Senior NGDE Engineer; Linux OS Engineer

Senior NGDE Engineer (Linux OS Engineer)

Build, harden, and sustain mission‑critical Linux platforms in a highly secure enterprise environment for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise III (SITE III).

• Design, deploy, configure, and maintain enterprise Linux environments (RHEL, Rocky, CentOS, Ubuntu, or equivalent).
• Build and maintain secure Linux OS baselines in accordance with DoD STIGs, NIST, and RMF requirements.
• Perform system hardening, patch management, and vulnerability remediation for classified environments.
• Automate system configuration and deployment using tools such as Ansible, Puppet, or similar automation frameworks.
• Engineer and maintain systems supporting cross‑domain data transfer and multi‑level security (MLS) environments.
• Support integration and sustainment of Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) enabling secure data exchange between networks of different classification levels.
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure proper data flow enforcement, access controls, and auditing in classified environments.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues impacting secure information flow between domains.
• Support the architecture and sustainment of Next Generation Digital Environment (NGDE) platforms.
• Integrate Linux‑based services with identity management, container platforms, and virtualization solutions.
• Assist in modernization initiatives including cloud integration, Dev Sec Ops  pipelines, and platform automation.
• Implement and maintain security controls aligned with RMF, NIST 800‑53, and DISA STIGs.
• Conduct system auditing, log analysis, and compliance verification.
• Support security assessments, ATO processes, and continuous monitoring activities.
• Ensure all systems meet classified operational security requirements.
• Monitor system performance, availability, and resource utilization.
• Implement high‑availability solutions and disaster recovery strategies.
• Provide Tier III engineering support for critical Linux infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, system diagrams, and standard operating procedures.
• Participate in engineering design reviews and architecture discussions.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership within the Linux engineering team.

• Active TS/SCI + CI Poly clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10–12 years of relevant experience at the Bachelor’s level (or equivalent at Master’s or PhD level).
• 5–7 years of Linux administration experience in enterprise or government environments (or 8+ years overall Linux system administration or engineering).
• Security+ CE certification.
• RHCSA or RHCE certification.
• Experience implementing DISA STIGs, NIST controls, and RMF compliance requirements.
• Ability to create SOPs, playbooks (runbooks), and architecture documentation.
• Experience troubleshooting across multi‑level classification domains.
• Experience troubleshooting compute, network, and storage environments.
• VMware/KVM familiarity.
• Deep understanding of designing and implementing ITSM workflows.
• Hands‑on automation experience with Ansible, Bash, Python.

• CKA certification.
• Experience with RHEL Satellite/Foreman, Kickstart, IdM/FreeIPA, Hashi Corp Vault.
• Container/Cloud experience:
  Podman, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS/Gov Cloud, Azure.
• Terraform, registry/artifact management.
• Monitoring/SIEM experience:
  Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/Open Search.
• Experience working with endpoints that support a multi‑level classification environment.
• Strong proficiency with RHEL and Debian/Ubuntu systems, services, and package management.
• Deep expertise with enterprise Linux distributions (RHEL preferred).
• Experience supporting classified environments and cross‑domain systems.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Linux system internals
  • Networking (TCP/IP, routing, firewalls)
  • System hardening and vulnerability management
  • Automation tools (Ansible, Bash, Python, etc.)

Annapolis Junction, MD (travel ~20%)

$ – $ per year.

• U.S. citizenship.
• Active TS/SCI + CI Poly clearance.

Tek Synap is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. All employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.