Systems Engineer Security Clearance

Position: Systems Engineer with Security Clearance
Systems Engineer Clearance Level: Interim secret sufficient to start. Must be willing to obtain an Top Secret Clearance. At Aquila Technology, you will see our team’s passion every day, whether we are building a robust, policy-compliant IT system or stress-testing a system to identify gaps and security vulnerabilities. To own the advantage, we ensure our team owns results and gets the work done right the first time by deploying smart, purposeful solutions that work.

Aquila is the right people with the right skills driving the right outcomes. We call this the Aquila Advantage. Aquila Technology is seeking a Systems Engineer to support a premier defense research organization. The role focuses on designing and integrating distributed data architecture solutions, with emphasis on AI/ML, automation, and data analysis. The candidate will develop prototypes and proof-of-concepts to support secure, cloud-based data sharing and modernization initiatives across distributed environments, while evaluating emerging technologies in data engineering and observability.

Must Have:
* 5 years Building and managing databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, Mongo, InfluxDB)
* 5 years Data Analysis
* 5 years Data Visualization (display tool-kits and methodologies)
* 5 years

Experience with ETL (Extract, transform, and load)
* Bachelor’s Degree
* 2 years Machine Learning/AI
* 2 years AI/ML
* 2 years Experience developing and implementing algorithms for AI/ML workflows in Python
* 5 years Software programming:
Java, C/C++, Python, Linux
* 2 years Familiarity with monitoring, logging, and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana and Splunk)
* 2 years Dev Sec Ops experience
* 5 years Systems Analysis Nice to Have:
* Currently holds a Secret Clearance (OR a higher clearance)
* Experience with OMS (open mission systems) and UCI (universal command and control interface)
* Containerization (Docker, podman, etc.) What You Will Bring:
* Strong background in data analysis, identifying trends, drawing actionable insights, and evaluating data interoperability from diverse sources to support key decisions
* Experience designing and implementing distributed data architectures, including publish/subscribe messaging systems (e.g., NATS) and robust Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pipelines
* Proficiency with high-performance database technologies (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, ClickHouseDB)
* Hands-on development experience with Python, Java, and C/C++ for high-performance data processing, analytics, and system components
* Deep understanding of observability and visualization stacks, including Grafana for dashboards, Prometheus, and Victoria Metrics for monitoring large-scale distributed systems
* Ability to analyze complex systems, identify performance bottlenecks, debug issues, and implement efficiency improvements
* Experience gathering and analyzing system requirements, mapping them to capabilities, identifying gaps, and developing risk mitigation strategies
* Strong team collaboration using Agile methodologies, with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision
* Familiarity with Dev Sec Ops  pipelines, practices, and tools
* Experience or strong interest in network emulation and testbed environments Preferred Skills
* Active DoW Secret or TS/SCI Clearance
* Knowledge of architecture frameworks such as DoDAF, applied across multi-domain and cloud environments
* Understanding of Common Intelligence Picture (CIP) and Common Operational Picture (COP) concepts
* Expertise in cloud-native infrastructure and automation using Kubernetes, Ansible, and Terraform for deploying and managing scalable environments
* Additional experience with containerization (Docker / Podman), infrastructure-as-code, and observability tools (Loki, Fluent Bit, Open Telemetry)
* Proficiency in building AI-powered analytics platforms, including natural language querying, automated reporting, root-cause analysis, cross-run comparisons, and actionable recommendations
* Hands-on experience with AI/ML workflows, and integration of AI models into data pipelines and decision-support systems
* Experience with Open Mission Systems (OMS) and Universal…