Ansible Automation Systems Engineer

Latitudeinc; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Security-focused environment

Job summary

Latitudeinc in Columbia, MD is seeking a Systems Engineer to architect and own enterprise-scale Ansible automation frameworks. Hybrid work schedule in a security-conscious environment, focusing on scalable playbooks, modular design, and governance.

The role demands deep Ansible expertise, Linux administration, and strong IaC skills, with experience integrating automation into CI/CD pipelines and complying with STIG/NIST/RMF controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 5+ years of systems engineering or infrastructure automation experience.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and owning Ansible automation frameworks.
• Deep expertise in Ansible playbooks, modular design, and scalable inventory/variables.
• Experience integrating Ansible into CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong Linux system administration and IaC understanding.
• Experience with security-focused environments (STIG, NIST, RMF).

Responsibilities

• Architect and own enterprise-wide Ansible automation frameworks.
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable playbooks and reusable roles.
• Establish best practices for configuration management and secrets handling.
• Build modular, version-controlled automation aligned with infra lifecycle.
• Integrate Ansible with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps toolchains.
• Automate provisioning, patching, hardening, and compliance validation.
• Collaborate with Security, Infra, and DevOps teams for compliance alignment.
• Provide governance and mentorship on automation standards.
• Maintain documentation, tests, and change control for automation assets.

Skills

Ansible playbook development

Role-based architecture

Modular design

Inventory & variables at scale

Ansible Tower/AWX

Linux administration

Infrastructure as Code

Configuration management

Python/Bash scripting

CI/CD integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Information Systems

Tools

AWX / Ansible Tower

Git

Job description

Position Title: Systems Engineer – Ansible Automation

Location: Columbia MD (Hybrid work schedule)

Clearance Requirements: Eligibility for a Secret Clearance, Active Clearance would be great

Industry: Government / Defense / Secure Enterprise Environment

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Systems Engineer – Ansible Automation to architect, design, and own enterprise-scale automation frameworks. This is not a “playbook user” role — we are looking for someone who has built, structured, and maintained automation ecosystems from the ground up.

The ideal candidate has deep experience designing Ansible playbooks, modular role structures, and scalable configuration management frameworks that support secure, compliant, and repeatable infrastructure deployments. Experience operating in security-focused, federal, or DoD-adjacent environments is strongly preferred.

This role will serve as a technical leader in automation strategy, infrastructure as code (IaC), and configuration governance.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and own enterprise-wide Ansible automation frameworks
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable playbooks and reusable role structures
• Establish best practices for configuration management, inventory structuring, and secrets handling
• Build modular, version-controlled automation aligned with infrastructure lifecycle management
• Integrate Ansible with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps toolchains
• Automate system provisioning, patching, hardening, and compliance validation
• Develop standardized automation for Linux and/or Windows environments
• Collaborate with Security, Infrastructure, and DevOps teams to ensure automation aligns with compliance frameworks (e.g., STIG, NIST, RMF)
• Troubleshoot and optimize automation workflows for performance and scalability
• Provide technical mentorship and governance around automation standards
• Maintain documentation, testing frameworks, and change control for automation assets

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of systems engineering or infrastructure automation experience
• Demonstrated experience architecting and owning Ansible automation frameworks
• Deep expertise in:
  • Ansible playbook development
  • Role-based architecture and modular design
  • Inventory and variable structuring at scale
  • Ansible Tower / AWX (or similar orchestration platforms)
• Strong understanding of:
  • Linux system administration
  • Infrastructure as Code principles
  • Configuration management best practices
• Experience integrating Ansible into CI/CD pipelines
• Strong scripting experience (Python, Bash, or similar)
• Experience managing automation in large, multi-environment infrastructures (Dev/Test/Prod)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in security-focused or DoD-adjacent environments
• Familiarity with:
  • STIG hardening
  • NIST 800-53 / RMF controls
  • FedRAMP or IL-level environments
• Experience in containerized or cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GovCloud)
• Active or prior security clearance
• Experience automating patch management and vulnerability remediation workflows
• Familiarity with GitOps methodologies

What Makes This Role Different

• Designed automation architecture — not just executed tasks
• Owned lifecycle management of automation frameworks
• Built reusable, scalable automation standards adopted by teams
• Driven governance and technical direction around configuration management