diff --git a/src/specimen/util/__init__.py b/src/specimen/util/__init__.py
index 93ad9c2..31bc2fa 100644
--- a/src/specimen/util/__init__.py
+++ b/src/specimen/util/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-__all__ = ["util", "set_up"]
+__all__ = ["util", "set_up", "config_validator"]
 
-from . import util, set_up
+from . import util, set_up, config_validator
diff --git a/src/specimen/util/config_validator.py b/src/specimen/util/config_validator.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fce5f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/specimen/util/config_validator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+import os
+import logging
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class ConfigValidationError(Exception):
+    """Custom exception for configuration validation errors."""
+
+    pass
+
+
+class SchemaField:
+    """Defines the expected structure, type, and constraints of a config field."""
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        expected_type: type | tuple,
+        default: Any = None,
+        required: bool = False,
+        min_val: Optional[Union[int, float]] = None,
+        max_val: Optional[Union[int, float]] = None,
+        is_path: bool = False,
+        path_must_exist: bool = False,
+        allowed_values: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
+    ):
+        self.expected_type = expected_type
+        self.default = default
+        self.required = required
+        self.min_val = min_val
+        self.max_val = max_val
+        self.is_path = is_path
+        self.path_must_exist = path_must_exist
+        self.allowed_values = allowed_values
+
+
+def validate_config(
+    config: Dict[str, Any], schema: Dict[str, Any], path: str = ""
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """
+    Recursively validates a configuration dictionary against a defined schema.
+    Replaces verbose YAML traversal and USER/_USER_ string checks.
+    """
+    validated = {}
+
+    for key, rule in schema.items():
+        current_path = f"{path}.{key}" if path else key
+        value = config.get(key, rule.default if isinstance(rule, SchemaField) else None)
+
+        # Handle nested dictionaries
+        if isinstance(rule, dict):
+            if not isinstance(value, dict):
+                if value is None:
+                    value = {}
+                else:
+                    raise ConfigValidationError(
+                        f"Expected a dictionary at '{current_path}', got {type(value).__name__}."
+                    )
+            validated[key] = validate_config(value, rule, current_path)
+            continue
+
+        if not isinstance(rule, SchemaField):
+            raise ConfigValidationError(
+                f"Invalid schema definition at '{current_path}'."
+            )
+
+        # 1. Check Required fields (Replaces _USER_ and USER logic)
+        if value is None or value == "_USER_" or value == "USER":
+            if rule.required:
+                raise ConfigValidationError(
+                    f"Missing required configuration parameter: '{current_path}'"
+                )
+
+            if value == "_USER_":
+                logger.error(
+                    f"Deprecated '_USER_' found at '{current_path}'. Please provide a value or remove it."
+                )
+                raise ConfigValidationError(
+                    f"Missing required parameter: '{current_path}'"
+                )
+
+            if value == "USER":
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"Deprecated 'USER' keyword found at '{current_path}'. Using default: {rule.default}"
+                )
+
+            validated[key] = rule.default
+            continue
+
+        # Clean up legacy 'USER' keyword
+        if value == "USER":
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Deprecated 'USER' keyword found at '{current_path}'. Using default: {rule.default}"
+            )
+            value = rule.default
+
+        # 2. Type Checking
+        if value is not None and not isinstance(value, rule.expected_type):
+            raise ConfigValidationError(
+                f"Type mismatch at '{current_path}': Expected {rule.expected_type}, got {type(value).__name__}."
+            )
+
+        # 3. Numeric Bounds Checking
+        if isinstance(value, (int, float)):
+            if rule.min_val is not None and value < rule.min_val:
+                raise ConfigValidationError(
+                    f"Value at '{current_path}' ({value}) is below minimum allowed ({rule.min_val})."
+                )
+            if rule.max_val is not None and value > rule.max_val:
+                raise ConfigValidationError(
+                    f"Value at '{current_path}' ({value}) is above maximum allowed ({rule.max_val})."
+                )
+
+        # 4. Allowed Values Checking (Strings, etc.)
+        if rule.allowed_values is not None and value not in rule.allowed_values:
+            raise ConfigValidationError(
+                f"Value at '{current_path}' ({value}) must be one of {rule.allowed_values}."
+            )
+
+        # 5. Path Validation
+        if rule.is_path and value is not None:
+            value = str(value)
+            if rule.path_must_exist and not os.path.exists(value):
+                raise ConfigValidationError(
+                    f"Path specified at '{current_path}' does not exist: {value}"
+                )
+
+        validated[key] = value
+
+    return validated