Linux Infrastructure-as-Code DevOps Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Job Summary  

We are seeking a Linux Infrastructure-as-Code DevOps Engineer (Site Reliability Engineer Staff III/IV) with strong enterprise Linux expertise and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) skills who can develop and support processes to provision and maintain secure, hardened servers in both large enterprise networks as well as small standalone classified networks. The ideal candidate is familiar with the design, implementation and best practices for managing a large number of enterprise servers that prioritizes security using IaC. The ideal candidate excels at disciplined and well tested DevOps software development, has eagerness for continuous learning and improvement of DevOps and system administration skills. The ideal candidate has good written and oral communication skills and excels at documenting and training other staff to improve their DevOps operations and system troubleshooting skills. You’ll be working with other corporate IT teams as well as Aerospace engineers to develop and maintain scientific and engineering workloads in support of mission success of critical national space assets.   

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, onsite at our facility located in Chantilly, VA, El Segundo, CA or Colorado Springs, CO.

What You’ll Be Doing 

• Develop IaC automation to make deploying and managing secure and hardened Linux systems both in large enterprise environment as well as in multiple SAPs / CAPs standalone (air-gapped) networks faster, more consistent, more sustainable​ 
• Implementation that enables even those with less code knowledge​ 
• Strategy including how to enable/transform greater adoption by admins 
• Software development of the IaC code base for Linux systems, including: 
• Security hardening, compliance, and automation tasks 
• Automated Linux system provisioning and configuration management 
• Manage common software tools, agents, and config​ 
• Stage and test rollouts of software & configurations​ 
• Manage enterprise-scale Linux services and infrastructure 
• Upgrades of IaC infrastructure itself, both servers and agents​ 

What You Need to be Successful 

Minimum Requirements for the Site Reliability Engineer Staff III:

• BS in CS / Engineering or equivalent experience  
• Minimum four years experience in enterprise Linux system administration, including configuration, troubleshooting, and security hardening in enterprise environments 
• Experience and programming skill implementing infrastructure-as-code with tools like Puppet, Ansible, Bash, Terraform, Python  
• Experience with IaC for automated system management and configuration 
• Experience with Git repositories and software development workflow 
• Experience with automated provisioning tools (e.g. Kickstart, Terraform, Stacki, or Cobbler) 
• Strong sense of ownership, customer service, and integrity. 
• TS/SCI clearance. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Site Reliability Engineer Staff IV include: 

• Strong programming skills implementing infrastructure-as-code with tools like Puppet, Ansible, Bash, Terraform, Python 
• Experience with IaC for automated system management and configuration in a large-scale enterprise environment 
• Minimum seven years experience in enterprise Linux system including configuration, troubleshooting, and security hardening in enterprise environments 
• Proven experience influencing and leading cross-functional teams 
• Team leadership, experience mentoring other staff 

How You Can Stand Out 

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• Certification: Puppet, Ansible, Red Hat, Ubuntu certification 
• Experience provisioning new secure systems in both enterprise as well as smaller standalone networks 
• Experience implementing and maintaining security accreditation 
• Experience provisioning Linux systems and implementing configuration management compliant with DISA STIGs 

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$135,200.00 - $228,000.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.