Senior DevOps Engineer

Slingshot Aerospace; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Slingshot Aerospace in Herndon, VA is seeking a Senior DevOps Engineer to design, build, and maintain scalable Linux infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code. You will manage CI/CD pipelines, support system administration tasks, and collaborate with software teams to improve deployment workflows and security.

You will lead Terraform-driven automation, build Kubernetes environments for production systems, and ensure availability and cost efficiency while embedding DevSecOps practices across

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance is required for this role.
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform or CloudFormation).
• Experience with scripting to support automation and DevOps workflows.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation.
• Extensive Linux system administration and security management.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable Linux-based infrastructure.
• Architect Kubernetes-based environments powering production systems.
• Lead IaC initiatives (Terraform) to automate provisioning on AWS.
• Design, implement, and optimize CI/CD pipelines.
• Embed DevSecOps practices across the platform.
• Collaborate with Platform and Engineering teams to improve system architecture.
• Monitor performance and optimize availability and cost efficiency.
• Support incident response and root-cause analysis efforts.

Skills

Infrastructure as Code

Terraform

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Linux system administration

Security/compliance

Scripting

MLOps

CloudFormation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering or related

Tools

AWS

Terraform

CloudFormation

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

At Slingshot Aerospace, we're on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. Our work directly impacts global security, disaster response, climate monitoring, and the critical infrastructure that connects our world. We're a team of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who believe that the next generation of space operations will be powered by better data and smarter software.

We move fast, we're not afraid to fail, and we believe the best ideas can come from anywhere—whether you're in engineering, sales, product, or operations. If you want to work on something that truly matters, with people who care deeply about the impact we're making and help shape the future of an industry that's just getting started, you're in the right place.

What You’ll Be Launching

The Senior DevOps Engineer will design, build, and maintain scalable infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC). They will manage continuous integration pipelines, support system administration tasks, and ensure optimal performance, availability, and security of Linux-based systems. Additionally, the individual will collaborate closely with software developers to enhance deployment workflows and drive improvements in the overall system architecture.

We're building a team of sharp, creative people who love solving hard problems. We value curiosity over ego, initiative over waiting for permission, and people who genuinely care about doing great work. Bring your expertise, your fresh ideas, and your drive—we'll bring the rocket fuel.

Your Mission (Should you choose to accept it)

• Partner with offshore and onshore engineering teams to design, implement, and scale cloud-native infrastructure supporting a new customer portal and ongoing platform refactoring efforts
• Architect, build, and maintain Kubernetes-based environments that power production systems, ensuring scalability, resilience, and security
• Lead Infrastructure as Code initiatives (primarily Terraform) to automate provisioning, configuration, and environment consistency across AWS
• Design, implement, and optimize CI/CD pipelines to improve deployment velocity, reliability, and developer experience
• Integrate and operationalize MLOps practices, enabling efficient deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management of machine learning workflows
• Embed DevSecOps best practices across the platform, incorporating security controls, compliance requirements, and monitoring into the development lifecycle
• Drive automation initiatives that reduce manual processes and increase system reliability and repeatability
• Collaborate closely with Platform, Engineering, and cross-functional stakeholders to gather requirements, troubleshoot issues, and continuously improve system architecture
• Monitor system performance, identify bottlenecks, and proactively implement improvements to optimize availability and cost efficiency
• Support incident response and root cause analysis efforts, driving long-term fixes and ensuring lessons learned translate into system improvements

Pre-flight Checklist

• Active TS/SCI Clearance is Required for this role
• Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools and practices, such as Terraform or CloudFormation
• Experience with Software Development, including scripting and programming to support automation and management of DevOps workflows
• Strong understanding of Continuous Integration and deployment pipelines
• Expertise in System Administration, including network configuration and troubleshooting
• Extensive experience with Linux systems, including performance optimization and security management
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate across teams
• Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes is a plus

Bonus Cargo

• Experience with ML OPs
• Programming experience using Python
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience