Forces & Readiness by providing analytical, operational, and policy expertise that informs cyber workforce development, readiness assessment, and DoD-wide cyber force initiatives. Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, this role plays a critical part in shaping cyber readiness standards, analyzing force capability, supporting cyber training and readiness reporting, and producing executive-level guidance that ensures cyber forces are prepared to meet operational and strategic demands.
Core Tasks:
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting DoD cyber workforce, cyber operations forces, and readiness policy development.
Support implementation and oversight of cyber force strategies, initiatives, workforce priorities, and operational requirements.
Analyze readiness data, standards, and metrics to assess organizational capability against mission demands.
Develop and apply MET/METL‑based assessment criteria and readiness models.
Support USCYBERCOM Joint Cyber Training and Joint Force Coordinator activities, including mission-essential task identification and readiness reporting.
Aggregate, analyze, and visualize readiness data using tools such as Tableau and Power BI.
Translate complex operational and readiness data into clear insights and recommendations for senior leadership.
Evaluate cyber workforce and cyber operations forces programs for compliance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements.
Support analysis of cyber force design, command and control, defensive cyber operations, personnel requirements, and organizational structures.
Provide technical and analytical support for policies related to the defense of critical infrastructure, control systems, and operational technology networks.
Develop executive‑level briefings, reports, dashboards, and decision-support materials.
Coordinate with senior leaders, military commands, interagency partners, and Department stakeholders to synchronize readiness priorities.
Qualifications
Master’s degree in data science, statistics, operations research, or a related field with 10 years of relevant experience; or bachelor’s degree with 12 years of relevant experience.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in data science, analytics, military readiness reporting, operational assessments, or a related discipline.
Experience with the Defense Readiness Reporting System and MET/METL‑based assessments.
Expertise in data aggregation, analysis, readiness modeling, and dashboard development.
Knowledge of military tasks, conditions, standards, readiness requirements, and operational assessments.
Familiarity with Joint Operations doctrine (including JP 3‑0 and JP 3‑12), with the ability to analyze EXORDs and FRAGORDs.
Strong analytical, technical, written, and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to provide sound technical advice and interface effectively with senior leaders.
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 Senior Storage Administrator/Engineer supports the Corporate Storage Team by providing expert‑level technical, operational, and analytical support for enterprise backup systems, storage arrays, SAN environments, and related infrastructure. This role is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and enhancing backup and storage capabilities while ensuring system security, resiliency, and compliance. The position operates out of Emerson 6 and includes scheduled rotational on‑call duties for after‑hours support.
Core Tasks:
Conduct deliberate analysis supporting DoD cyber workforce, cyber operations forces, and readiness policy development.
Monitor and manage enterprise backup systems, including NetBackup, Cohesity, Commvault, and Rubrik platforms.
Work directly with customers to onboard new servers and virtual machines into backup solutions and troubleshoot related issues.
Configure new backup solutions as they are procured and brought into the environment.
Troubleshoot and coordinate break/fix efforts for backup appliances (NetBackup, Cohesity, Rubrik) and storage arrays including Oracle ZFS, NetApp, Vast, and IBM systems.
Monitor, diagnose, and resolve SAN issues, including command‑line troubleshooting and zoning configuration.
Collaborate with the ISSO to ensure security vulnerabilities are properly remediated and systems remain compliant.
Support ISSO activities related to System Security Plan (SSP) re‑authorization.
Maintain reliable daily operations and support after-hours requirements via rotational on-call responsibilities.
Qualifications
Security+ CE or higher‑level cybersecurity certification.
Minimum 10 years of relevant experience as a Systems Administrator or Storage Administrator.
Location:Poway, CA
Type:Contract
Job#4069
Teamcenter Programming SME Poway, CA
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.
Job Responsibilities:
Work as part of the customer's Agile team, joining daily coordination with technical leads, product owners, and stakeholders.
Review the Teamcenter work backlog, size up technical complexity, help set priorities, and complete items in the order the customer directs.
Build, configure, customize, and troubleshoot Teamcenter, including:
Server-side customization, BMIDE data model changes, and deployment packages
ITK exits, handlers, utilities, and batch processing
SOA services and integrations
Rich Client (RAC) and Active Workspace (AWC) customization
Workflow configuration and workflow handler development
Access Manager, organization, preferences, and queries
Dispatcher, TCCS/FMS, and translation services
Review existing AWC and Teamcenter customizations for upgrade compatibility, identify what needs rework, and make the fixes.
Support deployment, testing, defect fixes, and stabilization in lower environments during upgrade work.
Investigate defects, find root causes, document findings, and put lasting fixes in place.
Support PLM business processes such as document management, change management, product structure/BOM, workflow, and access control.
Write and maintain technical documentation, including design notes, deployment steps, configuration guides, test evidence, and knowledge transfer materials.
Run unit tests and support system, integration, and user acceptance testing; fix issues found along the way.
Provide a weekly written status report covering completed work, work in progress, next steps, risks, dependencies, and backlog progress.
Coordinate with the customer's engineering, infrastructure, security, and business teams.
Follow the customer's coding standards, branching strategy, change control, and review/approval processes.
Protect sensitive information, work only in approved environments and tools, and handle credentials only through approved secrets management processes.
Required Skills:
7-10 years of hands-on Siemens Teamcenter development and configuration experience
Experience with BMIDE, ITK (C/C++), and SOA services
Experience customizing Active Workspace (AWC) and/or the Rich Client (RAC)
Experience configuring workflows and developing workflow handlers
Working knowledge of Teamcenter administration areas such as Access Manager, preferences, queries, Dispatcher, and FMS
Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
Experience working on Agile teams and using version control (e.g., Git)
Clear written communication, including technical documentation and status reporting
Ability to work under strict security, change control, and export control requirements
Desired Skills:
Experience with Teamcenter and AWC version upgrades, including customization retrofit work
Experience supporting PLM processes such as change management, BOM/product structure, and document management
Company Benefits: Cornerstone Defense offers a comprehensive list of benefits, designed to give employees and their families several options to choose from when selecting benefits that best fit their needs. These offerings include not only a full suite of the traditional Medical/Dental/Vision insurances, but also a number of other benefits and perks to include, but not limited to: A 401(K) plan with a company match, tuition and training assistances, paid vacation/leave, a fitness reimbursement program, college savings plan, commuter benefits, financial advisory services, flex spending accounts, health savings accounts, STD/LTD coverage, life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance programs, life financial planning assistance, and legal resources.
Type:Contract
Job#4067
Cyber Systems Engineer Sunnyvale, CA Active Secret or Top Secret Salary Range: $90,000 – $165,000 Certification Requirements: Current Security+ (CompTIA)
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.
Job Responsibilities: The engineer will deliver IT and cyber‑systems security support for the COOLR program’s AEHF System Database (ASDB), Flight Software (FSW), and Network AEHF System Testbed‑Tools (NAST‑T).
Responsible for maintaining the digital ecosystem across production and testing environments, ensuring all systems remain efficient, secure, and reliable.
Follow a 9x80A schedule.
100% on-site.
Requires a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of seven years of relevant experience.
Active Security+ certification
System Administration (Linux/UNIX, Windows, embedded hardware) – deploy, configure, harden, troubleshoot, and support disaster‑recovery (NetBackup/Veeam).
Storage Management – install, secure, and monitor NetApp or other NAS/SAN solutions.
Change & Asset Management – execute changes using change‑management tools and keep asset inventories up to date.
Operational Support – work onsite during day‑shift business hours; provide after‑hours support when critical operations demand it.
Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing – lead technical best‑practice discussions, mentor peers, and coordinate with functional teams to resolve issues.
Company Benefits: Cornerstone Defense offers a comprehensive list of benefits, designed to give employees and their families several options to choose from when selecting benefits that best fit their needs. These offerings include not only a full suite of the traditional Medical/Dental/Vision insurances, but also a number of other benefits and perks to include, but not limited to: A 401(K) plan with a company match, tuition and training assistances, paid vacation/leave, a fitness reimbursement program, college savings plan, commuter benefits, financial advisory services, flex spending accounts, health savings accounts, STD/LTD coverage, life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance programs, life financial planning assistance, and legal resources.
Type:Contract
Job#4064
Systems Adminstrator McLean, VA Salary Range: $190-210k Cornerstone Defense has an immediate need for a Linux System Engineer supporting a program comprised of linux (80%), windows (20%), virtualization, storage, network, HW, and data center engineers. The team offers rewarding opportunities to think outside the box in order to deliver innovative and sustainable IT environments to our customers. The system administrators work both independently and as a member of an integrated product team supporting a wide variety of basic and complex computing and network configurations and must have proven Linux experience.
As a contributor to the intelligence community’s first multi-cloud initiative, you will be at the epicenter of emergent cloud computing technologies establishing a foundation that will evolve to include all agencies within the IC
Specific duties and responsibilities of the Linux System Engineer may include, but are not limited to:
Architecting, deploying, and managing large Linux networked environments including deployment and configuration
Needs to know Linux really well and have a working understanding of Rocky 9 and Kubernetes
Installing, configuring, updating and removing system and application software
Hardening Linux serverinstallations
Installing, configuring, updating and removing system hardware (servers, workstations, transceivers, network interface cards)
Configuring NFS, SAMBA, and SAN
Monitoring and allocating system resources (CPU, memory, and storage space)
Proven experience creating, implementing, and maintaining scripts for process automation, infrastructure monitoring, and proactive reporting
Auditing system log files, to include compliance audits
Diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware and software problems
Documenting hardware and software configurations, maintenance history, and backup history
Implementing up-to-date system policies and procedures
Updating/patching system operating systems
Proven experience in all aspects of managing large Linux environments including the use of configuration management tools like Puppet and Ansible for centralized management and configuration of systems to enforce security controls
Ability to utilize analysis tools to resolve complex network, systems, and application performance problems
Responding to inquiries concerning all aspects of computer and network operations
Creating and managing user/group accounts (ex: Active Directory (AD))
Minimum Qualifications and Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, mathematics, or equivalent experience, and six (6) years of relevant experience (see below bullets). Fourteen (14) years of equivalent military training and/or experience in an information technology field will be considered in lieu of a degree.
Five (5) years or more of total intelligence community relevant work experience as a system administrator
Five (5) years’ experience as a system administrator
Type:Contract
Job#4063
Network Engineer McLean, VA Salary Range: $160-235k The on-site Network Engineer shall perform the following minimum duties:
Assisting the System Administrators as assigned by the Lead System Administrator.
Assisting the Lead Network Engineer in developing and implementing IT/network plans
Installing, configuring and managing network security (firewalls, IP blocking).
Configuring and managing virtual private networks (VPNs)
Required Skills:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, mathematics or four (4) years equivalent experience as network engineer or network technician.
Six (6) years’ experience with Cisco Catalyst switches and other Cisco network hardware.
Seven (7) year intelligence community experience as a network engineer or network administrator.
Desired Skills:
3-5 years of HAND-ON network engineering experience in customer environment
Hands-on Cisco Catalyst switch experience (Nexus switch experience would be a HUGE plus)
CCNP-level knowledge of Cisco networking (No requirement for certification, but understanding at this level is required)
Familiarity with cabling types/standards (i.e., Single Mode vs. Multi Mode, LC connector vs. SC connector, Cat5/6/7, etc…)
Good understanding of network link virtualization technologies (i.e., Ether-channel/Port-channel, Nexus virtual port-channels (vpcs))
Willingness to perform layer 1 tasks as needed (pulling cable, racking/stacking, etc…)
Strong troubleshooting skills
Strong project management experience (i.e., ability to manage projects through their full lifecycle in order to meet deadlines)
Ability to use MS Visio to produce network diagrams
Must be able to survive and thrive in a non-enterprise, fast paced environment
Ability to create and present presentations and other ad-hoc technical briefings as necessary
Understanding of how mission enclaves communicate with Enterprise networks
Familiarity with Cisco Firewall Management Center to manage Firepower firewall
Experience with Cisco Nexus Ethernet switching platforms (Nexus 5500, 5600, 7700, and 9500)
Experience with Cisco MDS Fibre Channel switching platforms (MDS 9000)
Familiarity with Storage Area Networking (SAN) and Fibre Channel protocols and standards
Familiarity with Linux operating system
Familiarity with SolarWinds network management/monitoring tool
Familiarity with virtual appliances (switches, firewalls, etc…)
Familiarity with JIRA
Experience working in a ‘mission-like’ environment (outside of Enterprise comms)
AWS/Cloud familiarity
Location:Ford Island, Hawaii
Type:Contract
Job#4062
Title: Senior NOC Technician – Joint Fires Network (JFN) Location: Ford Island, HI Compensation Range: $60 – $80k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret required*
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 NOC Technician supports the Joint Fires Network (JFN) Operations Center, providing 24/7/365 network monitoring, incident management, fault analysis, and advanced technical troubleshooting across DISN infrastructure. This role requires strong technical acumen, operational discipline, and the ability to manage complex multi‑layer network issues while coordinating with customers, service providers, leadership, and cross‑functional teams.
Core Tasks:
Create, update, and manage incident tickets using ServiceNow ITSM+S and Jira; independently triage queue activity and provide guidance on critical tickets.
Monitor network events and alarms 24/7/365; proactively analyze faults, identify impacts, isolate issues, correlate data, and coordinate remediation.
Notify key stakeholders of network incidents, providing timely situational awareness and clear communication to leadership, customers, and O&M teams.
Support root‑cause analysis and troubleshooting across routers, switches, crypto devices, and transport systems; coordinate component replacement and service‑provider actions.
Restore network services, ensure SLA compliance, update the CMDB, reroute circuits, and maintain documentation throughout outages and service degradations.
Assist with training and oversight of Network Controllers; evaluate SOPs, tools, and training programs for improvement.
Provide advanced technical guidance and resolve multi‑layer network issues spanning multiple NOCs and operational domains.
Support projects impacting future DISN/O&M operations and contribute technical insights to leadership.
Maintain and enhance centralized error databases for improved fault correlation and response efficiency.
Qualifications:
High school diploma or equivalent, plus 3–5 years of relevant experience.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II baseline certification (e.g., Security+ CE) by start date.
Ability to work in a 24/7 operational environment.
Experience in one or more: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN/WAN maintenance, performance management.
Advanced knowledge in at least four of the following:
Routers
Switches
Crypto devices
DSN/DRSN
Video Services
Promina
Cisco
Juniper
MSPP
DWDM
Optical Switching
Moderate understanding of IP and transport network topologies
Preferred:
Experience in tech control, cyber transport, or Telco NOC environments.
Familiarity with circuit actions and vendor coordination.
Location:Ford Island, Hawaii
Type:Contract
Job#4061
Title: Network Engineer II – Joint Fires Network (JFN) Location: Ford Island, HI Compensation Range: $70 – $90k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret required*
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 Network Engineer II executes real‑time network operations, analysis, troubleshooting, and change management across DISN transport and IP infrastructure. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, operational awareness, and customer‑focused communication to maintain maximum network availability and support critical DoD missions. Engineers work in a 24×7 environment and coordinate directly with customers, government agencies, O&M teams, and higher‑tier engineering organizations.
Core Tasks:
Execute network operations including configuration, analysis, and support of customer circuits across optical platforms, multiplexers, routers, and switches.
Perform real‑time circuit redesign and alternate routing to restore connectivity during outages, maintenance, or service degradations.
