Senior DevSecOps Engineer with Security Clearance

Castalia Systems; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401k matching

Paid time off and holidays

Professional training opportunities

Pet insurance

Job summary

Castalia Systems is seeking a Senior DevSecOps Engineer to work closely with clients, digging into data-rich environments to craft secure, scalable solutions. The role blends database engineering, API development, DevSecOps automation, and secure platform architecture.

The candidate will design, tune, and maintain relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Aurora, Oracle, MongoDB, AWS RDS) and support migrations, DR, PITR, and secure software delivery per DoD/IC RMF/NIST standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent work experience
• 8+ years of experience in DevSecOps, DevOps, Cloud Engineering, or platform automation roles
• Experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with GitLab CI or GitHub Actions
• Experience deploying cloud infrastructure on AWS, Azure, or GCP using IaC such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or CDK
• Experience containerizing and orchestrating workloads with Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience integrating automated security checks into CI/CD pipelines (SAST/SCA, image scanning)
• Experience with Linux administration and scripting (Python, Bash, Go)
• Experience with Git-based branching, tagging, and release workflows
• Experience with DNS, routing, load balancing, TLS
• Cloud or DevOps Certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, CKA, CKAD)
• Security+ certification
• Active TS/SCI clearance; willingness to polygraph
• Master’s degree in Physics, CS, or STEM field
• Experience with GitOps tooling (Flux, Argo CD) and Zero Trust patterns
• Experience with AWS security services (GuardDuty, Macie, Inspector) or equivalent
• Experience with observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, CloudWatch)
• Experience with configuration management (Ansible, Chef, Puppet)
• Experience with AI-augmented development workflows

Responsibilities

• Design, build, harden, and operate CI/CD systems, cloud infrastructure, and container platforms
• Partner with project teams to embed security controls and automate delivery workflows
• Maintain CI/CD pipelines and IaC
• Migrate and manage cloud infrastructure and databases across multiple technologies
• Support DoD/IC RMF, ICD-503, NIST 800-53, STIG, and continuous monitoring requirements
• Design solutions and turn them into reusable templates and patterns

Skills

DevSecOps

CI/CD

Cloud engineering

Linux administration

Scripting (Python, Bash, Go)

Git-based workflows

Networking basics

Zero Trust patterns

Observability tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Master’s degree in Physics/CS/STEM

Tools

Terraform

CloudFormation

CDK

Docker

Kubernetes

Flux

Argo CD

Helmfile

GitLab CI

GitHub Actions

SAST

SCA

Prow/CI tooling

Prometheus

Job description

Job Type: Full- Time Workplace Type: Onsite Clearance: TS/SCI willingness to take a polygraph exam Must be a U.S. Citizen Job Summary Castalia Systems is seeking a Senior DevSecOps Engineer to work closely with your clients to understand their questions and needs and then dig into their data-rich environments to find the pieces of their information puzzle. The preferred candidate is a hands-on senior engineer who can bridge database engineering, API development, DevSecOps automation, and secure platform architecture. This person should be comfortable taking an initial concept, building an MVP, working directly with platform teams, and turning the solution into reusable templates and implementation patterns for multiple database technologies. The candidate will be responsible to design, tune, and maintain relational and NoSQL databases, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, Aurora, Oracle, MongoDB, and AWS RDS-based services. They will support database migration, backup, replication, disaster recovery, and point-in-time recovery activities. Support secure software delivery in accordance with DoD, IC, RMF, ICD-503, NIST SP 800-53, STIG, and continuous monitoring requirements. Roles and Responsibilities A qualified candidate will perform the following duties and responsibilities, but are not limited to:

• Design, build, harden, and operate CI/CD systems, cloud infrastructure, and container platforms that support the software lifecycle from code commit through production deployment.
• Partner with multiple project teams to embed security controls, automate delivery workflows, and build scalable, resilient environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or equivalent work experience.
• 8+ years of experience in DevSecOps, DevOps, Cloud Engineering, or platform automation roles.
• Experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines with GitLab CI or GitHub Actions.
• Experience deploying cloud infrastructure on AWS, Azure, or GCP using IaC, such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or CDK.
• Experience containerizing and orchestrating workloads using Docker or similar containerization and Kubernetes.
• Experience integrating automated security checks into CI/CD pipelines, such as SAST, SCA, or image scanning.
• Experience in Linux administration and proficiency in scripting languages, such as Python, Bash, or Go.
• Experience with Git based branching, tagging, and release workflows.
• Experience with networking fundamentals, such as DNS, routing, load balancing, or TLS.
• Cloud or DevOps Certifications, such as AWS Solutions Architect, CKA, CKAD.
• Security+ Certification.
• Active TS/SCI clearance; willingness to take a polygraph exam.
• Master’s degree in Physics, Computer Science, or a STEM field
• Experience with GitOps tooling, such as Flux, Argo CD, or Helmfile
• Experience optimizing CI/CD pipelines, such as caching, artifacts, or parallelization
• Experience implementing Zero Trust patterns, hardened container images, or compliance focused deployments such as STIG or CIS Benchmarks
• Experience with AWS security services, such as GuardDuty, Macie, Inspector, or equivalent Azure or GCP tools
• Experience with observability platforms such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, or CloudWatch
• Experience with configuration management systems such as Ansible, Chef, or Puppet
• Experience with AI augmented development workflows or agentic tools

Physical Requirements/Work Environment Normal office environment. Travel As required Company Description Castalia Systems is a proven business partner providing mission critical solutions to the Federal Government. We provide cutting edge solutions from Securing and Managing Data to Systems Engineering and Development. Castalia Systems is a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence Design and Application. With our vast knowledge of our customers’ needs and relevant technology, our team is able to bring successful solutions to every mission. We are one-upping our competitors by providing premium IT solutions and platforms with cutting-edge technology so it’s so evident when you compare us with anyone. Compensation At Castalia Systems, we provide you with opportunities and choices and support your total well-being. Our benefits include: Medical, dental, vision coverage, 401k matching, generous PTO, paid holidays, professional training opportunities, and even pet insurance to ensure your furry friends are cared for too. All regularly scheduled employees working at least 30 hours per week are eligible to participate in Castalia Systems’ benefit programs. Individuals that do not meet the threshold are only eligible for select offerings, not inclusive of health benefits. Salary at Castalia Systems is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, position knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $140,000.00 to $145,000.00 (annualized USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Castalia Systems’ total compensation package for employees. Disclaimer Castalia Systems is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and strives to comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, HIV-positive status, as well as any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful, and all persons involved in the operations of the company are prohibited from engaging in this type of conduct.