Systems Engineer (V&V)Capstone Research Corporation is seeking a
Systems Engineer (V&V), in our Huntsville, AL office. The Systems Engineer (V&V) Engineer will be responsible for conducting verification and validation of models, simulations, and defense planner applications used to support defense System-of-Systems (SoS) capabilities. This role will serve as the catalyst for establishing and initiating the Guam Defense (GDS) Lab's V&V activities, helping to develop the processes, methodologies, and best practices needed to build a sustainable V&V capability. The engineer will evaluate whether models and simulations accurately represent intended system behaviors, interactions, operational environments, and mission-level scenarios, while ensuring they produce credible, repeatable, and technically defensible results. The engineer will develop and execute V&V methodologies, assess model and software performance against requirements and authoritative data, identify limitations and deficiencies, and provide objective evidence supporting the credibility and operational use of modeling and simulation capabilities.
Key Responsibilities- Develop and execute verification and validation plans, procedures, test cases, and evaluation methodologies for defense-oriented simulations, models, defense planner applications, and analytical software.
- Verify simulation models and software against requirements, design specifications, documented assumptions, expected behaviors, and defined acceptance criteria.
- Validate models and simulations against authoritative data, empirical results, operational data, benchmark scenarios, test results, or other credible sources.
- Assess model fidelity and suitability for intended use, including the representation of system behaviors, system-to-system interactions, interfaces, environments, and mission-level effects.
- Develop and execute operationally relevant test scenarios to evaluate System-of-Systems behaviors, interactions, performance, and emergent effects across multiple systems and mission threads.
- Evaluate planning software, algorithms, and decision-support tools for functional correctness, performance, robustness, repeatability, and consistency with intended operational concepts and requirements.
- Analyze simulation and test data to identify anomalies, discrepancies, model limitations, software defects, and sources of uncertainty; conduct root-cause analysis and recommend corrective actions.
- Prepare and maintain V&V documentation, technical reports, test results, traceability evidence, model credibility assessments, and risk assessments; communicate findings and recommendations to engineering teams, program leadership, and technical stakeholders.
Requirements- Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering or a related STEM field. Advanced degrees preferred.
- 3+ years of experience in verification and validation, modeling and simulation, systems engineering, software testing, test and evaluation, or a related engineering discipline; additional experience preferred for higher-level candidates.
- Experience with defense systems, mission-level simulations, System-of-Systems engineering, operational analysis, digital engineering, or related defense modeling and simulation environments.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing structured V&V plans, test procedures, test cases, scenarios, and acceptance criteria for complex software, models, simulations, or engineering systems.
- Experience evaluating mathematical, physics-based, stochastic, discrete-event, agent-based, or other simulation/modeling approaches and assessing their applicability and credibility for intended use.
- Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, C++, or similar programming/scripting languages for test automation, simulation, data processing, statistical analysis, and development of V&V tools.
- Strong understanding of systems engineering principles, requirements traceability, model verification, model validation, uncertainty analysis, statistical methods, and software development/test processes.
- Strong analytical, technical writing, and communication skills, with the ability to independently assess complex technical problems, defend V&V conclusions, and communicate findings to multidisciplinary engineering and defense stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications- Active Secret Clearance required, Top Secret preferred.
- Experience with DoD modeling and simulation (M&S) standards, processes, or accreditation/credibility frameworks.
- Familiarity with VV&A (Verification, Validation, and Accreditation) processes and documentation.
- Experience with mission engineering and System-of-Systems analysis.
- Familiarity with DoDAF, operational architectures, mission threads, and operational views.
- Experience with Monte Carlo analysis, statistical testing, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, and experimental design.
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, or distributed simulation.
