Senior Kubernetes & Linux Systems Engineer — Secret Clearance

Sms-Data-Products-Group,-Inc; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SMS DATA PRODUCTS GROUP, INC is seeking an experienced Senior Kubernetes & Linux Systems Administrator to design, deploy, and secure enterprise-grade container orchestration environments supporting AI/ML clusters and DoD workloads.

You will work with cybersecurity teams, scientific computing staff, and program management to ensure reliable, secure operations in classified and unclassified environments. Expect on-site work at customer locations in the United States.

Qualifications

• Active SECRET security clearance
• CompTIA Security+ CE (required for privileged DoD accounts)
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of Linux systems administration in enterprise or high‑performance environments
• 3+ years of Kubernetes cluster deployment and administration experience
• Proficiency with Ansible, Puppet, or similar configuration management tools
• Experience with networking (DNS, DHCP, firewalls, VLANs) and storage (SAN, NAS, object storage)
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles and DoD/AF compliance requirements

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and maintain Kubernetes clusters (bare-metal and cloud-based) for AI/ML workloads, research computing, and mission applications.
• Implement container lifecycle management, secure image registries, and CI/CD integration.
• Manage container runtimes (Docker, Podman) and orchestration tooling (Helm, Kustomize).
• Ensure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), network policies, and container security compliance (DoD STIGs).
• Perform advanced administration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS, and Ubuntu systems in both classified and unclassified environments.
• Manage OS patching, kernel tuning, and performance optimization for high-throughput computing workloads.
• Configure and manage storage (SAN, NAS, object storage), networking, and virtualization platforms.
• Support Ansible/Puppet-based configuration management and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Security, Compliance, and Documentation: Implement and maintain DoD STIG compliance, encryption for data at rest/in transit, and vulnerability mitigation strategies; RMF/eMASS documentation; maintain security controls including VPN access, SSH key management, and multi-factor authentication.
• Operational Support: Monitor cluster and system health, respond to incidents, troubleshoot performance issues; coordinate with researchers; liaise with vendors and government project managers; support backup, disaster recovery, and COOP procedures

Skills

Linux system administration

Cybersecurity principles

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Podman

Helm

Kustomize

Ansible

Puppet

Job description

SMS DATA PRODUCTS GROUP, INC is seeking an experienced Senior Kubernetes & Linux Systems Administrator to design, deploy, and secure enterprise-grade container orchestration environments supporting AI/ML clusters and DoD workloads.

You will work with cybersecurity teams, scientific computing staff, and program management to ensure reliable, secure operations in classified and unclassified environments. Expect on-site work at customer locations in the United States.