Platform Operations Manager with Security Clearance

Base-2 Solutions; Chevy Chase (MD); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off

Job summary

Base-2 Solutions is seeking a Platform Operations Manager to lead the design, deployment, and operation of a modern, containerized stack supporting the D3P modernization program.

You will ensure uptime, performance, and reliability of a large-scale OSINT platform, work within a DevSecOps culture, and mentor a team of system administrators across a multi-disciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering, Computer Science, or Systems Engineering, or equivalent with extensive relevant experience.
• DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II+ certification required; ability to obtain PUA.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Linux, GitLab pipelines, and containerized environments.
• Strong cross-functional coordination and incident management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Ensure uptime, performance, and capacity planning for a large-scale Kubernetes-based platform.
• Lead a team of system administrators and mentor staff.
• Collaborate with engineers to design solutions and maintain documentation.
• Participate in SAFe Agile release planning and cross-team coordination.

Skills

Kubernetes

GitLab pipelines

Linux

AWS cloud

Elasticsearch

PostgreSQL

IAT Level II+ security

SAFe Agile

Team leadership

Education

BS in Engineering/CS/Systems Eng

MS in related field

Tools

Appian

Terraform

Pulumi

CloudFormation

Prometheus/Grafana

Nexus

Job description

Job Description Position Summary Base-2 Solutions is seeking a Platform Operations Manager to lead the design, development, and deployment of a modern technology stack supporting the DOMEX Data Discovery Platform (D3P) Modernization Program. This role supports the mission to centralize and standardize the Tasking, Collection, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (TCPED) of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) across the Defense Intelligence Enterprise. The position requires ensuring availability, reliability, and performance of a full-stack, containerized microservices platform and fostering a strong DevSecOps culture while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure uptime, performance, and capacity planning for a large-scale big data production platform with a microservice architecture running on Kubernetes, Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, Kafka, and technologies such as Java, Python, React, and low-code tools like Appian.
• Leverage monitoring tools to proactively detect and resolve issues.
• Lead triage, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and post-incident reviews.
• Define and track reliability metrics including SLIs and SLOs.
• Lead a team of system administrators supporting a help desk during core hours; set technical standards and mentor staff.
• Partner with systems engineers to design solutions, contribute to documentation, and support architectural alignment.
• Participate in SAFe Agile release planning, scrums, design sessions, bug triage, and cross-team coordination.

Required Qualifications

• BS in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience) with 15+ years of relevant experience; 13+ years with a Master's; additional experience may substitute for a degree.
• At least one DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II+ certification (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, CCNA Security, SSCP, CISSP (or Associate)).
• Ability to obtain Privileged User Account (PUA) certification.
• Experience with Kubernetes, GitLab pipelines, Linux, and containerized environments.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale production systems.
• Experience with cloud services (preferably AWS) and cloud infrastructure.
• Familiarity with Elasticsearch, PostgreSQL, Logstash, Kibana, and Keycloak.
• Demonstrated success in cross-functional coordination and execution.
• Team leadership and line management experience.
• Strong communication skills and ability to perform under pressure during incidents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Agile methodologies.
• Development experience with Bash, PowerShell, SALT, Python, Groovy, Java, etc.
• Experience with Appian or other low-code platforms.
• Experience with technologies such as Kafka, AMQP/JMS, Prometheus/Grafana, GPU-based Kubernetes, SALT automation, Nexus, or GraphQL.
• Knowledge of security best practices including authentication/authorization, secrets management, and data protection.
• Infrastructure-as-code experience with CloudFormation, Terraform, Pulumi.
• AWS cloud certifications.

Required Education and Experience Equivalency

• BS in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience) with 15+ years of experience.
• Master's degree with 13+ years of experience.

Required Certifications

• At least one DoD 8570.01-M IAT Level II+ certification (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+, CCNA Security, SSCP, CISSP (or Associate)).
• Ability to obtain Privileged User Account (PUA) certification.

Required Security Clearance

• Active Top Secret/SCI Pay & Benefit Highlights Compensation

Pay & Benefit Highlights Compensation

• Competitive fixed salary or hourly pay (based on experience, skills, location, and internal equity).
• Employee referral bonuses up to $10,000 per hired referral.
• Additional bonus opportunities for exceptional performance and contributions to business development and company growth (role-dependent).

Health

• 100% company-paid medical premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
• Choose from multiple plan options with CareFirst, Kaiser, and UnitedHealthcare, including PPO, POS, HMO, and HSA-compatible plans.
• 100% company-paid dental premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
• 100% company-paid vision premiums for employees and eligible dependents.

Income Protection

• 100% company-paid premiums for short-term disability.
• 100% company-paid premiums for long-term disability.
• 100% company-paid premiums for accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D).
• 100% company-paid premiums for life insurance up to $200,000.

Retirement

• 401(k) with immediate vesting: 4% company match plus a 4% non-elective company contribution (8% total).
• 401(k) pre-tax and Roth options.

Leave

• Up to 20 days of flexible paid time off (PTO).
• 11 paid floating holidays.

Work-Life Balance

• Flexible work schedules, including flex time and compressed work periods (contract and project-dependent).
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