Systems Engineer - Mid Level

Zachary Piper Solutions; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Systems Engineer in San Diego, CA for a full-time, 100% onsite role. You will maintain OpenShift environments, manage Kubernetes clusters, and ensure platform security within a mission-focused government program.

The candidate should have a Secret clearance, DoD 8570 IAT Level II certifications, 1+ year OpenShift experience, 3-5 years Linux admin experience, and a related degree or equivalent. Salary ranges are and full benefits are provided.

Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certs: CySA+, Security+, CCNA Security, GICSP, GSEC, SSCP.
• 1+ years of proven experience managing and deploying OpenShift environments.
• 3-5 years of Linux administration experience.
• Strong knowledge of Kubernetes administration and container orchestration.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in a quantitative field.
• Experience troubleshooting infrastructure, application, and platform-level issues.

Responsibilities

• Deploy and manage Red Hat OpenShift clusters in on-premises environments.
• Monitor cluster health, performance, and availability; troubleshoot issues.
• Configure security settings, RBAC, and network policies.
• Perform regular platform updates, patching, backups, and maintenance.
• Support deployment and operation of containerized apps using Kubernetes/OpenShift.
• Collaborate with dev/engineering teams to ensure stability and performance.
• Assist with hardening and STIG compliance initiatives.
• Communicate with team members and stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Work in a small agile team supporting existing apps and platforms.
• Maintain highly available production systems using technical expertise.

Skills

OpenShift administration

Kubernetes administration

Linux administration

Security best practices

STIG implementation

Cloud-native architectures

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Mathematics, or related field

Tools

Red Hat OpenShift

Kubernetes

RHEL

CCNA Security

CySA+

Security+

GICSP

GSEC

SSCP

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is currently seeking a Systems Engineer to support a U.S. Government program based in San Diego, CA. This position is a full-time role that will be 100% onsite. This position is critical in maintaining the health, performance, and stability of Red Hat OpenShift environments while supporting a team delivering custom applications for government stakeholders. As a Mid-Level Systems Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in OpenShift administration, Kubernetes operations, Linux system management, and platform security within a mission-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deploy and manage Red Hat OpenShift clusters in on-premises environments.
• Monitor cluster health, performance, and availability while troubleshooting node and application issues.
• Configure security settings, user permissions, role-based access controls, and network policies.
• Perform regular platform updates, software patching, backups, and maintenance activities.
• Support the deployment and operation of containerized applications utilizing Kubernetes and OpenShift.
• Collaborate with development and engineering teams to ensure application stability and performance.
• Assist with infrastructure hardening and compliance initiatives, including STIG implementation where required.
• Communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to resolve operational issues.
• Work within a small, agile team supporting existing applications and platform environments.
• Utilize technical expertise and problem-solving skills to maintain highly available production systems.

Requirements:

• Active Secret Clearance
• One DoD 8570 IAT Level II Certification:
  • CySA+
  • Security+
  • CCNA Security
  • GICSP
  • GSEC
  • SSCP
• 1+ years of proven experience managing and deploying OpenShift environments
• 3-5 years of Linux administration experience
• Strong knowledge of Kubernetes administration and container orchestration
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent professional experience
• Experience troubleshooting infrastructure, application, and platform-level issues

Compensation to include:

• Salary Range: $135,000 - $145,000 depending on experience
• Full Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, PTO, Sick Leave if Required by Law

This job opens for applications on 9/4/2026. Applications for this position will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

Keywords: OpenShift, Red Hat OpenShift, Kubernetes, Rancher, Linux Administration, RHEL, Containerization, Platform Engineering, System Administration, Infrastructure Operations, DevOps, OpenShift Administration, Kubernetes Administration, Cluster Management, Linux Systems, Security+, CySA+, SSCP, GSEC, CCNA Security, GICSP, STIG, Government Contracting, Secret Clearance, On-Premises Infrastructure, Cloud Native Applications, Container Platforms, Infrastructure Security, Systems Engineering, Platform Operations, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Application Support, Network Policies, Role-Based Access Control, Cluster Performance, Infrastructure Maintenance, System Monitoring, Government IT, Agile Environment.