Coordinate with internal/external customers, government agencies, and engineering tiers to minimize mission impact and maintain operational readiness.
Monitor network alarms using platform‑specific management tools and proactively identify service‑impacting conditions.
Perform change‑management actions including hardware replacement, software configuration updates, and ASI execution.
Utilize incident management tools to document outages, degradations, escalation paths, troubleshooting steps, and full lifecycle resolution details.
Identify and recommend corrective actions for network incidents leveraging knowledge of routers, switches, crypto devices, transport systems, Cisco, Juniper, MSPP, optical transport, MPLS, TDM, and SDH/SONET.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years relevant experience, or equivalent education/experience combination.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent) prior to start date.
Ability to work in a 24×7 shift environment.
Working knowledge of both IP and Transport network topologies.
Preferred:
Tech control facility or cyber transport experience.
Experience with circuit actions, vendor coordination, and IP/Transport architecture.
SolarWinds and Jira experience.
Telco NOC, inside plant, or outside plant experience.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, Teams).
Experience in one or more areas: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management, change management.
Location:Ft. Meade, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4060
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.
Location:Ft. Meade, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4059
Title: Senior Network Administrator Location: Ft. Meade, MD Compensation Range: $130 – $150k Clearance: *Active DoD TS (TS/SCI eligibility required)
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 Senior Network Administrator works independently to configure, maintain, secure, and troubleshoot network assets including switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, and related infrastructure. This role supports network modernization projects, collaborates with external partners, provides architecture recommendations, and leverages Linux/Windows system administration familiarity to manage and integrate network systems.
Core Tasks:
Configure and manage network assets such as switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, and related devices.
Perform routine maintenance, troubleshooting, updates, and security hardening on Cisco, Juniper, and Dell network equipment.
Create and maintain accurate system documentation, configuration management records, and change management artifacts.
Conduct checklist‑driven reviews to ensure compliance with cybersecurity controls and mitigation requirements.
Provide technical insight, timelines, and resource assessments for global network architecture upgrade projects.
Implement recurring security requirements and system hardening procedures across network devices.
Coordinate troubleshooting efforts with external partners and mission stakeholders.
Utilize Linux and Windows system administration skills to navigate and manage network‑connected environments.
Provide architecture and topology recommendations to improve efficiency, resilience, and system performance.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience (additional experience may substitute for degree).
At least 3 years of Linux and/or Windows experience.
DoD 8140 certification supporting Network Operations Specialist (e.g., Security+, CEH).
CCNA/CCNP or equivalent certification, or ability to obtain within 90 days of start.
Preferred:
Experience integrating Network Management (NM) and Element Management (EM) systems with performance, ticketing, and security subsystems.
Experience with BM, ServiceNow, ITSM, or Remedy ticketing systems.
ITIL v3 Foundation certification.
Experience working with virtualized environments.
Location:Ft. Meade, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4058
Title: Senior System Administrator (VDI) Location: Ft. Meade, MD Compensation Range: $130 – $150k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret (TS/SCI eligibility required)*
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 System Administrator delivers expertise across Windows, Linux, and Solaris environments, providing strategic technical leadership and advanced operational support for VDI systems. This role includes escalation support for outages, coordination with Tier III teams, policy development, documentation management, and mentorship of junior staff. The administrator will lead onboarding and standup of new enclaves and ensure technical quality and security compliance across all managed systems.
Core Tasks:
Serve as senior technical expert for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and lead all VDI‑related operations, troubleshooting, and system enhancements.
Lead resolution efforts for major escalated outages and operate effectively in rapid‑paced, mission‑critical environments.
Provide strategic guidance to development partners on emerging technologies, evolving customer needs, and modernization opportunities.
Lead onboarding, configuration, and standup of new enclaves, systems, and environments.
Coordinate with Tier III support and evaluate vendor solutions and enterprise product offerings.
Develop, implement, and enforce policies and standards for resource allocation and system usage.
Create, maintain, and update detailed technical documentation and standard operating procedures.
Apply security settings, hardening requirements, and best‑practice configurations across managed environments.
Mentor, coach, and review work performed by junior technical staff.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of experience in Windows/Linux/Solaris system administration (additional experience or training may substitute for degree).
Experience administering Windows, Linux, and Solaris servers with expertise in at least one.
Extensive experience with VMware, virtualization technologies, and VDI operations.
DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent) required.
Preferred:
Experience integrating cybersecurity tools and systems with network performance, trouble‑ticketing, and security subsystems.
Knowledge of network fundamentals including TCP/IP.
Experience with ServiceNow or similar ticketing systems.
ITIL v3 Foundation certification.
Location:Belleville, Illinois
Type:Contract
Job#4057
Title: NOC Technician III – Transport/IP (Trip) Location: Scott AFB, IL Compensation Range: $50 – $70k Clearance: *Active DoD Secret required* Schedule: Rotating w/ 10% Travel
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 NOC Technician III provides advanced network monitoring, fault analysis, incident correlation, service restoration, and customer coordination for DISN transport and IP infrastructure. This senior‑level role requires deep technical expertise, strong analytical skills, and the ability to lead complex troubleshooting within a high‑tempo operations environment.
Core Tasks:
Create, update, and track incident tickets in Remedy while monitoring network events and alarms across multiple tools in a 24/7/365 environment.
Perform incident correlation, fault analysis, and root‑cause isolation by filtering and interpreting alarm data, identifying impacts, determining failed elements, and coordinating corrective actions.
Diagnose and troubleshoot faults involving systems, circuits, hardware, software, facilities, and multi‑layer network components including routers, switches, crypto devices, optical systems, DSN/DRSN, Cisco/Juniper platforms, MSPP, DWDM, and transport/IP routing.
Execute change‑management tasks such as hardware replacement, software configuration, ASI support, fault logging, testing, localization, and assignment of incidents.
Restore network services by executing reroutes, normalization, and coordination with service providers; verify service restoration and document actions in the CMDB.
Provide Tier I/Tier II sustainment support, deliver timely situational awareness to leadership, and maintain continuous communication with O&M teams, customers, and mission partners.
Escalate incidents appropriately between Tier I and Tier II and maintain accurate ticket status, tracking, and reporting.
Assist with training Network Controllers, evaluate SOPs, tools, and processes, and contribute technical guidance for complex issues.
Support global situational awareness operations and demonstrate proficiency across multiple DISN functions and technologies.
Qualifications:
High school diploma and 2–4 years of relevant experience.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II baseline certification (e.g., Security+ CE) by start date.
Ability to work in a 24/7 operational environment.
Experience with one or more: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management.
Expertise in at least three technologies: routers, switches, crypto devices, routing, DSN/DRSN, video services, Promina, Cisco, Juniper, MSPP, DWDM, optical switching.
General understanding of transport and IP network topologies.
Preferred:
Tech control facility or cyber transport experience.
Circuit actions and vendor coordination experience.
Strong IP architecture background.
Experience in Telco NOC, inside plant, or outside plant environments.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Teams).
Experience in one or more areas: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management, change management.
Title: Network Engineer III – Joint Fires Network (JFN) Location: Scott AFB, IL Compensation Range: $100 – $120k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret required* Schedule: Rotating w/ 10% Travel
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 Network Engineer III serves as a senior‑level network operations engineer responsible for advanced network troubleshooting, complex circuit redesign, deep analysis of transport/IP connectivity, and leadership-level operational support within a 24×7 environment. This role requires substantial technical proficiency, strong situational judgment, and the ability to independently resolve multi‑layer transport and IP issues impacting high‑visibility DoD customers.
Core Tasks:
Execute network operations involving configuration, analysis, and optimization of customer circuits across optical multiplexers, electro‑optical systems, routers, and switches.
Perform real‑time circuit redesign and routing adjustments to restore connectivity during outages, maintenance events, or unexpected network degradations.
