Principal DevOps Engineer (X-Lab) (26-242)

Northrop Grumman; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 104,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Plan

Savings Plan

Paid Time Off

Education Assistance

Training and Development

Flexible Work Arrangements

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration seeks a Principal DevOps Engineer (X-Lab) to work on Schriever Space Force Base, CO. You will deploy and operate on-premises cloud and Kubernetes, manage NKP/OpenShift clusters, and automate infrastructure with Ansible.

This role requires a DoD Secret clearance and living onsite. You will lead CI/CD pipelines with GitLab, implement Helm charts, and ensure secure, scalable deployment of mission-critical systems for national defense.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related field, with 5 years of experience; or Master’s with 3 years; or 9 years experience in lieu of degree.
• Current DoD 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher required at time of application and throughout contract.
• Active DoD-issued Secret clearance required to start.
• Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware, OpenStack, or Nutanix.
• Linux and/or Windows Server administration experience.
• Scripting with Bash, Python, PowerShell, or Ansible.
• Containerization and orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Proven ability to design, implement, and manage on‑premises cloud and Kubernetes platforms.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, maintain, and manage on-premises cloud clusters (Nutanix OpenShift) and NKP/OpenShift environments.
• Scale enterprise Kubernetes clusters using NKP and OpenShift.
• Deploy applications and middleware with Helm charts and Kubernetes operators.
• Utilize Ansible for infrastructure automation and configuration management.
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines with GitLab and GitLab Runners.
• Monitor and optimize infrastructure changes and performance with proactive measures.

Skills

DevOps

Kubernetes

OpenShift

Ansible

GitLab

CI/CD

Helm

Scripting (Python/Bash)

Linux

Windows Server

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in CS/CE/SE or related field

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Nutanix NKP

Red Hat OpenShift

VMware

OpenStack

Docker

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: No

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Space Systems—Missile Defense Integration offers an excellent opportunity for a Principal DevOps Engineer (X-Lab) (26-242) to join our team of skilled and diverse professionals. Based at Schriever Space Force Base, CO, this role is essential to supporting the U.S. President, the Secretary of Defense, and combatant commanders at the strategic, regional, and operational levels.

This position does not provide relocation assistance and requires on-site work with no remote options.

Position Overview

The Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) program is a key component of the Missile Defense System. It is a vital operational system that enables the U.S. president, the secretary of defense, and combatant commanders at strategic, regional, and operational levels to systematically plan ballistic missile defense operations, collectively monitor the battle, and dynamically control networked sensors and weapon systems to achieve global and regional mission goals. C2BMC supports layered missile defense capabilities that enable an optimized response to threats across all ranges and flight phases. It serves as a force multiplier by networking, integrating, and synchronizing autonomous sensor and weapon systems and operations, both globally and regionally, to improve performance. C2BMC is essential for all ground and flight tests that verify and demonstrate the current and future capabilities of missile defense systems.

The candidate will be responsible for deploying, managing, and maintaining large-scale on-premises cloud and hyperconverged infrastructure solutions. The core focus of this role is the lifecycle management of containerized environments and infrastructure automation.

Deploying, maintaining, and managing the lifecycle of on-premise cloud cluster Nutanix and/or Red Hat OpenShift. Managing and scaling enterprise Kubernetes clusters utilizing Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) and OpenShift. Deploying applications, services, and middleware using Helm charts and Kubernetes Operators. Utilizing Ansible for extensive infrastructure automation and configuration management. Designing, implementing, and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure using GitLab and GitLab Runners. Tracking the impact of events/actions on the underlying infrastructure, including proactive measures.

Essential Functions

• Deploying, maintaining, and managing the lifecycle of on-premises cloud clusters, including Nutanix and/or Red Hat OpenShift
• Managing and scaling enterprise Kubernetes clusters using Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) and OpenShift
• Deploying applications, services, and middleware using Helm charts and Kubernetes Operators
• Using Ansible for extensive infrastructure automation and configuration management
• Designing, implementing, and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure with GitLab and GitLab Runners
• Tracking the impact of events/actions on the underlying infrastructure, including proactive measures

Basic Qualifications

Please list your current security clearance and IAT or relevant certifications on your resume, if applicable.

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field from an accredited university, along with 5 years of experience; or a Master’s degree in a related field with 3 years of relevant work experience; or 9 years of relevant work experience may be considered as an alternative to a degree
• Applicants must have a current, active DoD 8140 certification at IAT Level II or higher (such as Security+ CE, CCNA-Security, CySA+, CND, etc.) at the time of application, which is required to start. The candidate is responsible for maintaining their DoD 8140 certification throughout the entire contract period
• Applicants must have a current, active in-scope DoD-issued Secret security clearance at the time of application, which is required to start
• Must have experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware, Red Hat OpenStack, or Nutanix
• Experience with Linux and/or Windows Server system administration
• Experience with a scripting language such as Bash, Python, PowerShell, or Ansible
• Cloud and Virtualization: Proven experience managing the lifecycle of Nutanix or Red Hat OpenShift clusters in an on-premises environment
• Container Orchestration: Hands-on experience managing Kubernetes clusters using Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP) and OpenShift
• Kubernetes Deployments: Proficiency in deploying applications and services using Helm charts and Kubernetes operators
• Automation: Strong background in automation and configuration management with Ansible
• CI/CD: Practical experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and supporting infrastructure with GitLab (including managing GitLab and Runners)
• OS Administration: Experience with Linux and/or Windows Server system administration
• Experience administering virtualization technologies such as VMware, as well as experience with Windows Server and Active Directory integration in a cloud environment
• The candidate should have experience with containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with a Nutanix Hyperconverged on-premises cloud platform
• A virtualization solution distributed across multiple remote suites, encompassing virtualization hypervisor platforms, remote virtual desktop infrastructure, other user experience technologies, and monitoring solutions for virtual infrastructure
• Must be a detail-oriented individual capable of tracking how events and actions, like patching and maintenance, affect the underlying infrastructure

What We Can Offer You

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a supportive work environment that encourages your growth, benefiting both employees and the company. The benefits are flexible and customizable, enabling you to choose options that suit your individual and family needs. Your benefits will include the following:

• Health Plan
• Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Education Assistance
• Training and Development
• Flexible Work Arrangements

https://benefits.northropgrumman.com/us/en2/BenefitsOverview/Pages/default.aspx

Primary Level Salary Range: $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.