Systems Engineer – Research Infrastructure & Lab Platforms - Federal Customer

Socket.dev; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Systems Engineer to build and maintain research infrastructure and lab platforms in McLean, VA (on-site). This role bridges bare-metal systems, hypervisors, and containers to provide researchers rapid, secure access to compute environments.

You’ll automate deployments, enforce security baselines, and support Linux and Windows ecosystems. The ideal candidate brings 8+ years in enterprise or engineering-lab settings, strong scripting skills, and experience with

Qualifications

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in Systems Engineering, Systems Administration, or DevOps in enterprise or engineering lab environments.
• Dual-OS proficiency: Linux and Windows administration, security, and troubleshooting.
• Virtualization & containers: experience with hypervisors and container workloads (Docker/Podman/LXC).
• Scripting & automation: Bash, Python, or PowerShell for routine tasks.
• Directory services & networking: Active Directory/LDAP, DNS, subnetting, VLANs, virtual switches.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and support hybrid Linux and Windows compute environments across bare metal, hypervisors, and containers.
• Manage enterprise hypervisors and build micro-environments using Docker, Podman, and LXC.
• Develop Bash, Python, and PowerShell scripts to automate configurations and deployments.
• Administer directory services (AD/LDAP), DNS, DHCP, and network integrations.
• Implement configuration baselines, backup/DR pipelines, system hardening, and monitoring for uptime.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate requirements into tailored lab compute environments.

Skills

Linux & Windows administration

Automation scripting

Troubleshooting & root-cause analysis

Collaboration with researchers

Tools

Proxmox

VMware ESXi

KVM

Hyper-V

Docker

Podman

LXC

Job description

SUMMARY

Systems Engineer – Research Infrastructure & Lab Platforms

Location: [McLean, Va / On-site]

Build the Engine Powering Next-Gen Engineering Research

Behind every breakthrough in engineering research is a bulletproof infrastructure platform. In this role, you won't just keep lights green; you will design, automate, and evolve high-density virtualization platforms, isolated test environments, and containerized research pipelines on modern enterprise hardware.

You will act as the technical backbone for our research engineers, bridging bare-metal systems, hypervisors, and container orchestration to give researchers rapid, secure access to the compute environments they need. If you thrive on tearing down system bottlenecks, automating repetitive administration, and working hands-on across both Linux and Windows environments, we want to talk to you.

What You’ll Do

• Design & Maintain Lab Infrastructure: Architect, deploy, and support hybrid Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu/Debian) and Windows compute environments across bare metal, hypervisors, and containers.
• Orchestrate Virtualization & Compute Platforms: Manage enterprise hypervisors (Proxmox, VMware ESXi, KVM, or Hyper‑V) and build lightweight micro‑environments using Docker, Podman, and LXC.
• Automate & Modernize: Develop maintainable Bash, Python, and PowerShell scripts to eliminate manual configurations, patch systems, and accelerate deployment workflows.
• Maintain Identity & Core Services: Administer and troubleshoot directory services (Active Directory, LDAP/LDAPS, Group Policy), DNS, DHCP, and enterprise network integrations.
• Drive Reliability & Security: Implement configuration baselines, backup/DR pipelines, system hardening, and continuous monitoring to guarantee research uptime.
• Collaborate Directly with Researchers: Partner with cross‑functional engineering teams to disambiguate requirements, troubleshoot complex system interactions, and rapidly deliver tailored lab compute environments.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of hand‑on experience in Systems Engineering, Systems Administration, or DevOps role supporting enterprise or engineering lab environments.
• Dual-OS Proficiency: Demonstrated expertise administering, securing, and troubleshooting both Linux and Windows operating systems.
• Virtualization & Containers: Proven track record building and operating hypervisors (Proxmox, KVM, VMware, or Hyper‑V) and custom container workloads (Docker, LXC, or Podman).
• Scripting & Automation: Functional ability to write scripts in Bash, Python, or PowerShell for routine administrative and deployment tasks.
• Directory Services & Networking Fundamentals: Solid grasp of Active Directory/LDAP, DNS, subnetting, VLANs, and virtual switch architectures.
• Problem-Solving & Disambiguation: Demonstrated capacity to navigate ambiguous technical requests and drive root‑cause analysis on complex infrastructure issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing high-performance lab testbeds, air‑gapped systems, or isolated network segments.
• Working knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and configuration management (Ansible, Terraform, or SaltStack).
• Experience with enterprise database engines (SQL Server, PostgreSQL) and IT service management platforms (ServiceNow, Jira).
• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., Red Hat RHCSA/RHCE, LPIC, Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator, VCP).

What We Offer

• Cutting‑Edge Lab Access: Direct access to enterprise‑class hardware, sandbox environments, and emerging software stacks.
• Technical Growth: Sponsored training, conference attendance, and certification support to continuously sharpen your engineering toolkit.
• Collaborative Engineering Culture: A multidisciplinary team that values bias for action, intellectual curiosity, and autonomous problem-solving.