Systems Engineer, Principal

Peraton; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 176,000 - 282,000; Full time

Job summary

Peraton is seeking a Principal Systems Engineer in Washington, DC. The ideal candidate will have 16+ years of experience in IT Infrastructure and active TS/SCI clearance. Responsibilities include leading the engineering strategy for cloud environments, managing data center modernization, and ensuring zero downtime for system upgrades. The salary range for this position is between $176,000 and $282,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Join Peraton and contribute to essential national security missions.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance with ability to obtain Poly level Clearance.
• Minimum of 16 years relevant experience with a degree.
• 10+ years of experience in IT Infrastructure with lead capacity required.
• Track record managing large-scale enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical authority for strategic design.
• Define and maintain multi-year IT infrastructure roadmaps.
• Lead engineering strategy for data centers and cloud environments.
• Ensure seamless system upgrades and high security.

Skills

Technical authority

IT Infrastructure

Virtualization (VMware/KVM)

Containerization (Kubernetes)

Cloud orchestration

Zero-Trust Architecture

High-availability load balancing

CISSP

Security+ Certification

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Ph.D.

Job description

Systems Engineer, Principal (Location: US-VA-Reston / US-DC-Washington)

Requisition ID: 2026-164241
Position Category: Engineering
Clearance: Top Secret/SCI w/Poly

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical authority responsible for strategic design, implementation, and 24/7 operational excellence.
• Define and maintain the multi‑year infrastructure roadmaps for leading‑edge IT Enterprise modernization, including decommissioning/replacement for technical refresh and insertion of new technologies.
• Lead the program engineering strategy for data centers, cloud environments, and network services with focus on technical refresh.
• Bridge the gap between high‑level architecture and hands‑on implementation, ensuring system upgrades are executed with zero downtime and maximum security.
• Lead Program Technical Governance by establishing engineering standards, performing rigorous peer reviews, and ensuring all infrastructure adheres to modern cybersecurity frameworks.
• Oversee cloud migrations, data center modernization, global networking, and cybersecurity integration with the mission to transform legacy into leading‑edge while maintaining 99.99% uptime.
• Drive operational excellence in Incident, Problem, and Change Management, including root‑cause analysis and action plans to mitigate risk and eliminate recurrence.
• Lead technical training iterations for new technologies introduced into the environment, impacting stakeholders and clients.
• Lead the infrastructure transition to automate provisioning and scaling.
• Lead quality management.

Travel may be required within the National Capital Region (NCR) on an as needed basis for customer or corporate requirements.

This is for a proposal effort.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance with ability to obtain a Poly level Clearance.
• Minimum of 16 years relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree (or Master’s degree and 14 years of relevant experience or PhD with 10 years of relevant work experience; 4 years of experience may be used in lieu of a degree).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in IT Infrastructure, with at least 4 years in a lead or principal engineering capacity.
• Proven track record of managing large‑scale, distributed enterprise environments and technical refresh.
• Deep expertise in virtualization (VMware/KVM), containerization (Kubernetes), and cloud orchestration.
• Strong understanding of Zero‑Trust Architecture and high‑availability load balancing.
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues and solutions to all organizational levels, from individual contributors to executives.
• CISSP or Security+ Certification required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI with Poly clearances.
• Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect, CISSP, ITIL v4.0 Foundations.
• Experience with current IC customer.

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next‑generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe. As the world’s leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the work that can’t be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers.

Target Salary Range

$176,000 – $282,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual's experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.