DevOps Engineer | Secret Clearance

Phoenix Operations Group; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Plan

PTO 4 weeks

Holidays 11

Birthdays Off

Referral Bonuses

Open Source Bonuses

Professional Development

Job summary

Phoenix Operations Group is seeking an experienced DevOps Engineer to support a fast-paced technical environment in Columbia, Maryland. The role emphasizes AWS cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes management, and automation across cloud and edge environments.

The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in DevOps practices, Linux administration, scripting (Python, Bash, Go), and IaC with Terraform/Ansible. Hybrid onsite requirement is 1–2 days per week in Columbia, MD, with potential variance by

Qualifications

• Active Secret U.S. Government Security Clearance required.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• 5+ years of relevant DevOps Engineering or Software Development experience with a related degree.
• 3+ years with a Master’s degree in a related field.
• 9+ years with high school diploma/equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of Kubernetes or comparable container orchestration.
• Advanced AWS experience including EKS, EC2, EBS, S3, Lambda.
• Terraform and Ansible for configuration management and IaC.
• Scripting languages: Python, Bash, or Go.
• Familiarity with Git, Flux, and related tools for deployment.
• Linux administration and troubleshooting expertise.
• Comfort with terminal/command-line environments.
• Understanding of Agile methodologies and software toolchains.
• DoD 8140/8570 compliant certification or ability to obtain within 60 days.
• Onsite work in Columbia, MD 1–2 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Support cloud infrastructure deployment within AWS with a focus on Amazon EKS.
• Develop and maintain non-cloud and edge infrastructure, including on-premises and portable systems.
• Develop and maintain automated deployment processes.
• Manage and maintain Kubernetes containers and AWS infrastructure.
• Build reliable, scalable, and highly available infrastructure.
• Collaborate with software teams to integrate apps into cloud/container environments.
• Monitor production environments and troubleshoot issues across infra, apps, containers, and OS.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, deployment, monitoring, and performance.
• Support configuration management and Infrastructure as Code initiatives.
• Perform Linux system administration and troubleshooting.
• Develop scripts using Python, Bash, and Go.
• Stay current with DevOps/cloud/containerization trends.
• Perform additional duties to support program objectives.

Skills

DevOps engineering

AWS cloud infrastructure

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Automation

Linux administration

Python/Bash/Go

Git/Flux

Agile methodologies

DoD 8140/8570 certs

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree in related field

High school diploma/equivalent with experience

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Git

Flux

AWS CLI

K9s

Job description

Description

Phoenix Operations Group is seeking an experienced and highly motivated DevOps Engineer to support a fast-paced technical environment in Columbia, Maryland.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience with DevOps engineering, AWS cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes/container orchestration, CI/CD, configuration management, automation, Linux systems administration, and scripting/programming.

In this role, you will help develop and maintain cloud and non-cloud infrastructure, automate deployment processes, support containerized environments, and ensure the reliability, scalability, availability, and performance of mission-critical systems.

This position operates in a hybrid environment, with an average of 1–2 days per week onsite in Columbia, MD. Onsite requirements may vary depending on customer, program, and contract needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development and deployment of cloud infrastructure within AWS, with a particular focus on Amazon EKS.
• Support the development and deployment of non-cloud and edge infrastructure, including on-premises and portable systems.
• Develop and maintain automated deployment processes.
• Manage and maintain Kubernetes containers and AWS cloud infrastructure.
• Build and support reliable, scalable, and highly available infrastructure.
• Collaborate with software development teams to integrate applications into cloud and containerized environments.
• Monitor production environments and troubleshoot infrastructure, application, container, and operating system issues.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, deployment, monitoring, reliability, and system performance.
• Support configuration management and Infrastructure as Code initiatives.
• Perform Linux systems administration and troubleshooting.
• Develop scripts and automation using technologies such as Python, Bash, and Go.
• Stay current with emerging DevOps, cloud, containerization, and infrastructure technologies.
• Perform additional duties as required to support program and customer objectives.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Active Secret U.S. Government Security Clearance required.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Bachelor's degree in a related technical field with 5+ years of relevant DevOps Engineering or Software Development experience; OR
• Master's degree in a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience; OR
• High school diploma/equivalent with 9+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge of Kubernetes or comparable container orchestration technologies.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of AWS, including:
  • EKS
  • EC2
  • EBS
  • S3
  • Lambda
• Experience with configuration management and Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform and Ansible.
• Experience deploying, scaling, administering, and troubleshooting applications, containers, and operating systems.
• Programming or scripting experience with languages such as Python, Bash, or Go.
• Familiarity with Git, Flux, and related software development and deployment tools.
• Strong knowledge of Linux, including system administration and troubleshooting.
• Comfortable working extensively within terminal/command-line environments.
• Understanding of Agile software development methodologies and common software development toolsets.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Current DoD 8140/8570 compliant certification, such as Security+, OR ability to obtain the required certification within 60 days of hire.
• Ability to work onsite in Columbia, MD approximately 1–2 days per week, with flexibility based on customer and program requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI security clearance.
• Experience working with big data technologies, including one or more of the following:
  • Hadoop
  • Accumulo
  • Ceph
  • Spark
  • NiFi
  • Kafka
  • PostgreSQL
  • Elasticsearch
  • Hive
  • Drill
  • Impala
  • Trino
  • Presto
• Experience with K9s and the AWS CLI.
• Experience with additional AWS technologies such as SNS and SQS.
• Experience supporting DevOps infrastructure in DoD, Intelligence Community, or other mission-focused environments.

Benefits Offered

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance – 100% Company Paid Premiums

STD, LTD, and Life Insurance – 100% Company Paid

401(k) – Automatic 10% company contribution; no matching required

PTO – 4 weeks/year

Holidays – 11 paid/year

Birthdays Off With Pay

Referral Bonuses – Upfront AND Annually Recurring

Open Source Bonuses – Contribute to our GitHub projects

Professional Development – Paid training, certifications, and enrichment

About Phoenix Operations Group

Phoenix Operations Group is a high-end engineering services company dedicated to protecting and advancing our national cyber resources. As a small company, we rely on innovation to continually advance our employees' skills and provide game-changing solutions to our customers.

Our technical competencies include Big Data analytics (batch and streaming), Cloud Computing infrastructure, multi-INT visualization, and enterprise architectures. We support mission-critical programs by bringing together highly skilled engineers and innovative technologies to solve complex technical challenges.