Engage directly with internal customers, external agencies, service providers, and higher‑tier engineering teams to maintain maximum network availability.
Proactively monitor alarms using platform‑specific network management tools to rapidly detect service‑impacting conditions.
Perform change‑management tasks including hardware replacements, platform configurations, and ASI updates.
Use incident management applications to thoroughly document outages, escalation paths, troubleshooting actions, root cause isolation, and resolutions.
Assess, diagnose, and recommend corrective actions for advanced network issues using deep expertise across routers, switches, crypto devices, Cisco, Juniper, MSPP, optical transport, MPLS, TDM, and SDH/SONET networks.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education/experience.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent) prior to start date.
Ability to work in a 24×7 shift environment.
Deep Understanding of IP and Transport network topologies.
Preferred:
Experience within tech control or cyber transport environments.
Background in circuit actions and vendor coordination.
Strong IP/Transport architecture experience.
Experience with SolarWinds and Jira.
Telco NOC, inside plant, or outside plant experience.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Teams).
Experience in one or more: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management, change management.
Location:Belleville, Illinois
Type:Contract
Job#4055
Title: Network Engineer II – Joint Fires Network (JFN) Location: Scott AFB, IL Compensation Range: $70 – $90k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret required* Schedule: Rotating w/ 10% Travel
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 Network Engineer II executes real‑time network operations, analysis, troubleshooting, and change management across DISN transport and IP infrastructure. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, operational awareness, and customer‑focused communication to maintain maximum network availability and support critical DoD missions. Engineers work in a 24×7 environment and coordinate directly with customers, government agencies, O&M teams, and higher‑tier engineering organizations.
Core Tasks:
Execute network operations including configuration, analysis, and support of customer circuits across optical platforms, multiplexers, routers, and switches.
Perform real‑time circuit redesign and alternate routing to restore connectivity during outages, maintenance, or service degradations.
Coordinate with internal/external customers, government agencies, and engineering tiers to minimize mission impact and maintain operational readiness.
Monitor network alarms using platform‑specific management tools and proactively identify service‑impacting conditions.
Perform change‑management actions including hardware replacement, software configuration updates, and ASI execution.
Utilize incident management tools to document outages, degradations, escalation paths, troubleshooting steps, and full lifecycle resolution details.
Identify and recommend corrective actions for network incidents leveraging knowledge of routers, switches, crypto devices, transport systems, Cisco, Juniper, MSPP, optical transport, MPLS, TDM, and SDH/SONET.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years relevant experience, or equivalent education/experience combination.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent) prior to start date.
Ability to work in a 24×7 shift environment.
Working knowledge of both IP and Transport network topologies.
Preferred:
Tech control facility or cyber transport experience.
Experience with circuit actions, vendor coordination, and IP/Transport architecture.
SolarWinds and Jira experience.
Telco NOC, inside plant, or outside plant experience.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint, Teams).
Experience in one or more areas: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management, change management.
Location:Belleville, Illinois
Type:Contract
Job#4054
Title: Network Engineer I – Joint Fires Network (JFN) Location: Scott AFB, IL Compensation Range: $55 – $75k Clearance: *Active DoD Top Secret required* Schedule: Rotating w/ 10% Travel
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 Network Engineer II executes real‑time network operations, analysis, troubleshooting, and change management across DISN transport and IP infrastructure. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, operational awareness, and customer‑focused communication to maintain maximum network availability and support critical DoD missions. Engineers work in a 24×7 environment and coordinate directly with customers, government agencies, O&M teams, and higher‑tier engineering organizations.
Core Tasks:
Execute network operations including configuration, analysis, and support of customer circuits across optical platforms, multiplexers, routers, and switches.
Perform real‑time circuit redesign and alternate routing to restore connectivity during outages, maintenance, or service degradations.
Work directly with internal/external customers, government agencies, and higher‑tier engineering teams to ensure maximum network availability.
Proactively monitor network alarms using platform‑specific tools and identify service‑impacting conditions.
Conduct change‑management tasks including hardware replacement, software configuration adjustments, and ASI execution.
Utilize incident management applications to document outages, degradations, troubleshooting steps, escalations, and resolutions throughout the lifecycle of network incidents.
Assess, identify, and recommend solutions to network issues using foundational knowledge of routers, switches, crypto devices, routing, Cisco, Juniper, MSPP, optical transport systems, MPLS, TDM, and SDH/SONET.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and less than 2 years relevant experience, or equivalent education/experience combination.
DoD‑8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent) prior to start date.
Ability to work in a 24×7 shift environment.
General understanding of both IP and Transport network topologies.
Preferred:
Experience in a tech control facility or cyber transport environment.
Exposure to circuit actions, vendor coordination, or IP/Transport architecture.
Experience with SolarWinds and Jira.
Telco NOC, inside plant, or outside plant experience.
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Teams).
Experience in one or more areas: alarm surveillance, fault management, LAN maintenance, performance management, change management.
Type:Contract
Job#4051
Title: Data EngineTitle: Data Engineer Location: Herndon, VA Salary Range: $150-200K *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 Location: Herndon, VA
We are seeking a Data Engineer in Herndon, VA. The Data Engineer is responsible for making data available, accessible, and secure to all stakeholders. As a Data Engineer on our team you will design, build, and optimize systems for data collection, storage, access, and analytics at enterprise scale.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Create robust and resilient data pipelines to connect data sources to analytics tools Work with various analysts to craft requirements Enumerate the necessary datasets and design the data model and schemas to support the requirements Provide platform support, including problem solving and debugging, for production issues Interact and collaborate across the services and communities involved in multi-domain Cyber Defense to achieve breakthrough improvements in capabilities
5 years Experience coding in Python. Solid understanding and experience with Database Management, SQL, PostgreSQL. Experience with ETL tools/data transformation/data pipeline. Experience taking data collection requirements and translating those requirements into implementable solutions. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, ability to design solutions and troubleshoot issues effectively. Analyze data sources for accuracy, data prioritization, and apply appropriate logic to developed solutions. Linux experience
Type:Contract
Job#4050
Title: Software Developer Location: Herndon, VA Salary Range: $200-$240K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph needed to apply Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Understand requirements and be able to translate the requirements into implementable solutions. • Design and develop software components which may involve interfacing with other functional teams and areas. • Coach junior team members on software development best practices, highlighting the impacts of design decisions, and making code efficient. • Participate in code and design reviews. • Research data sources and technical solutions in order to effectively extract, transform, and load data into a database for data processing and analysis. • Work with team members to understand the current product features. • Follow the development processes and standards used by the team. • Commit to continuous process improvement concerning software integration efforts and CI/CD Pipeline. • Ability to think strategically and creatively when formulating solutions and is comfortable briefing or demonstrating ideas and solutions to the team.Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Understand requirements and be able to translate the requirements into implementable solutions. • Design and develop software components which may involve interfacing with other functional teams and areas. • Coach junior team members on software development best practices, highlighting the impacts of design decisions, and making code efficient. • Participate in code and design reviews. • Research data sources and technical solutions in order to effectively extract, transform, and load data into a database for data processing and analysis. • Work with team members to understand the current product features. • Follow the development processes and standards used by the team. • Commit to continuous process improvement concerning software integration efforts and CI/CD Pipeline. • Ability to think strategically and creatively when formulating solutions and is comfortable briefing or demonstrating ideas and solutions to the team.
• Recent experience developing in Python (3+ years) • Experience with ETL • Experience in SQL • Demonstrated experience in the Software Development Life Cycle to include debugging, testing, and deployment to different environments
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 *
Type:Contract
Job#4049
Title: DevOps Engineer Location: Herndon, VA Salary Range: 1$80 – $230k *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph needed to apply *
The DevOps Engineer will leverage their technical background to help deliver automation and big data analytics for the IC community. You will be trained in DevOps and work alongside a collaborative team of Software Developers, Systems Development Engineers, Network Engineers, and Data Engineers to develop unique software that enables customer networks to safely operate at scale.
