Senior Platform DevOps Engineer

Lever, Inc.; Fort Meade (MD); On-site; USD 155,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Agile Defense is seeking a Senior Platform DevOps Engineer to stand up an AI Enterprise capability at Fort Meade. You will build and run the infrastructure, pipelines, and guardrails that enable secure, enterprise-scale AI solutions for mission teams.

You will design cloud and on-prem environments, implement CI/CD for models and agents, containerize with Docker/Kubernetes, and drive RMF/ATO accreditation while improving efficiency and performance across the AI stack.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant technical field with substantial experience.
• Advanced proficiency in DevOps principles and practices.
• Demonstrated expertise in containerization using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Proven experience in architecting and managing CI/CD pipelines.
• Extensive experience with AI model lifecycle management and maintenance.
• Active TS/SCI clearance w/ Poly.

Responsibilities

• Provide embedded operations support, capability integration, and rapid prototyping for AI-enabled tools.
• Design and maintain robust infrastructure for enterprise AI apps in cloud and on-prem environments.
• Develop and optimize workflows for AI model and agent development, deployment, and maintenance.
• Architect and manage CI/CD pipelines for AI models, agents, and apps.
• Implement containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes; enforce guardrails.
• Ensure lifecycle management, monitoring, and scaling of AI models and agents.
• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers to streamline deployment and optimize resources.
• Oversee performance, security, and accreditation of AI systems; pursue tooling improvements.

Skills

DevOps

Docker & Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

AI model lifecycle

TS/SCI with Poly

Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure)

Monitoring & logging

IaC (Terraform, Ansible)

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Master's degree in a technical field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

About Agile Defense

At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.

Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests.

Requisition #:1919

Job Title: Senior Platform DevOps Engineer

Location: Fort Meade, MD - Onsite

Clearance Level:TS/SCI w/ Polygraph, Must Have Clearance to Start

Job Description

Our team is standing up an AI Enterprise capability — the central hub that mission teams turn to when they want to move an AI solution from prototype to a secure, governed, enterprise-scale service. As a Senior Platform / DevOps Engineer on this team, you will build and run the infrastructure, pipelines, and control-plane guardrails that let the command adopt AI safely and at scale, with significant, visible impact on the mission.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Provide embedded operations support, capability integration, and rapid prototyping for AI-enabled tools in support of our customer.
• Design, implement, and maintain robust infrastructure for enterprise AI applications in cloud environments (AWS, Microsoft Azure) and on-prem/air-gapped/classified environments.
• Develop and optimize engineering workflows and processes to support AI model and agent development, deployment, and maintenance.
• Architect and manage CI/CD pipelines for continuous integration and continuous delivery of AI models, agents, and applications.
• Implement and manage containerization and orchestration solutions using Docker and Kubernetes, and build and maintain control-plane guardrails — identity, policy enforcement, approvals, audit/logging, and observability.
• Ensure efficient AI model and agent lifecycle management, including versioning, monitoring, and scaling.
• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers and data scientists to streamline deployment processes and optimize resource utilization.
• Oversee system performance, security, and scalability of AI infrastructure, and support security accreditation (RMF/ATO) of AI systems.
• Continuously research and implement new DevOps tools and practices to enhance efficiency.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field with 10+ years of experience, or Master's degree in a relevant technical field with 8+ years of experience
• Advanced proficiency in DevOps principles and practices
• Demonstrated expertise in containerization using Docker and Kubernetes
• Proven experience in architecting and managing CI/CD pipelines
• Extensive experience with AI model lifecycle management and maintenance
• Active TS/SCI clearance w/ Poly

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Microsoft Azure) for infrastructure deployment and management
• Familiarity with monitoring and logging tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible)
• Understanding of machine learning concepts and their implications for infrastructure; continuous learning mindset to stay abreast of cutting-edge DevOps and AI advancements

$155,000 - $175,000 a year

Our Core Values

Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.

What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.

• Happy - Be Infectious. Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do.
• Helpful- Be Supportive. Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated.
• Honest- Be Trustworthy. Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support.
• Humble- Be Grounded. Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task.
• Hungry- Be Eager. Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges.
• Hustle- Be Driven. Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities