Linux Infrastructure Engineer II/III

National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Colorado; On-site; USD 84,000 - 181,000; Full time

Job summary

National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado invites applications for a Linux Infrastructure Engineer II/III to design, deploy, and maintain Linux-based infrastructure supporting HPC, data pipelines, and visualization tools. You will collaborate with researchers to translate needs into scalable solutions and manage containerized environments using Podman, Kubernetes, and Docker.

This role requires strong Linux administration skills, experience with automation (Ansible, Git), and the

Qualifications

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 2+ years of experience or equivalent education/experience.
• Or, relevant Master's Degree or equivalent education/experience.
• General knowledge and application of standards, principles, concepts and techniques in the field.
• Some understanding of related IS practices and standards.
• Skilled in analytical techniques and problem solving.
• Skilled in written and verbal communication.
• Intermediate programming ability with various computer software programs and information systems.
• Level III requires complete understanding and wide application of principles, concepts and techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design, engineer, and deploy Linux-based solutions to support data management, HPC, data analysis, processing, and visualization tools and platforms.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate their technical needs into effective infrastructure and application solutions.
• Install, configure, and maintain Linux systems, ensuring they are optimized for science applications and large-scale workloads.
• Develop, maintain, and support containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Podman, Kubernetes) to enable seamless deployment and management of tools and applications.
• Perform regular server maintenance (hardware and software), updates, security patching, and system hardening to ensure data integrity and security compliance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex server, application, and network issues that impact data workflows and performance.
• Evaluate new technologies, tools, and methodologies to enhance efficiency, reliability, and scalability of the infrastructure.
• Automate routine tasks and workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce operational overhead.

Skills

Linux system administration

Infrastructure design

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in relevant field

Master's Degree in relevant field

PhD in relevant field

Tools

Git

Ansible

OpenLDAP / RHEL IdM

Podman

Kubernetes

Docker

OpenStack

VMware

Job description

Linux Infrastructure Engineer II/III

Location: CO - Golden. Position Type: Regular. Hours Per Week: 40.

Working at NLR NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world‑class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost‑effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission‑driven environment supported by state‑of‑the‑art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

NLR’s Computational Science Center (CSC) conducts research to advance the science of computing across advanced computer science, visualization, data science, AI/ML, applied math, and computational science, as well as providing computing expertise to the NLR community and staffing for project execution. The CSC’s Advanced Computing Operations (ACO) Group facilitates cutting edge computational innovations and testbeds to find tomorrow’s solutions today. Collaboration is at the heart of our work — our staff partner with scientists across NLR to deeply understand their computational challenges, to develop or co‑develop tailored solutions, and leveraging our hybrid compute offerings, to provide the technical expertise needed to push boundaries to deliver integrated energy systems solutions. The CSC’s ACO Group has an immediate opening for a Linux Infrastructure Engineer to support the infrastructure around the centers HPC, Research Computing, and on‑premises cloud.

Responsibilities

• Design, engineer, and deploy Linux-based solutions to support data management, HPC, data analysis, processing, and visualization tools and platforms.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate their technical needs into effective infrastructure and application solutions.
• Install, configure, and maintain Linux systems, ensuring they are optimized for science applications and large‑scale workloads.
• Develop, maintain, and support containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Podman, Kubernetes) to enable seamless deployment and management of tools and applications.
• Perform regular server maintenance (hardware and software), updates, security patching, and system hardening to ensure data integrity and security compliance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex server, application, and network issues that impact data workflows and performance.
• Evaluate new technologies, tools, and methodologies to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and scalability of the infrastructure supporting data and visualization efforts.
• Automate routine tasks and workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce operational overhead.

Basic Qualifications

Level II

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.
• Or, relevant Master's Degree or equivalent relevant education/experience.
• General knowledge and application of standards, principles, concepts and techniques in specific field.
• Some understanding of related IS practices and standards.
• Skilled in analytical techniques and practices, and problem solving.
• Skilled in written and verbal communication.
• Intermediate programming ability with various computer software programs and information systems.

Level III

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.
• Or, relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.
• Or, relevant PhD or equivalent relevant education/experience.
• Complete understanding and wide application of principles, concepts and techniques in specific field.
• General knowledge of related IS disciplines.
• Strong leadership and project management skills.
• Skilled in analytical techniques, practices and problem solving.
• Advanced programming, design and analysis abilities with various computer software programs and information systems.

Eligibility Requirements

This position will require access to sensitive information, Government facilities, and/or Government information systems restricted to individuals with US citizenship. Only applicants that are US Citizens at the time of application will be considered. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Experience in Linux system administration (2 years at II and 5 years at III).
• Proven ability to design and implement secure, scalable, and performant infrastructure to support complex data pipelines and analysis tools.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to quickly diagnose and resolve technical issues impacting data processing and analysis.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with researchers, research operations, analysts, and cross‑functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Level II

• Familiarity with Git and handling branches, merging, and conflict resolution.
• Automated configuration management using Ansible.
• Knowledge of computer hardware and how to manage, deploy, and service it.
• Experience with enterprise level directory services OpenLDAP, RHEL IdM/IPA, or similar.

Level III

• Familiarity with building, supporting, and life‑cycling containers (Podman, Kubernetes, docker).
• Experience working with on‑premises cloud environments (VMware, OpenStack, Proxmox, OpenShift).

Annual Salary Range

• $100,400 - $180,700 (IT Professional III)
• $83,600 - $150,500 (IT Professional II)

Benefits Summary

• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• short*- and long-term disability insurance
• pension benefits*
• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*
• life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• personal time off (PTO) and sick leave
• paid holidays
• tuition reimbursement*
• Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug‑Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre‑employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre‑employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre‑employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations / E-Verify

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.

About NLR

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for critical minerals, energy innovation, and energy security. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, Fairbanks, Alaska, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NLR bridges foundational research with practical applications to develop and bring to scale new energy materials and technologies that lower energy costs, drive economic growth, and deliver abundant and reliable energy.