Linux Platform Engineer (TS/SCI Clearance with Full Scope Polygraph Required)

Platform Engineer

Location: Columbia, MD

Position Type: Full-Time

Security Clearance: TS/SCI with Polygraph

Salary Range: $161,000 – $193,000

Role Overview

The Platform Engineer builds, tests, and maintains the foundational infrastructure and tooling required for rapid, reliable software development and release. Working closely with development and operations teams, this role drives infrastructure automation, optimizes deployment pipelines, and enhances overall platform resilience. The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in Linux and Ansible, alongside a dedication to continuous integration, system observability, and process automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Platform Design & Maintenance: Architect, deploy, and maintain internal developer platforms and environments that support efficient application development and continuous deployment.

• Automation & CI/CD: Automate operational workflows and configuration tasks using Ansible to reduce manual overhead, enhance reliability, and accelerate delivery pipelines.

• Observability & Performance: Monitor infrastructure health, system availability, and performance metrics using modern observability tooling (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana).

• Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution: Investigate, isolate, and resolve complex infrastructure, environment, and platform-level defects.

• Security & Compliance: Enforce platform security controls, regulatory compliance standards, and industry best practices across environments.

• Developer Experience: Partner with software engineering teams to streamline deployment workflows, resolve environment bottlenecks, and enhance developer tooling.

Required Qualifications

• Clearance: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph.

• Certification: Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level I certification (e.g., A+ CE, CCNA-Security, Network+ CE, SSCP).

• Experience & Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree plus at least ten (10) years of relevant technical experience, OR

  • Fourteen (14) years of Platform Engineering experience in lieu of a degree.

• Operating Systems: Strong, hands-on Linux systems administration and command-line experience.

• Automation Tooling: Solid, practical experience with Ansible for configuration management and automation.

Benefits & Compensation

• Compensation: $161,000 – $193,000 base salary, evaluated based on experience, technical background, and contract scope.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance packages.

• Retirement Planning: 401(k) plan with company matching.

• Paid Leave: Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), standard paid holidays, and paid parental leave.

• Life & Disability: Basic life insurance and disability coverage.

• Career Growth: Tuition reimbursement to support professional development, degrees, and industry certifications.