DevOps Engineer - TS/SCI clearance - VA

DevOps Engineer – Federal Customer

Location: Chantilly, VA
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite – 5 Days per Week
Security Clearance: Active TS/SCI Required
Position: DevOps / Platform Engineering

Job Summary

PGTEK is seeking an experienced DevOps Engineer to support a federal customer in Chantilly, VA. This position plays a critical role in designing, deploying, maintaining, and securing next-generation IT infrastructure supporting mission-critical workloads.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team of DevOps and platform engineers responsible for building, automating, and maintaining enterprise infrastructure. This role encompasses the full infrastructure stack, including operating systems, networking, identity management, authentication services, Kubernetes, OpenShift, storage, and application platforms.

The DevOps Engineer will be responsible for automating infrastructure deployment and configuration, supporting containerized applications, maintaining platform services, and ensuring infrastructure reliability, security, and scalability.

The ideal candidate has strong Linux and infrastructure administration skills, hands-on experience with Kubernetes and containerization, and the ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues across multiple layers of the platform.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically motivated professional who enjoys working with enterprise infrastructure, modern platform technologies, and automation in a secure federal environment.

An active TS/SCI clearance is required. Candidates must be able to work onsite five days per week in Chantilly, VA.

Key Responsibilities

DevOps & Platform Infrastructure

• Design, deploy, configure, maintain, and secure enterprise IT infrastructure supporting mission-critical workloads.
• Support the full infrastructure stack, including DNS, Identity Management (IdM), OpenShift Container Platform (OCP), OAuth, DHCP, S3, NFS, and application services.
• Automate the deployment and configuration of operating systems, applications, infrastructure services, and platform components.
• Support infrastructure lifecycle management, including provisioning, configuration, maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting.
• Analyze complex infrastructure problems and develop effective, sustainable technical solutions.
• Collaborate with architects, developers, platform engineers, and project management teams to deliver reliable infrastructure capabilities.
• Support infrastructure scalability, availability, security, and operational performance.
• Adapt to evolving technical requirements and support changing program priorities.

Kubernetes & Container Platform Engineering

• Deploy, configure, manage, and monitor Kubernetes environments and the containerized applications running within them.
• Support enterprise container platforms, including Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, and Podman.
• Automate the deployment, configuration, and maintenance of Kubernetes platform components.
• Containerize applications and support application deployment across containerized environments.
• Troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters, container workloads, and associated infrastructure services.
• Support application lifecycle management, platform upgrades, and infrastructure configuration changes.
• Collaborate with application development and platform engineering teams to improve deployment reliability and operational efficiency.
• Maintain platform stability and support the integration of containerized applications with enterprise infrastructure services.

Linux & Operating Systems Administration

• Administer, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux-based infrastructure.
• Support multiple operating systems, including Linux, Windows, BSD, and UNIX environments.
• Perform system configuration, software installation, patching, upgrades, and operational maintenance.
• Troubleshoot operating system, application, and infrastructure issues.
• Support system performance, availability, and security requirements.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts to simplify system administration and infrastructure operations.
• Ensure infrastructure configurations follow established standards and security requirements.

Networking & Infrastructure Services

• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot network infrastructure supporting enterprise platform environments.
• Apply networking concepts, including bonding, bridging, VLANs, firewall configuration, and connectivity troubleshooting.
• Support infrastructure services, including DNS, DHCP, and associated network configuration components.
• Troubleshoot network connectivity and infrastructure communication issues across systems and applications.
• Collaborate with network engineering teams to resolve infrastructure and platform networking issues.
• Support reliable connectivity between Kubernetes clusters, applications, storage systems, and enterprise services.

Identity Management & Security

• Support enterprise identity management, authentication, authorization, and access control services.
• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot identity and authentication infrastructure.
• Work with authentication technologies and methodologies, including IdM, OpenID Connect (OIDC), Keycloak, and Authentik.
• Support secure access to infrastructure, applications, and platform services.
• Apply security best practices involving encryption, authentication, authorization, and access controls.
• Maintain compliance with established security policies, infrastructure standards, and program requirements.
• Collaborate with security and engineering teams to resolve access, authentication, and infrastructure security issues.

Automation & Infrastructure Management

• Develop and maintain automation scripts using Python, Go, Bash, or other scripting languages.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning, operating system configuration, application deployment, and platform maintenance.
• Improve repeatability, consistency, and efficiency across infrastructure operations.
• Support configuration management and automated deployment workflows.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual administration and improve operational reliability.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, configuration procedures, and operational runbooks.
• Support continuous improvement of platform engineering practices and infrastructure automation.

Storage & Application Infrastructure

• Support enterprise storage technologies and infrastructure services.
• Maintain and troubleshoot file, block, and object storage environments.
• Support NFS, S3-compatible storage, and associated application infrastructure.
• Assist with storage provisioning, configuration, access, and integration with platform services.
• Support application stack deployment, configuration, and maintenance.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure dependencies involving storage, networking, operating systems, and applications.

Collaboration & Operational Support

• Work closely with platform engineers, architects, developers, network engineers, security teams, and project management.
• Support infrastructure deployment, sustainment, and operational troubleshooting.
• Communicate technical issues, proposed solutions, and infrastructure changes effectively.
• Manage competing priorities and adapt to changing technical requirements.
• Maintain a commitment to continuous learning and professional development in DevOps and platform engineering.

Requirements

Systems Administration & Infrastructure

• Proficiency administering multiple operating systems, including Linux and Windows.
• Strong understanding of operating system configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting enterprise infrastructure and platform services.
• Understanding of networking concepts, including bonding, bridging, VLANs, firewalls, and network troubleshooting.
• Ability to analyze complex technical issues across operating systems, networking, and infrastructure components.

Kubernetes & Containerization

• Experience deploying, managing, and monitoring Kubernetes environments.
• Experience supporting containerized applications running within Kubernetes.
• Hands-on experience containerizing applications using Docker and/or Podman.
• Understanding of container infrastructure, application deployment, and platform operations.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes and/or OpenShift environments.
• Ability to troubleshoot container workloads and associated infrastructure services.

Identity Management & Authentication

• Working knowledge of authentication protocols and methodologies.
• Experience with identity management and authentication technologies, including one or more of the following:
• • Identity Management (IdM)
  • OpenID Connect (OIDC)
  • Keycloak
  • Authentik
• Understanding of authentication, authorization, encryption, and access control principles.
• Ability to troubleshoot identity, authentication, and access-related infrastructure issues.

Scripting & Automation

• Knowledge of one or more scripting or programming languages, including Python, Go, or Bash.
• Ability to develop scripts for infrastructure administration, configuration, deployment, and troubleshooting.
• Understanding of automation principles and repeatable infrastructure processes.
• Ability to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency through automation.

Additional Requirements

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong communication and technical documentation skills.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements and priorities.
• Commitment to continued learning and professional development.
• Active TS/SCI clearance and ability to maintain program access.
• Ability to work onsite five days per week in Chantilly, VA.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

Storage & Filesystems

• Experience administering file, block, and object storage technologies.
• Familiarity with NFS and S3-compatible storage environments.
• Understanding of storage provisioning, configuration, integration, and troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting storage services within Kubernetes and enterprise infrastructure environments.

Disaster Recovery & Resilience

• Experience managing, implementing, and validating disaster recovery processes.
• Familiarity with infrastructure backup, recovery, and restoration procedures.
• Understanding of platform availability, resiliency, and recovery requirements.
• Ability to support disaster recovery testing and infrastructure validation.

Artificial Intelligence & Platform Technologies

• Experience deploying and utilizing locally hosted Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Familiarity with infrastructure requirements for local AI workloads.
• Experience supporting containerized AI applications or associated platform services.
• Understanding of infrastructure integration and operational considerations for AI deployments.

Advanced Networking & Troubleshooting

• Experience with Linux networking and advanced troubleshooting tools.
• Familiarity with iptables and eBPF.
• Experience using tcpdump and Wireshark for network diagnostics and packet analysis.
• Ability to troubleshoot network connectivity, performance, and communication issues across infrastructure components.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package for full-time salaried employees is effective immediately upon the start date. Benefits include comprehensive PPO medical coverage with access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) option, a vision plan, and dental insurance with the base dental plan option paid for by PGTEK. Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term disability, and Critical Illness insurance have premiums covered.  Additionally, PGTEK offers a matching 401(k) plan and a discount on pet insurance through ASPCA Pet Insurance.   An Employee Assistance Program is available at no cost to all employees.  PGTEK offers a generous amount of PTO and Holidays, and an Education Assistance Program is available after 12 months of employment.

ABOUT PGTEK

PGTEK is a true consulting organization dedicated to helping clients achieve their business and technology objectives utilizing our decades of experience and business relationships. PGTEK invests in the educational advancements of our staff by providing the necessary resources to complete Professional and Business Certifications. Our company is our people, and we treat them like family.

EOE, including disability/veterans