Systems Engineer - OpenShift

Zachary Piper, LLC; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Sick Leave

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is hiring a Systems Engineer/Senior OpenShift Administrator for NIWC Pacific in San Diego, CA. This full-time, 100% onsite role focuses on OpenShift health, performance, and security for government operations.

Responsibilities include cluster administration, automation, and collaboration with Agile teams to support mission-critical applications. Active secret clearance and IAT II certification are required.

Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance required.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification such as CySA+, Security+, CCNA Security, GICSP, GSEC, SSCP.
• 7+ years Linux systems administration experience.
• 3+ years OpenShift experience.
• Experience troubleshooting cluster and infrastructure issues.
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes fundamentals.
• Automation and scripting with Bash, Python, and Ansible.
• Ability to document configurations and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end administration, scaling, maintenance, and optimization of on-premises OpenShift clusters.
• Ensure secure, highly available enterprise infrastructure for mission-critical apps.
• Monitor cluster health, capacity, and performance; proactively resolve issues.
• Troubleshoot cluster and infrastructure problems using logs and diagnostics.
• Configure and maintain cluster security, RBAC, and network policies.
• Perform upgrades, patching, backups, and lifecycle management.
• Develop automation using Bash, Python, and Ansible.

Skills

Linux system administration

OpenShift administration

Kubernetes fundamentals

Automation scripting

Documentation

Security clearance

DevOps

Tools

Red Hat OpenShift

Kubernetes

SUSE Rancher

Ansible

Python

Bash

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is currently seeking a Systems Engineer/ Senior OpenShift Administrator to support NIWC Pacific based in San Diego, CA. This position is a full-time role that will be 100% onsite. In this role, you will oversee the health, performance, and stability of enterprise on-premises OpenShift environments supporting U.S. Government operations. You will play a pivotal role in OpenShift administration, infrastructure optimization, automation, and platform security within a mission-driven environment supporting critical national security initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end administration, scaling, maintenance, and architectural optimization of on-premises Red Hat OpenShift clusters.
• Ensure secure, highly available enterprise infrastructure supporting mission-critical applications.
• Monitor cluster health, capacity, and performance, proactively identifying and resolving operational issues.
• Troubleshoot cluster and infrastructure problems using logs, events, system diagnostics, and monitoring tools.
• Configure and maintain cluster security settings, user access controls, RBAC permissions, and network policies.
• Perform software upgrades, security patching, backups, and lifecycle management activities.
• Develop and maintain automation solutions using Bash, Python, and Ansible.
• Collaborate with agile development teams supporting custom applications for government customers.
• Document system configurations, operational procedures, and troubleshooting methodologies.
• Support compliance initiatives, including implementation of Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs).
• Assist with Kubernetes platform administration and containerized application support.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance on OpenShift best practices and platform optimization.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Active Secret Clearance
• One DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification:
  • CySA+
  • Security+
  • CCNA Security
  • GICSP
  • GSEC
  • SSCP
• 7+ years of Linux systems administration experience
• 3+ years of proven experience managing and deploying OpenShift environments
• Experience troubleshooting cluster and infrastructure issues
• Strong understanding of Kubernetes fundamentals
• Experience with automation and scripting tools including Bash, Python, and Ansible
• Demonstrated ability to independently troubleshoot technical challenges
• Experience creating and maintaining technical documentation

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with SUSE Rancher
• Advanced Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) administration
• STIG implementation and compliance experience
• Enterprise Kubernetes administration experience
• Experience supporting government or defense environments

Compensation

Salary Range: $180,000 - $190,000 depending on experience

Benefits Include:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Sick Leave (where required by law)

#LI-ONSITE

#LI-CB1

Keywords: OpenShift, Red Hat OpenShift, SUSE Rancher, Rancher, Kubernetes, Linux Administration, RHEL, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ansible, Bash, Python, Container Platforms, DevOps, Platform Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering, Cluster Administration, Kubernetes Operations, STIG, Security Compliance, Secret Clearance, DoD 8570, Security+, CySA+, GSEC, SSCP, CCNA Security, Systems Engineering, Enterprise Infrastructure, Government IT, High Availability, Automation, Infrastructure Security, Mission-Critical Systems, NIWC Pacific.