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 *
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Deploying and provisioning AWS resources including EC2, S3, RDS, IAM roles, and VPC configurations to support scalable architecture Building, maintaining, and troubleshooting continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes using GitLab and GitHub Running routine vulnerability scans, applying patches, and updating cloud and physical infrastructures to ensure security compliance Designing and maintaining Kubernetes and EKS clusters to ensure high availability and productivity for the development team Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure complete and functional systems that meet all requirements Recommending, and when approved, implementing process and policy improvements 10+ years’ experience with DevOps, front end development or full stack development Experience with Bash scripting Experience working within AWS (Amazon Web Services) environments Experience working with Linux administration and systems design Experience creating CI/CD pipelines Experience with network documentation including security compliance, configuration management, and patching.
Location:Tysons, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4046
Title: Strategic Financial Planning Location: Tysons, VA *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph needed to apply * Salary Range: $110,000 to $145,000 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:
Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of relevant Financial and Business Program experience
Excellent interpersonal skills
Excellent communication – oral and written
Working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat, MS Office, MS Excel and Windows
Working knowledge of financial and contract systems for administration and reporting
Advanced knowledge of Governance/Compliance associated with Contracts and Facilities programming and reporting
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 *
Description: The Senior Software Engineer / System Engineer plays a key role in a multi‑year, mission‑focused software development effort aimed at productizing a critical solution suite for broader DoD deployment. This position requires extensive experience in modern software engineering, system design, cryptographic technologies, and Agile development. The engineer will be responsible for leading technical changes, removing customer‑specific dependencies, abstracting environment‑specific configurations, and helping architect flexible interfaces to support authorization workflows and key management operations across diverse environments. The work impacts numerous components including clients, Portals, Proxy services, and OpenBao‑based key management services. This role requires strong leadership, independent execution, and collaboration across matrixed and virtual teams.
Required Skills:
12+ years of professional experience
BS in Computer Science or related field (or 8+ years equivalent work experience)
Ability to communicate effectively and build rapport with clients and team members
Preferred Skills:
Experience leading development of encryption libraries and key management services
Ability to establish, enforce, and apply best practices across solution design and implementation
Experience providing leadership for daily project execution and progress
Participation in project planning and status communication
Desired Skills:
8+ years Java development on Linux and Windows platforms, or 8+ years experience with C/C++
Proficiency in at least one additional high‑level language (Python, Go, or Rust preferred)
8+ years experience with modern software development management practices
Deep understanding of Agile methodology
5+ years cryptographic engineering experience, including key management
5+ years experience with REST APIs
2+ years cloud platform experience (tools, administration, operations)
5+ years Docker and Kubernetes experience
Strong analytical troubleshooting and performance evaluation skills
Effective team collaboration skills and strong communication habits
Ability to operate within matrixed and virtual team structures
Ability to work independently, multi‑task, and take ownership across project components
Ability to work under pressure while meeting tight deadlines or adapting to shifting requirements
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 *
Description: The Senior Software Developer supports mission‑critical programs within secure environments and delivers technical solutions across enterprise‑level systems. This role requires deep proficiency in Java, JavaScript, RESTful services, encryption technologies, AWS, and modern development methodologies. The developer will operate independently while collaborating across project teams to design, build, implement, and troubleshoot software solutions. The position demands strong communication skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to perform in a fast‑paced Agile setting while ensuring high‑quality results and adherence to best practices. Required Skills:
BS in Computer Science or related discipline (or 8+ years equivalent experience)
8+ years software development experience with Java and JavaScript
8+ years experience with modern development practices, testing frameworks, and Agile methodologies
Strong interpersonal communication with ability to build rapport with clients and team members
Preferred Skills:
Familiarity with building encryption libraries and key management services
Ability to establish and enforce best practices for software design and implementation
Experience contributing to project planning, documentation, testing, and quality assurance
Experience with encryption concepts and key management
5+ years REST API experience
AWS development experience
Experience with Spring framework
Experience with Service‑Oriented Architecture (SOA)
Experience with containerization and Kubernetes
Strong analytical troubleshooting and performance evaluation capabilities
Ability to work within matrixed teams and collaborate with virtual teams
Ability to work independently, multi‑task, and take ownership across project components
Ability to work under pressure while meeting tight deadlines and responding to evolving requirements
Additional Desired Skills or Familiarization: An experienced consulting professional with broad understanding of solution design, industry best practices, and multi‑domain technology implementation. Operates independently to deliver quality work products and applies Oracle methodology, company procedures, and leading practices to customer engagements. Demonstrates the ability to provide functional and technical expertise and to consult effectively with customer management teams.
Location:Herndon, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4039
Network Administrator Herndon, VA/Chantilly, VA Active TS/SCI with Polygraph Salary Range: $150,000 – $220,000
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.
Job Responsibilities:
Experience with maintenance of Cisco switches, routers, wireless, command line interface and network protocols to provide team with technical support in the following areas in support of new program and existing program expansion as part of existing contract:
Lead the identification, analysis and documentation of requirements for both classified and unclassified network transport technologies and services (e.g., voice, video, data) based on customer goals, objectives, cost and security constraints.
Lead and organize the creation and documentation of designs that conform to architectural and security standards, to meet customer requirements, using industry best practices and tools based on years of experience in leading network security projects involving routers, switches, firewalls, access control lists and COMSEC equipment.
Prepare and deploy complex implementation packages per Boeing standards.
Lead the performance of complex preventative, proactive and reactive maintenance in order to meet service restoration and network availability objectives, using network analysis and monitoring tools, and writing scripts to collect network device status and to perform software upgrades.
Research, develop, document and deploy emerging technologies and techniques, determining proper integration into existing systems to meet customer needs, as directed.
Lead and coordinate implementation planning for multi-technology insertion projects, using established project management methodologies for the purpose of controlling costs and ensuring adherence to project plan.
Required Skills:
Security+ certification required.
Company Benefits: Cornerstone Defense offers a comprehensive list of benefits, designed to give employees and their families several options to choose from when selecting benefits that best fit their needs. These offerings include not only a full suite of the traditional Medical/Dental/Vision insurances, but also a number of other benefits and perks to include, but not limited to: A 401(K) plan with a company match, tuition and training assistances, paid vacation/leave, a fitness reimbursement program, college savings plan, commuter benefits, financial advisory services, flex spending accounts, health savings accounts, STD/LTD coverage, life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance programs, life financial planning assistance, and legal resources.
Location:Herndon, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4038
Hardware Engineer/Help Desk Support Herndon, VA Active TS/SCI Salary Range: $80,000 – $140,000
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.
Job Responsibilities: We are seeking an entry-level Hardware Engineer to join our IT/Hardware Support team. This role will focus on triaging help desk tickets, performing hardware installations and removals, and providing first- and second-line technical support for desktop/laptop/workstation systems. The ideal candidate has basic experience with Windows or Linux, strong troubleshooting skills, and a customer-service mindset.
Respond to and resolve help desk tickets in a timely manner (hardware-related issues, peripheral and connectivity problems, basic OS troubleshooting).
Install, configure, image, upgrade, and decommission desktops, laptops, monitors, docking stations, printers, and other peripherals.
Perform hardware diagnostics and basic repairs; escalate complex hardware or firmware issues to senior engineering or vendor support.
Maintain accurate inventory records and asset tagging for hardware lifecycle tracking.
Apply operating system updates, drivers, and firmware as required.
Assist with cable management, workstation setup, and office moves or reconfigurations.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and documentation for common tasks.
Provide courteous and professional support to end users; communicate ticket status and resolution steps clearly.
