Linux Server Systems Engineer

Leidos LLC; Plyers Mill Estates (MD); On-site; USD 87,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Linux Server Systems Engineer to design, deploy, optimize, and support Linux-based server infrastructure across physical and virtual environments. Responsibilities include requirements analysis, system testing, security hardening, and automation using Ansible, Salt, Puppet, and Chef.

The role is 100% on-site at the Intelligence Community Campus in Bethesda, Maryland, requiring DoD-level clearance (TS/SCI with Poly) and US citizenship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience engineering, deploying, integrating, and maintaining Linux/UNIX server environments.
• Experience with RHEL/ Rocky/ Oracle Linux/ Ubuntu.
• Experience with Red Hat Satellite and Spacewalk for lifecycle, patching, configuration management.
• Experience with Ansible/Salt/Puppet/Chef for IaC/automation.
• Scripting in Bash/PowerShell/Python.
• Experience with patch management and configuration-management methodologies.
• Ability to analyze performance, logs, and incidents and identify infrastructure trends.

Responsibilities

• Engineer, integrate, configure, and optimize Linux server solutions across physical and virtual infra.
• Perform systems engineering activities: requirements analysis, trade studies, interface definition, testing, verification.
• Develop solutions for deployment, modernization, scalability, reliability, and lifecycle management of Linux infra.
• Analyze issues, identify root causes, and implement improvements for resiliency.
• Evaluate infrastructure Architecture for optimization and modernization.
• Design and implement automation for provisioning, configuration, patching, and monitoring using IaC tools.
• Maintain standardized Linux configurations and deployment patterns across multiple Linux distros.
• Develop Linux system-hardening solutions aligned with cybersecurity requirements.
• Support integration of Linux infra with virtualization, storage, networking, identity, monitoring, backup, security, and apps.
• Conduct performance analysis, capacity assessments, log analysis, and system-level troubleshooting.

Skills

Linux administration

Systems engineering

Automation scripting

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Security controls

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering/CS/IT/CE

Tools

Ansible

Salt

Puppet

Chef

Red Hat Satellite

Spacewalk

VMware

Kubernetes

OpenShift

PowerShell

Job description

Leidos is seeking a Linux Server Systems Engineer to support the National Digital Exploitation & OSINT Center (NDOC). This position requires a technically experienced engineer with expertise in the design, integration, deployment, optimization, and lifecycle support of Linux-based server infrastructure across physical and virtual environments. The Linux Server Systems Engineer will apply systems engineering principles to develop and implement reliable, secure, scalable, and maintainable infrastructure solutions supporting mission-critical customer capabilities. The engineer will evaluate system requirements, analyze technical issues and performance trends, develop and implement engineering solutions, and identify opportunities to improve system resiliency, automation, security, and operational efficiency. The successful candidate will collaborate with systems engineers, cybersecurity personnel, application teams, infrastructure administrators, and customer stakeholders to translate mission and technical requirements into engineered solutions.

This is a 100% on-site position. All work must be performed at the customer site at the Intelligence Community Campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

