CSfC Systems Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Leidos; Fort Belvoir (VA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer (SME) to join our I3TS team, supporting a digital modernization program for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The role focuses on CSfC architectures, PKI/HSM operations, and hardened Windows and Linux platforms, with emphasis on secure logging, patching, and continuous monitoring to sustain ATO.

You will design and maintain virtualization fabrics (VMware/Nutanix), implement DR pipelines, and ensure compliance with DISA STIGs while

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive systems engineering experience within DoD/DoW or federal defense environments.
• Active TS/SCI Clearance.
• DoD 8570.01-M / DoD 8140 IAT Level II or III baseline certs (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, CASP+, or CISSP).
• Experience drafting CSfC Key Management Plans (KMPs) and Continuous Monitoring Plans (CMPs).
• Proficiency with PowerShell, Bash, and Ansible for automated STIG remediation and deployment.

Responsibilities

• Architect, deploy, and maintain CSfC infrastructure.
• Design and maintain multi-layer CSfC architectures aligned with NSA DAR/MA packages.
• Build and manage CA/OCSP and HSM-based key protection per CSfC requirements.
• Deploy, configure, and administer hardened Windows Server and RHEL systems.

Skills

Systems engineering

CSfC

VMware vSphere/ESXi

Nutanix AHV

Security certifications

PowerShell/Bash/Ansible

DISA STIG compliance

DoD/DoW experience

SIEM/logging

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in CS/IT/Engineering

Master's degree

Doctorate (optional)

Tools

VMware vSphere/ESXi

Nutanix AHV

SCCM / MCM

Windows Server

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Syslog / SIEM tools

KB/PKI/HSM management

Job description

Leidos is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer (SME) to join our Integrated Information Technology Support Services (I3TS) team, who will support an extensive digital modernization program critical to Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The Systems Engineer will work closely with the Leidos and Government technical leadership team to help drive innovation, growth, and efficiencies within the I3TS portfolio.

Primary Responsibilities

The Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Systems Engineer SME will architect and maintain mission-critical Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), oversee VMware or Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) with vSAN, and implement resilient backup and disaster recovery frameworks. This role will also build and administer hardened Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) platforms, establish robust Syslog aggregation, and enforce rigorous DoW vulnerability patching and DISA STIG compliance to sustain full Authorization to Operate (ATO), and assist with automating gold-image provisioning via SCCM.

Core Responsibilities

• Architect, deploy, and maintain CSfC infrastructure operating within Black/Gray/Red networks.
• Design, configure, and maintain multi-layered CSfC architectures in alignment with NSA Data-At-Rest (DAR) and Mobile Access (MA) Capability Packages.
• Architect, deploy, maintain Certificate Authority (CA), Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responders, and hardware-backed key protection via Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) in accordance with CSfC Key Management Requirements.
• Build, manage, and optimize virtualized compute and storage fabrics utilizing VMware vSphere / ESXi or Nutanix AHV with vSAN/distributed storage.
• Design resilient, air-gapped backup and disaster recovery (DR) pipelines.
• Deploy, configure, and administer hardened Microsoft Windows Server (Active Directory, DNS, Group Policy) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems.
• Establish centralized, tamper-resistant Syslog and audit logging infrastructure across all network and system devices, hypervisors, and operating systems to support continuous monitoring and SIEM ingestion.
• Understanding of cross-domain systems and forwarding log data through it to a centralized SIEM Build and maintain automated OS deployment and gold image pipelines using Microsoft Configuration Manager (MCM/SCCM) for CSfC End User Devices (EUD).
• Apply and validate patching and STIGs across all virtual and physical infrastructure.
• Execute vulnerability scans, track IAVMs, and remediate findings to maintain Authorization to Operate (ATO).

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Engineering Management, Management Information Systems, or related STEM degree program, and 12-15 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 10 - 13 years of prior relevant experience.
• May possess a Doctorate in technical domain.
• Specific experience, education and training may be considered in lieu of degree.
• 12+ years of progressive systems engineering experience within DoD/DoW, federal, or defense contractor enterprise environments.
• Active TS/SCI Clearance
• Active DoD 8570.01-M / DoD 8140 IAT Level II or III baseline certification (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, CASP+, or CISSP).
• Active Computing Environment certification, including one of: VMware VCP/VCAP, Nutanix NCP, Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate
• Direct experience drafting CSfC Key Management Plans (KMPs) and Continuous Monitoring Plans (CMPs) for NSA CSfC PMO approval.
• Proficiency with PowerShell, Bash, and Ansible for automated STIG remediation, configuration drift detection, and certificate deployment
• Advanced configuration of syslog daemons (Rsyslog, Syslog-ng) and forwarding architectures to enterprise SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, Elastic).

Preferred Qualifications

Experience Designing, deploying, and maintaining IT infrastructures for DTRA or other DoW organizations.

Company Overview

Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Original Posting

Original Posting: September 1, 2026 For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range

Pay Range: Pay Range $131,300.00 - $237,350.00

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.