Linux and Ansible Automation Engineer

GuidePoint Security, LLC; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

GuidePoint Security, LLC is seeking a Linux and Ansible Automation Engineer to help build automation frameworks in a mission-critical environment. You will develop scalable infrastructure, automate Linux administration, and implement best practices to reduce manual effort and risk.

The role requires TS/SCI clearance with polygraph eligibility and 10+ years on Linux, IaC with Ansible/Terraform/Salt/Puppet/Chef, and experience in DoD or federal IT environments.

Qualifications

• Must have TS/SCI clearance with ability to obtain counter‑intelligence polygraph.
• 10+ years of experience administering Linux environments (RHEL).
• Experience with Ansible to manage large inventories and enforce idempotent states.
• Proficient in IaC tools: Ansible, Terraform, Salt, Puppet, or Chef.
• Scripting experience with Bash and Python (PowerShell helpful).
• Experience with DoD or federal IT security and compliance frameworks (STIG, RMF, NIST).
• Education: Associate's degree with 5+ years, Bachelor's with 3+ years, or Master's with 1+ year.
• Ability to obtain DoD 8570 Level III and CSSP‑IS/CSSP certifications within 30 days.

Skills

Ansible

Bash

Python

PowerShell

RHEL

System administration

Education

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Terraform

Salt

Puppet

Chef

VMware vSphere

Git

Job description

Role Overview

As a Linux and Ansible Automation Engineer on our project, you'll be on the ground floor of building something meaningful by developing automation frameworks, establishing best practices, and laying the foundation for scalable infrastructure in a mission-critical environment. You’ll provide the customer with insight into their Linux environments through automated monitoring, system hardening, configuration management, and performance optimization. You’ll work closely with mission partners and various stakeholders to understand their current pain points and translate them into automation solutions that reduce manual effort and operational risk. Your technical expertise will be vital as you identify where automation can make the biggest immediate impact while keeping an eye on long-term architecture. You’ll help your team better understand what’s possible by turning early wins into repeatable methodologies and communicating their value to leadership.

Requirements

• MUST have TS/SCI clearance with the ability to obtain a counter‑intelligence polygraph.
• 10+ years of experience administering Linux‑based environments such as RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
• Experience managing configuration at scale using Ansible, including enforcing consistent system state across large inventories, detecting and correcting configuration drift, and writing idempotent playbooks.
• Experience using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technologies such as Ansible, Terraform, Salt, Puppet, or Chef.
• Experience with Bash, Python, or PowerShell.
• Experience managing systems within U.S. federal government or DoD enterprise IT environments, including security compliance and vulnerability management frameworks such as STIG, RMF, or NIST.
• Associate's degree and 5+ years of experience supporting IT projects and activities, or Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of experience supporting IT projects and activities, or Master's degree and 1+ year of experience supporting IT projects and activities.
• Ability to obtain a DoD 8570 IAT Level III Certification such as SecurityX (formerly CASP+), CCNP Security, CISA, CISSP (or Associate), GCED, GCIH, CCSP certification within 30 days of start date.
• Ability to obtain a DoD 8570 Cybersecurity Service Provider – Infrastructure Support Certification (CSSP‑IS), including CEH, CySA+, GICSP, SSCP, CHFI, CFR, Cloud+, or CND Certification, within 30 days of start date.
• Embraces emerging technologies, including AI tools, to work smarter, solve problems, and drive better business outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with VMware vSphere administration and managing virtual machines.
• Experience in Kubernetes, container platform operations, cluster lifecycle management, workload orchestration.
• Experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Experience with NetApp storage solutions and designing or maintaining enterprise backup and recovery solutions.
• Knowledge of version control concepts and Git.

Legal Notice

Applicants selected will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.