System Engineer Mid-Level QK Pos 857 System Engineer (SE) Skill Level 3

Job Title: System Engineer - Mid-Level QK Pos: 857 - System Engineer (SE) - Skill Level 3
Location (On-site Remote or Hybrid): Fort Meade MD (onsite)
Contract Duration: 5 years

Must Have

• Active TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraph
• Bash and/or Python scripting
• Connected and disconnected environment experience
• Fort Meade on-site SCIF experience
• FreeIPA / Active Directory authentication on Linux
• GOTS software installation and maintenance
• RHEL / CentOS / Rocky Linux administration
• SA (situational awareness) experience
• STE/STN installation and management
• Systems engineering lifecycle (concept to sustainment)

Nice To Have

• Ansible / SaltStack automation
• Data flow engineering
• DevOps / CI/CD pipelines
• Docker / Kubernetes containerization
• GitOps workflows
• Helm Charts / YAML configuration
• Shared storage (NAS / SAN / Ceph)
• VMware / KVM virtualization

JOB DESCRIPTION
Clearance Required: Top Secret/SCI with Active Full Scope Polygraph

Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior System Engineer (Level 3) to support a mission-critical program within the Intelligence Community at Fort Meade MD. This is an on-site position in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) environment requiring a TS/SCI clearance with an active Full Scope Polygraph prior to consideration - no exceptions.

The SE Level 3 is a senior technical authority who works across all phases of the system engineering lifecycle from concept development through sustainment. This role carries responsibility for producing documentation and drawing packages leading technical integration efforts across a small mission-focused team and serving as the primary interface with users customers and adjacent technical teams. The successful candidate must have strong situational awareness (SA) and GOTS product experience and must be comfortable operating in both connected and disconnected/air-gapped classified environments.

This is not a remote or hybrid position. All work is performed on-site within a SCIF at Fort Meade MD.

Key Responsibilities
Systems Engineering Lifecycle

• Work across all phases of the system engineering lifecycle: concept development requirements analysis design integration testing deployment operations and sustainment
• Produce comprehensive technical documentation and drawing packages including system architectures interface control documents (ICDs) test plans and as-built configurations
• Translate user and mission requirements into actionable system designs; participate in requirements reviews design reviews and technical interchange meetings (TIMs)
• Serve as a senior technical authority within a small mission-focused team; interact frequently with users customers and cross-functional teams across the program
• Support system trades analysis configuration management and technical baseline management throughout the lifecycle

Linux Systems Administration and Engineering

• Perform advanced installation configuration hardening and management of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) CentOS and Rocky Linux server environments
• Administer authentication and authorization infrastructure including FreeIPA identity management and Active Directory integration in classified environments
• Manage system performance patch cycles package management and OS lifecycle operations across classified enclaves
• Configure and maintain system services logging frameworks (rsyslog/journald/auditd) scheduled tasks and security controls
• Provide expert-level Tier 2/3 troubleshooting across Linux-based systems; diagnose complex failure scenarios and drive resolution

STE/STN Infrastructure

• Install configure and manage Secure Telephone Equipment (STE) and Secure Telephone Network (STN) infrastructure in both connected and disconnected/air-gapped classified environments
• Support STE/STN provisioning moves adds and changes (MACs); coordinate with communications and security personnel
• Troubleshoot STE/STN connectivity interoperability and integration issues in complex classified facility environments
• Maintain accurate inventory and technical documentation for all STE/STN endpoints and associated infrastructure

GOTS Software Support

• Install configure and maintain Government Off-the-Shelf (GOTS) software products in support of program requirements
• Perform routine maintenance patching and lifecycle management of GOTS applications within classified environments
• Coordinate with program stakeholders and developers on GOTS software integration compatibility testing and issue resolution

Scripting and Automation

• Create read modify and maintain automation scripts in Bash and Python to support system administration deployment and operational tasks
• Automate repetitive operational workflows including system monitoring configuration enforcement log analysis and health checks
• Support team adoption of automation and scripting best practices

Testing and Troubleshooting

• Design and execute system-level test plans acceptance test procedures and regression tests
• Lead troubleshooting efforts across complex multi-component classified systems; document findings and remediation actions
• Participate in operational readiness reviews and system validation activities prior to deployment

Qualifications
Education: Bachelor s degree in Computer Science Systems Engineering Information Technology Electrical Engineering or a related technical field. Equivalent experience (4 additional years of direct systems engineering experience in lieu of degree) may be considered.
Experience: 8 years of systems engineering experience in classified DoD/IC environments with demonstrated expertise across the full system engineering lifecycle.

Additional Required Qualifications:

• Active TS/SCI clearance with Full Scope Polygraph - no exceptions; must be active prior to start
• Strong hands-on situational awareness (SA) experience in an IC program context
• Deep Linux proficiency across RHEL CentOS and Rocky Linux: installation configuration management and security hardening
• Experience with authentication and authorization systems: FreeIPA identity management and/or Microsoft Active Directory integration on Linux
• Hands-on STE/STN installation configuration and management experience in both connected and disconnected classified environments
• Demonstrated GOTS software experience: installation configuration and ongoing maintenance of government-provided software products
• Proven ability to create read and modify automation scripts in Bash and/or Python
• Strong testing and troubleshooting skills across complex multi-component systems
• Ability to produce technical documentation and drawing packages (system designs ICDs test plans as-builts)
• Comfortable operating within a small agile mission-focused team that interfaces regularly with users customers and adjacent technical teams
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in a security-controlled environment

Desired Skills

• Familiarity with shared storage solutions (NAS SAN distributed storage such as Ceph)
• Virtualization and containerization experience: VMware vSphere KVM Docker Kubernetes or Podman
• Data flow design experience in classified or sensitive network environments
• Familiarity with IT automation and configuration management tools: Ansible SaltStack (SALT) or equivalent
• Familiarity with Helm Charts and YAML-based configuration management for containerized workloads
• DevOps experience including CI/CD pipeline design GitOps workflows and infrastructure-as-code practices
• Experience with air-gapped or disconnected network environments and offline software lifecycle management
• DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II certification (Security CASP or equivalent)