Application Engineer— 24/7 WatchFloor

CACI; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 86,600 - 181,800; Full time

Job summary

CACI is seeking an Application Engineer III to support the 24/7 WatchFloor, focusing on automation and continuous monitoring across the system lifecycle. You'll blend software development, systems engineering, and operations support to ensure data reliability and uptime.

Qualifications include TS/SCI with Poly, Linux and AWS proficiency, and Ansible experience. Expect rotating shifts and a collaborative, mission-driven environment at the ANDS organization.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph is required.
• Proficient with Linux. At least 3 years Linux server administration experience within the last 3 years.
• Proficient with AWS. At least 1 year of AWS experience within the last year.
• Experience with Ansible (or Salt as an alternative) within the last year.
• Experience with monitoring tools like Grafana, Kibana, Splunk, CloudWatch and related dashboards.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain application systems to ensure data reliability and accuracy.
• Perform proactive troubleshooting and potential code changes for performance improvements.
• Track metrics, logs, dashboards, alerts, and application status to prevent downtime.
• Support watchfloor operations by identifying service degradation and escalating issues.
• Perform basic Linux administration tasks: check services, start/stop/restart, review logs, manage disk/memory/CPU, reboot servers as needed.
• Assist with AWS-based operations via AWS Console or AWS CLI for health checks and troubleshooting.
• Work in rotating 24/7 shifts (6AM–6PM / 6PM–6AM) to provide continuous application support.

Skills

Linux server administration

AWS

Ansible

Monitoring tools

DevOps basics

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Doctorate Degree

Tools

Terraform

GitLab Pipelines

Docker

CloudWatch

Grafana

Splunk

Kibana

NiFi

Cribl

Kafka

Logstash

Job description

The Opportunity:

Application Engineer III - 24/7 WatchFloor As part of the Secure the Enterprise initiative, develop capabilities to shift from the current manual system security evaluation and authorization process to a new model that emphasizes automation, streamlined processes and approvals, continuous monitoring and assessment, and network data gathering across the entire life cycle of a project.

Responsibilities:

This is a blended position across all teams in ANDS. As such, the successful candidate will have skills crossing from Software Development, Systems Engineering, Systems Administration, and Operations Support.

• Ensure data reliability and accuracy by monitoring and maintaining application systems.

• Contribute to operational success through continuous performance monitoring and proactive troubleshooting, to potentially include changes to system configuration, changes to the code base, etc.

• Maintain system health by tracking metrics, logs, dashboards, alerts, and application status to prevent downtime and ensure optimal application performance.

• Support watchfloor operations by identifying service degradation, failed dataflows, system errors, and application issues, and escalating as needed.

• Perform basic Linux system administration tasks, including checking service status, starting, stopping, and restarting services, reviewing logs, validating disk, memory, and CPU usage, and supporting server reboots.

• Support cloud-based operations by using the AWS Console or AWS CLI to check instance health, review system status, restart or reboot servers, and assist with basic operational troubleshooting.

• Work in a rotating shift schedule, 6AM-6PM / 6PM-6AM, to provide 24/7 application support on our watch floor.

Qualifications:

Required

• Active TS/SCI w/ Polygraph

• Proficient with Linux. Minimum of 3 years Linux server administration experience (within the last 3 years). Ability to troubleshoot server and application issues, check system health, manage services, review logs, and reboot servers safely.

• Proficient with AWS. Minimum of 1 year of AWS experience (within the last year).

  C2E, HCI, AWS, Lambda, AWS Console, or AWS CLI experience creating and supporting EC2 instances, service health checks, and basic operational troubleshooting.

• Proficient with Ansible. Minimum of 1 year of Ansible experience (within the last year). Will consider similar experience using Salt (instead of Ansible).

Prospective candidates must have proficiency in one or more of the following skillsets / technologies:

• Monitoring / Watchfloor Operations: Grafana, Kibana, Splunk, CloudWatch, or similar monitoring tools; dashboard monitoring, alert triage, log review, incident escalation, and shift turnover support.

• Dataflow / Application Support: Apache NiFi, Cribl, Kafka, Logstash, or similar data pipeline / dataflow tools; experience monitoring application health, failed jobs, queues, data movement, and ingestion issues.

• DevOps: Terraform, Ansible, GitLab Pipelines, Docker.

Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum Education and Experience:

• All experience and education will be in a technical field directly related to the labor category being proposed and all diplomas, GED certificates, and degrees will be from accredited institutions.

• 10 years minimum experience and a High School Diploma/GED.

• 8 years minimum experience and an Associate's Degree.

• 6 years minimum experience and a Bachelor's Degree.

• 4 years minimum experience and a Master's Degree.

• 2 years minimum experience and a Doctorate's Degree.

What You Can Expect:

A culture of integrity. At CACI, we place character and innovation at the center of everything we do. As a valued team member, you’ll be part of a high-performing group dedicated to our customer’s missions and driven by a higher purpose - to ensure the safety of our nation.

An environment of trust. CACI values the unique contributions that every employee brings to our company and our customers - every day. You’ll have the autonomy to take the time you need through a unique flexible time off benefit and have access to robust learning resources to make your ambitions a reality.

A focus on continuous growth. Together, we will advance our nation's most critical missions, build on our lengthy track record of business success, and find opportunities to break new ground - in your career and in our legacy.

Pay Range

There are a host of factors that can influence final salary including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications.

Our employees value the flexibility at CACI that allows them to balance quality work and their personal lives. We offer competitive compensation, benefits and learning and development opportunities. Our broad and competitive mix of benefits options is designed to support and protect employees and their families. At CACI, you will receive comprehensive benefits such as; healthcare, wellness, financial, retirement, family support, continuing education, and time off benefits.

The proposed salary range for this position is:

$86,600 - $181,800

CACI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.