Primary Responsibilities

• Engineer, integrate, configure, and optimize Linux server solutions across physical and virtual infrastructure environments.
• Perform systems engineering activities including requirements analysis, functional analysis, technical trade studies, interface definition, requirements allocation, integration, system testing, and technical verification.
• Develop technical solutions supporting the implementation, modernization, scalability, reliability, and lifecycle management of enterprise Linux infrastructure.
• Analyze complex system and infrastructure issues, identify root causes, and develop engineering solutions that prevent recurrence and improve system resiliency.
• Evaluate existing infrastructure architecture, configurations, utilization, and performance to identify opportunities for optimization and modernization.
• Design and implement automation for system provisioning, configuration, patching, compliance, monitoring, and lifecycle management using tools such as Ansible, Salt, Puppet, Chef, and scripting languages.
• Engineer and maintain standardized Linux configurations, system baselines, and deployment patterns across RHEL, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, and related platforms.
• Develop and implement Linux system-hardening solutions consistent with customer cybersecurity requirements, security controls, and configuration standards.
• Support technical integration of Linux infrastructure with virtualization, storage, networking, identity, monitoring, backup, security, and application services.
• Conduct performance analysis, capacity assessments, log analysis, and system-level troubleshooting to identify trends and recommend engineering improvements.
• Develop technical solutions for complex infrastructure requirements and evaluate alternative approaches through analysis and trade studies.
• Coordinate with customers, stakeholders, cybersecurity teams, administrators, and other engineering disciplines to collect requirements, analyze technical needs, and implement solutions.
• Develop and execute system integration, verification, validation, and implementation activities for infrastructure changes and new capabilities.
• Support configuration management, change management, technical baseline management, and engineering review activities.
• Perform technical root cause analysis and produce engineering assessments documenting findings, corrective actions, recommendations, and lessons learned.
• Identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement, automation, standardization, and reduction of manual operational processes.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, including system designs, architecture diagrams, technical procedures, configuration standards, implementation plans, test procedures, and operational transition documentation.
• Provide engineering support for mission-critical infrastructure issues and outages, including after-hours support when required.
• Collaborate with 24/7/365 Operations Watch personnel to ensure engineered solutions are effectively transitioned into operations and supported by appropriate technical documentation.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline and 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Additional years of relevant technical experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Demonstrated experience engineering, deploying, integrating, and maintaining Linux/UNIX server environments.
• Experience with Linux server operating systems including RHEL, Rocky Linux, Oracle Linux, and/or Ubuntu.
• Experience designing, configuring, and maintaining Linux infrastructure in physical and virtual environments.
• Experience with Red Hat Satellite Server and/or Spacewalk for system lifecycle, patching, and configuration management.
• Experience engineering and implementing hardened Linux environments.
• Experience with configuration management and Infrastructure-as-Code/automation technologies such as Ansible, Salt, Puppet, or Chef.
• Experience developing automation using Linux shell scripting, PowerShell, PowerCLI, Python, or comparable scripting/programming technologies.
• Experience with server patch management, lifecycle management, and enterprise configuration-management methodologies.
• Experience conducting system performance analysis, log analysis, incident analysis, and identification of infrastructure trends.
• Experience troubleshooting complex technical issues spanning operating systems, virtualization, storage, networking, security, and applications.
• Ability to perform systems requirements analysis, functional analysis, technical trade studies, requirements allocation, interface definition, integration, system testing, and quality assurance.
• Experience applying systems engineering principles throughout the engineering lifecycle.
• Knowledge of system security engineering principles, including system security design, authentication and authorization, system integration, risk management, intrusion detection, incident handling, configuration control, change management, auditing, security testing, and information assurance principles.
• Ability to assess technical alternatives and develop innovative solutions to complex engineering problems.
• Experience establishing technical goals, implementation plans, and engineering approaches aligned with project and mission objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams.
• Strong technical communication skills with the ability to document and communicate architecture, engineering decisions, technical findings, risks, and recommendations.
• Linux-related certification such as Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or equivalent.
• Candidate must, at a minimum, meet DoDM 8140.03 requirements (previously DoD 8570) for IT System Administrator Intermediate, such as Cloud+, GICSP, SSCP, Security+ CE, GSEC, or an applicable higher-level certification.
• Clearance Active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph required OR active TS/SCI and willingness to get a Poly.
• US Citizenship is required due to the nature of the government contracts we support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing or integrating infrastructure within AWS or Microsoft Azure cloud environments.
• Experience with hybrid cloud or cloud migration architectures.
• Experience engineering VMware-based virtualization environments; VMware VCA/VCP certification is a plus.
• Experience integrating Linux infrastructure with enterprise SAN, NAS, or other network storage solutions.
• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker, Podman, Kubernetes, or OpenShift.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring, observability, and enterprise logging platforms.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated infrastructure deployment.
• Experience integrating Linux systems with enterprise identity and access management solutions.
• Experience operating or engineering infrastructure within Windows/Linux hybrid environments.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Windows virtual desktop environments.
• Experience engineering backup, recovery, high-availability, and disaster-recovery solutions.
• Experience working within Agile engineering or DevSecOps environments.
• Experience engineering and troubleshooting systems within highly secure or classified environments.
• Experience developing technical architecture documentation, engineering design packages, implementation plans, and test plans.

Pay Range

Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Original Posting: August 31, 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 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.

Pay and 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.

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.