Follow IT security and compliance policies when handling equipment and data.
Strong problem-solving skills and an attention to detail.
Good verbal and written communication skills; customer-service oriented.
Ability to lift and move hardware (typically up to 50 lbs.) and work in office or data-center environments.
Willingness to work occasional extended hours for deployments or hardware refreshes.
Ability to lift and carry hardware; climb ladders and work in confined spaces if needed.
Must adhere to safety procedures for handling hardware and batteries.
Required Skills:
0–2 years of professional experience in IT support, desktop support, or hardware technician roles.
Basic familiarity with Windows or Linux operating systems (installation, configuration, troubleshooting).
Comfortable working with PC hardware components (SATA/SSD/HDD, RAM, power supplies, motherboards) and common peripherals.
Desired Skills:
Security+ certification required.
Experience with Jira ticketing systems desired.
Company Benefits: Cornerstone Defense offers a comprehensive list of benefits, designed to give employees and their families several options to choose from when selecting benefits that best fit their needs. These offerings include not only a full suite of the traditional Medical/Dental/Vision insurances, but also a number of other benefits and perks to include, but not limited to: A 401(K) plan with a company match, tuition and training assistances, paid vacation/leave, a fitness reimbursement program, college savings plan, commuter benefits, financial advisory services, flex spending accounts, health savings accounts, STD/LTD coverage, life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance programs, life financial planning assistance, and legal resources.
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 Cyber Policy & Strategy Analyst supports the Office of the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (ODPCA) by providing high‑level strategic analysis, policy expertise, and technical guidance for cyber workforce readiness, DCO capability development, and enterprise‑wide cyber operations initiatives. In this role, you will analyze complex cyber mission areas, shape Department‑level strategies and policies, evaluate readiness across Cyber Operations Forces, and advise senior leadership on mission‑critical decisions. Working between the Pentagon and Mark Center, you serve as a trusted advisor helping the Department of War strengthen its cyber posture, operational readiness, and long‑term strategic direction.
Core Tasks:
Inform OPCA leadership on cyberspace operations resourcing and support development, review, and execution of USCYBERCOM’s contributions to the PPBE process, including POM and Budget Estimate Submission activities.
Conduct strategic analysis to inform development, implementation, and refinement of cyber workforce, readiness, and operational policies across the Department of War.
Support ODPCA leadership by assessing cyber force readiness, mission requirements, workforce priorities, and execution of Department‑wide cyber initiatives.
Evaluate the effectiveness, compliance, and performance of COF programs against statutory, policy, and operational standards; provide recommendations to senior leaders.
Apply readiness standards, force requirements, mission essential tasks, and relevant metrics to determine joint force preparedness across assigned cyber warfighting mission areas.
Conduct detailed analysis supporting USCYBERCOM’s Joint Cyber Training and Joint Force Coordinator responsibilities, including readiness reporting and mission requirement validation.
Provide analytical and executive‑level support to ODPCA oversight of USCYBERCOM’s cyber force design, force structure, command and control initiatives, and readiness activities.
Support policy development for the defense of critical infrastructure, operational technology, control systems, and information systems across the Department.
Provide technical and strategic support for Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO), including evaluation of policies, strategies, operational concepts, personnel requirements, and organizational structures.
Conduct comprehensive analysis across technical and operational cyber domains, generating actionable recommendations that shape senior‑level decisions and strategic direction.
Develop executive‑level briefings, assessments, and recommendations communicating readiness findings, policy implications, and strategic guidance to senior DoW and cyber leadership.
Serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert supporting enterprise cyber mission objectives, workforce readiness planning, and Department‑level strategy development.
Qualifications
Master’s degree with fifteen (15) years of relevant experience, or Bachelor’s degree with eighteen (18) years of relevant experience in public policy, national security, STEM, or related field.
Minimum ten (10) years supporting Department‑level cyber strategic planning, policy development, and cyberspace operations.
Graduate of a formal DoW/Joint cyber planning course (JCPC, JPME, or advanced warfighting schools such as SAMS, SAASS, SAW, JAWS).
Experience supporting DCDC, USCYBERCOM, DoW CIO, or Service Cyber Component headquarters.
Expert‑level experience developing or reviewing DoW/DoD‑level policy documents, directives, instructions, and high‑level guidance.
Ability to interpret and apply Title 10 authorities and DoW 8500/8140 cybersecurity and workforce policies.
Deep understanding of DODIN operations, DCO, cyber C2 models, and translating strategic guidance into operational constructs.
Expert‑level understanding of maneuver warfare doctrine, campaign planning, and cyberspace operations within the Joint Planning Process (JPP).
Proven ability to conduct complex strategic analysis, develop actionable recommendations, and advise senior leaders.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated ability to provide technical support and strategic guidance in policy, strategy, and cyber operations.
Preferred:
Alignment with Defense Cyber Workforce Framework roles:
Primary: 752 – Cyber Policy and Strategy Planner
Secondary: 332 – Cyber Operations Planner
Location:Arlington, Virginia
Type:Contract
Job#4035
Title: Cyber Budget Analyst Location: Arlington & Alexandria, VA Compensation Range: $110 -$140K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI 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 *
Position Description: The Cyber Budget Analyst supports the Office of the Principal Cyber Advisor (OPCA) by providing analytical, fiscal, and programmatic expertise that informs cyber resource planning and investment decisions across the Department of Defense. Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, this role plays a critical part in shaping USCYBERCOM’s POM submissions, analyzing Program Element (PE) funding, supporting PPBE activities, and producing executive-level guidance that ensures cyber capabilities are properly resourced to meet operational and strategic priorities.
Core Tasks:
Inform OPCA leadership on cyberspace operations resourcing and support development, review, and execution of USCYBERCOM’s contributions to the PPBE process, including POM and Budget Estimate Submission activities.
Conduct detailed analysis of Program Element (PE)-level funding, Cyber POM submissions, budget requests, and fiscal requirements to ensure alignment with strategic cyber priorities and mission needs.
Support annual Program and Budget Review (PBR) activities, resource certification processes, and development of Cyberspace Operations Programming Guidance (COPG), fiscal guidance, and executive decision materials.
Analyze and integrate financial, programmatic, and operational data using SNAP‑IT, ADVANA, Budget Justification Books, and related DoD resource management tools.
Provide technical and analytical assessments of cyber investment strategies, identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities for improved mission performance.
Develop executive‑level briefings, reports, analyses, and recommendations for OPCA leadership, translating complex budget and program information into clear, decision-ready products.
Collaborate across Combatant Commands, Military Services, OSD, and stakeholder organizations to synchronize cyber requirements with planning, programming, budgeting, and acquisition activities.
Provide strategic guidance to senior leaders on cyberspace operations funding, capability development, and long‑range resource planning.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any discipline.
Minimum 5 years of experience supporting DoD PPBE processes, fiscal planning, or budget execution.
Experience supporting USCYBERCOM or Joint/Service POM development and BES formulation.
Demonstrated expertise in Program Objective Memorandum (POM) formulation, Program Element (PE) management, and defense resource planning.
Experience supporting Component or Military Department POM development at the CCMD, four‑star HQ, or Secretariat level.
Strong understanding of DoD resource planning and fiscal management processes.
Proven ability to analyze complex budget, program, and fiscal data and produce strategic recommendations.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with senior leaders, government officials, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with experience developing executive-level documentation.
Ability to provide analytical and technical guidance on fiscal planning, programming, and resource
Title: Cyber Acquisition Lead Location: Arlington & Alexandria, VA Compensation Range: $170 -$200K *Clearance: *Active TS/SCI 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 *
Position Description: The Cyber Acquisition Lead serves as a strategic advisor to senior Department of Defense cyber leadership within the Office of the Principal Cyber Advisor (OPCA). In this role, you will guide planning, programming, budgeting, and acquisition activities supporting cyberspace operations across the Department. This position plays a critical role in shaping cyber investment strategies, analyzing Program Element (PE) funding, supporting POM and PBR activities, and ensuring cyber capability requirements translate into well‑resourced, mission‑aligned programs. Operating between the Pentagon and Mark Center, you will influence enterprise‑wide decisions that drive the future of DoD cyber forces, readiness, and modernization.
