Automation Engineer

Overview

CNS is seeking a highly skilled Ansible Automation Engineer to support mission-critical IT modernization and infrastructure reliability initiatives. The candidate will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining automated solutions across secure on-premises and cloud environments. This role supports federal operations that require strong attention to security, compliance, and repeatable infrastructure-as-code methodologies.

This role is central to modernizing the agency’s infrastructure and strengthening its cybersecurity posture through repeatable, secure, and auditable automation. The Ansible Automation Engineer will contribute directly to mission success by increasing system reliability, reducing manual workload, and promoting Dev Sec Ops  practices within a federal environment.

• Develop, refine, and maintain Ansible playbooks, roles, and collections to automate system provisioning, configuration, patching, and application deployments across controlled environments.
• Implement automation workflows that align with federal IT policies, including FISMA, NIST 800-53, DISA STIG, and agency-specific security guidelines.
• Administer and support Ansible Automation Platform (AAP), including RBAC, credentials management, inventory design, and secure deployment pipelines.
• Collaborate with federal system owners, network teams, cybersecurity, and cloud operations to identify opportunities for automation that improve efficiency and reduce risk.
• Integrate Ansible into CI/CD pipelines using government-approved tooling such as:
  Git Flow, Azure Dev Ops, Podman, Open Shift (Kubernetes)
• Troubleshoot, optimize, and document automation processes to ensure consistent performance and compliance.
• Develop and maintain detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs), system documentation, and diagrams for audits and security reviews.
• Support Cyber Security processes by providing artifacts, remediation inputs, and automation-based compliance enhancements.
• Participate in on-call or after-hours maintenance windows as required to support operational needs.

• 3–5+ years of experience in automation engineering, Dev Ops, system administration, or related IT roles—preferably within federal or DoD environments.
• Advanced expertise with Ansible, including playbook design, Jinja2 templating, variables, dynamic inventories, and collections.
• Experience automating systems administration with multiple distributions including RHEL 7 - 10, Ubuntu, Windows, IOS, vSphere.
• Experience interacting with Vendor products using API to automate provisioning, configuration management, and security auditing
• Experience working within federal cybersecurity compliance frameworks, including STIGs, SCAP, RMF, and configuration baselines.
• Proficiency with Git and version control processes appropriate for controlled repositories.
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD pipelines and secure Dev Sec Ops  practices.
• Experience with AWS Gov Cloud, Azure Government, VMware or on-premises virtualized environments.
• Scripting proficiency in Bash, Python, or Power Shell.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.

• Meaningful work and unique opportunities to support missions vital to national and global security
• Top-notch, dedicated colleagues
• Generous pay and benefits with a stable organization
• Career advancement and professional development programs
• Work-life balance fostered through flexible work options and wellness initiatives
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or closely-related field:
  No experience.
• Eight or more years of relevant education, traninig and/or progressive experience may be considered to satisfy the eduational and years of experience required for this posting.
• Required experience working with one or more of the technologies listed that the team supports. Supporting more than one of the technologies is preferred.
• Requires a Q clearance; however, all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of their current clearance status. (The ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy "Q" clearance is required.)

• Prior experience…