Core Tasks:
Provide SETA technical advisory support to government teams designing, developing, evaluating, and integrating AI‑enabled applications, tools, and workflows.
Serve as a trusted advisor within the Office of the Principal Cyber Advisor (OPCA), supporting senior DoD cyber leadership with strategic planning, programming, budgeting, and cyber resource decision-making.
Support development, integration, and execution of the PPBE process, including Program Objective Memorandum (POM) development, Program and Budget Review (PBR) activities, fiscal analysis, and preparation of budget certification materials.
Analyze Program Element (PE)-level funding, budget submissions, investment proposals, and resource allocations to ensure alignment with Department cyber strategy and operational needs.
Provide technical and analytical assessments of cyber programs, funding initiatives, acquisition proposals, risk areas, and opportunities to strengthen mission effectiveness.
Develop executive‑level briefings, reports, recommendations, and decision products that translate complex fiscal, acquisition, and cyber operational information into clear guidance for senior leaders.
Apply knowledge of JCIDS, the Defense Acquisition System (DAS), Joint Force Requirements Process (JFRP), and cyber acquisition pathways (SWAP, OTA) to ensure cyber capability requirements translate into funded, executable programs.
Utilize DoD resource management tools such as SNAP‑IT, ADVANA, Budget Justification Books, and related systems to conduct detailed program and budget analysis.
Coordinate across Military Departments, Combatant Commands, OSD offices, and other stakeholders to synchronize cyber policy, capability development, acquisition activities, and enterprise resource planning.
Support OPCA oversight and advocacy responsibilities for cyber forces and cyberspace activities, ensuring resources are prioritized to meet mission readiness and strategic objectives.
Contribute to enterprise‑level decision processes that shape future DoD cyber capability investments, force structure, and strategic resourcing priorities.
Develop operational guidance, documentation, and strategic communications that support cyber governance, resource planning, and senior leadership decision-making.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any field.
Minimum 10 years of experience in DoD strategic planning, programming, and PPBE execution related to cyberspace operations.
Experience in Service or Joint programming, including POM development and PE‑level fiscal management.
Knowledge of legacy Defense Acquisition System (DAS) or the modern Joint Force Requirements Process (JFRP).
Expertise in Software Acquisition Pathway (SWAP), OTA, or other cyber acquisition processes and contract vehicles.
Experience supporting CAPE PBR activities for Cyber or C4IP programs, including developing strategic review memos, issue papers, and participating in CAPE teams.
Ability to interface effectively with senior leaders and communicate complex fiscal, acquisition, and cyber operational matters.
Demonstrated strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Proven ability to provide technical analysis and advisory support.
Title: SETA AI Engineer Location: Columbia, MD Compensation Range: $220 -$250K *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 *
Position Description: Seeking an AI Engineer to provide technical advisory support for the design, evaluation, and advancement of AI-enabled applications, tools, and workflows. This role is intended for a hands-on technical professional who understands how modern AI systems are built and can help guide teams developing practical solutions using large language models, agentic workflows, orchestration frameworks, and supporting software infrastructure.
Core Tasks:
Provide SETA technical advisory support to government teams designing, developing, evaluating, and integrating AI‑enabled applications, tools, and workflows.
Assess and advise on solutions involving large language models, retrieval‑augmented generation, prompt pipelines, agentic systems, orchestration layers, and evaluation harnesses to ensure mission suitability.
Review architectures, development approaches, model usage patterns, and technical risks; deliver engineering recommendations, prototypes, guidance, and technical briefs for government stakeholders.
Evaluate modern AI frameworks, agentic libraries, experimentation harnesses, vector databases, embeddings, inference pipelines, and cloud‑based AI environments for suitability in mission applications
Support test and evaluation activities including performance analysis, qualitative assessments, workflow validation, and guardrail reviews.
Advise on AI engineering considerations such as latency, reliability, observability, testability, secure development, data flow, system integration, and operational constraints in government environments.
Collaborate with platform engineers, mission users, product leads, and leadership to ensure AI solutions are technically grounded, mission‑aligned, and operationally relevant.
Translate complex technical concepts into clear communication for government audiences, including tradeoff analysis, risk identification, emerging trends, and engineering implications.
Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem; provide continuous recommendations on emerging tools, practices, frameworks, and development patterns.
Support development of knowledge repositories, engineering documentation, evaluation artifacts, and AI assurance products.
Qualifications
Minimum 18 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or 15 years with a Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline.
Experience designing, building, integrating, or evaluating AI/ML‑enabled applications or software tools.
Familiarity with LLM‑based applications, RAG, prompt engineering, agentic workflows, orchestration frameworks, and modern AI application patterns.
Working knowledge of frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, Semantic Kernel, AutoGen, CrewAI, Haystack, LlamaIndex, or similar ecosystems.
Experience with software development fundamentals including APIs, data handling, and system integration.
Ability to assess technical tradeoffs and communicate them effectively to technical and government stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred:
Experience with Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, or similar languages used in AI development.
Familiarity with vector databases, embeddings, model APIs, evaluation frameworks, and agent testing harnesses.
Exposure to model hosting, inference pipelines, or cloud‑based AI development environments.
Understanding of secure AI development practices and data protection requirements in government settings.
Experience supporting defense, cyber, intelligence, or mission‑focused development.
Familiarity with human‑in‑the‑loop workflows, AI assurance, and evaluation methodologies.
Location:Columbia
Type:Contract
Job#4032
Title: Senior Systems Engineer Location: Columbia, MD Compensation Range: $190 -$220K *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 *
Position Description: Seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to provide strategic systems engineering, technical governance, and enterprise integration support to PAE JCWA (Joint Cyber Warfare Architecture). This highly visible SETA position serves as a trusted advisor to leadership, supporting architecture development, systems engineering governance, Agile execution, and cross-functional coordination across JCWA programs. The role requires a blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, process discipline, and exceptional communication skills to support complex systems-of-systems development within a DoD environment.
Core Tasks:
Provide strategic systems engineering, technical governance, and enterprise integration support across JCWA programs, serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.
Collaborate with architecture and engineering teams to develop JCWA Systems Engineering documentation, Reference Designs, and governance artifacts including Charters, SOPs, MFRs, Systems Engineering Plans, ADRs, and Technical Needs.
Lead enterprise architecture governance, systems integration efforts, and decision‑making processes while maintaining awareness of DoD and Army policies impacting engineering activities.
Facilitate and coordinate large‑scale SAFe PI Planning events involving 900+ personnel across multiple ARTs; develop planning materials, communication guides, AARs, lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Build automated workflows, dashboards, and reporting capabilities using Confluence and Jira to enhance transparency, requirements traceability, and operational effectiveness.
Support maturation of the JCWA Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) and identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and standardization.
Coordinate Priority Operational Needs across Agile Release Trains to ensure alignment with operational and organizational priorities; collaborate with PMOs, Service Cyber Components, mission partners, and technical organizations.
Lead and support Functional Area Requirements Working Groups, improving governance, stakeholder transparency, and requirements management processes.
Develop executive‑level dashboards and reporting products demonstrating compliance, performance, and progress toward JCWA priorities.
Engage routinely with senior military and civilian leaders, communicating risks, issues, mission impacts, and technical recommendations.
Produce strategic communications that articulate JCWA capabilities, accomplishments, operational outcomes, and mission value for executive audiences.
Maintain situational awareness of key JCWA issues, dependencies, risks, and provide timely recommendations, briefs, and governance documentation.
Manage knowledge repositories and enterprise collaboration resources using expert‑level Confluence and Jira integrations.
Qualifications
Minimum of 15 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or related discipline.
Demonstrated experience supporting DoD environments and defense contracting organizations.
Proven experience applying systems engineering principles to complex systems‑of‑systems and enterprise‑scale programs.
Experience supporting large organizations (200–2,000 personnel) with complex technical, operational, and governance structures.
Expert-level proficiency with Atlassian Confluence and Jira, including dashboards, automation, requirements management, and enterprise collaboration.
Deep understanding of SAFe, Agile Release Trains, and Program Increment Planning.
Experience developing governance frameworks, technical documentation, SOPs, MFRs, ADRs, and systems engineering artifacts.
Strong understanding of DoD acquisition policies, lifecycle processes, and the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of distilling complex technical concepts for executive audiences.
Experience supporting USCYBERCOM, cyber mission programs, enterprise architecture initiatives, or large modernization efforts.
Experience with Mattermost and Confluence.
Preferred:
SAFe certification or formal SAFe training.
CISSP certification preferred but not required
Location:Columbia, Maryland
Type:Contract
Job#4031
Title: Networking and Internet Product Manager Location: Columbia, MD Compensation Range: $200 -$230K *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 *
Position Description: Seeking a Networking and Internet Product Manager to define and communicate the product vision and roadmap for cyber mission systems, with a focus on cloud networking and internet connectivity, in support of OCO.
Core Tasks:
Define and communicate the product vision and roadmap for cyber mission systems with a focus on cloud networking and internet connectivity supporting OCO operations.
Provide thought leadership and collaborate with key stakeholders to understand requirements, strengthen partnerships, and deliver highly reliable and redundant network connectivity solutions.
Lead product backlog refinement, ensuring features for cloud networking platforms are clearly defined, prioritized, and broken down into actionable user stories.
Work alongside Product Managers, Release Train Engineers, and Scrum Masters to drive PI execution, mitigate risks, and ensure effective cross-team collaboration.
Engage with Joint Cyber Weapons stakeholders, USCYBERCOM, NSA, Services, and CCMDs to gather insights and align networking capability delivery.
Participate in TEMs, operational working groups, and additional OCO networking-focused forums.
Partner with clients to understand business objectives, user behaviors, and product goals; develop product concepts, roadmaps, test plans, and functional specifications for cloud networking solutions.
Collaborate with engineers and designers to conceptualize, design, and deliver multi-platform applications emphasizing robust, secure connectivity.
Lead engagements alongside company partners and senior technologists.
Qualifications
Minimum 12 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 10 years with a Master’s, or 16 years with a High School Diploma or Associate’s degree, with significant experience in virtualization and containerization.
Degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or related discipline. MBA or similar advanced degree is a plus.
Experience working with government agencies or contractors in the intelligence or defense sectors highly desirable.
Strong understanding of cloud networking principles, including high-reliability and redundant internet connectivity.
Experience with networking technologies (firewalls, load balancers, VPNs).
Strong leadership, communication, and analytical abilities. Familiarity with Agile methodologies, cloud services, and Atlassian tools such as Jira and Confluence.
Experience developing products and/or managing in a development environment, including implementing product strategies aligned to the OCO PMO’s vision, developing roadmaps, and prioritizing cloud networking features.
Skilled in stakeholder engagement, documentation, and maintaining strong communication channels within and across teams.
Hands-on approach with strong ownership and constant engagement; able to mentor junior product managers and collaborate with leadership and technical teams to shape product requirements.
Preferred:
SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager or similar Agile certifications desirable.
AWS Certified Advanced Networking, Cisco CCNP, or similar networking certifications highly desirable.
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: Seeking a Virtualization Product Manager to define and communicate the product vision and roadmap for cyber mission systems, with a focus on virtualization and containerization technologies, in support of OCO.
Core Tasks:
Define and communicate the product vision and roadmap for cyber mission systems focused on virtualization and containerization technologies in support of OCO.
Provide thought leadership while collaborating with key stakeholders to understand requirements, build partnerships, and deliver technology solutions for virtualized and containerized environments.
Lead product backlog refinement, ensuring that features and capabilities are clearly defined, prioritized, and broken down into actionable user stories.
Work closely with Product Managers, Release Train Engineers, and Scrum Masters to drive PI execution, mitigate risk, and strengthen cross-team collaboration.
Engage with Joint Cyber Weapons stakeholders, USCYBERCOM, NSA, Services, and CCMDs to gather feedback and align capability delivery.
Participate in TEMs, operational working groups, and other OCO-related forums related to virtualization and containerization.
Partner with clients to understand business objectives, user behavior, and product vision; develop product concepts, roadmaps, test plans, and functional specifications.
Collaborate with designers and engineers to conceptualize, design, and deliver multi-platform applications for virtualized and containerized environments.
Lead engagements alongside company partners and top technologists in the industry.
Qualifications
Minimum 12 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 10 years with a Master’s, or 16 years with a High School Diploma or Associate’s degree, with significant experience in virtualization and containerization.
Degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering Science, Engineering Management, or related discipline. MBA or similar advanced degree is a plus.
SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager or similar Agile certifications desirable. VMware VCP, Kubernetes CKA, or similar technical certifications highly desirable.
Experience with government agencies or contractors in the intelligence or defense sectors highly preferred.
Deep knowledge of virtualization technologies such as vSphere and vCenter, including orchestration of virtual machine deployment and management.
Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Kubernetes and shared service mesh concepts including Keycloak, MinIO, and Vault.
Strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills. Proven experience with Agile methodologies, cloud services, building enterprise-grade products, and product development from concept to launch.
Proficiency with Agile tools such as Jira and Confluence.
Experience developing products or managing within a development environment, including building product strategies aligned to OCO PMO vision, developing roadmaps, and prioritizing features.
Skilled at stakeholder engagement, documentation, and active collaboration across teams.
Hands-on approach with strong ownership and continuous engagement with key stakeholders and team members. Experience mentoring junior product managers.
Training in installing, configuring, and managing VMware vSphere.
In-depth training in administering Kubernetes clusters, including deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
Training with NATS.io for scalable and resilient distributed systems.
Training demonstrating expertise in designing, implementing, and managing a best‑in‑class cybersecurity program.
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 *
Summary: Provide hardware engineering expertise to analyze complex hardware systems, hardware design, architecture, network design, and other technical hardware issues. Procure and perform acceptance testing on equipment. Provide hardware maintenance support, both preventative and remedial. Deploy, install, and implement hardware at Continental United States (CONUS) locations. Prepare specifications for hardware by analyzing documented and derived system requirements. Conduct site surveys. Prepare engineering plans and site Technical Design Packages. Organize and direct hardware installations. Configure (and document configuration of) computers, networking devices, and various peripheral equipment. Prepare site installation and test reports. Provide specific input to the hardware components of system design, including end‑user devices, servers, networking devices, data storage devices, and specialized processors.
Qualifications: Fourteen (14) years experience with Hardware Design and FPGA development in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required.
Required Skills: • Prepares functional requirements and specifications for hardware acquisitions • Assists with tracking of assets both pre‑ and post‑deployment • Assists with preparing installation guides, field test procedures, and troubleshooting guides • Recommends specifications for hardware acquisitions • Prepares engineering plans and site installation Technical Design Packages • Develops hardware installation schedules based on set‑up, integration, and test timelines • Prepares site installation and test reports • Configures computers, communications devices, and peripheral equipment • Trains site personnel in proper use of hardware • Organizes and directs hardware installations across multiple sites • Analyzes and recommends hardware specifications for project‑unique or modified commercial hardware • Supports specialized hardware design activities, including FPGA/VHDL development
