Senior Systems Engineer II

MetroStar

Senior systems engineer securing and automating Kubernetes infrastructure for MetroStar’s federal customers. Improving reliability, observability, and DevSecOps operations in a 24x7 environment.

Posted 8/20/2026full-timeWashington, D.C. • District of Columbia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $147,000 - $170,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and infrastructure automation, with a strong focus on security hardening and DevSecOps practices. Proven ability to troubleshoot complex systems and collaborate across multiple engineering teams to enhance platform performance and reliability.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Kubernetes AdministrationInfrastructure AutomationDevSecOps PracticesProduction TroubleshootingActive Top Secret Clearance

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

KubernetesDockerHelmRancherVMwareLinux AdministrationTerraformAnsiblePowerShellPython

Soft Skills

Technical CommunicationCollaboration

Tools & Technologies

CI/CD PipelinesInfrastructure as CodeMonitoring ToolsLogging Tools

Industry Keywords

Systems EngineeringPlatform EngineeringInfrastructure SecurityVulnerability RemediationChange Management

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AnsibleCyber SecurityDockerKubernetesLinuxOpenShiftPythonTerraformVMware

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Assess and improve the health, performance, security, and reliability of infrastructure and Kubernetes platforms
Build, configure, and maintain Kubernetes, Rancher, Helm, Docker, VMware, and Linux environments
Automate infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and deployments using IaC and CI/CD practices
Troubleshoot complex issues across containers, compute, storage, networking, and application-hosting environments
Improve monitoring, logging, alerting, dashboards, and overall platform observability
Identify technical risks, recurring failures, and technical debt, and develop remediation plans
Apply security hardening, vulnerability remediation, least privilege, and DevSecOps best practices
Test, validate, and implement production changes through approved change-management processes
Collaborate across engineering, cybersecurity, networking, storage, database, and application teams
Maintain architecture diagrams, runbooks, SOPs, troubleshooting guides, and recovery documentation
Support knowledge transfer, platform improvements, and occasional after-hours/on-call activities
Support continuity of operations as essential personnel, including possible work during government shutdowns, emergencies, or other critical situations

Requirements

What you’ll need

Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility
6+ years in systems, platform, DevOps, infrastructure engineering, or systems administration
3+ years of hands-on Kubernetes/container experience
Strong experience with Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, and Rancher or OpenShift
Experience supporting on-prem, mission-critical infrastructure
Hands-on VMware and Linux administration experience
Infrastructure automation/IaC experience with Terraform, Ansible, PowerShell, Python, or similar
Experience building or supporting CI/CD pipelines in a DevSecOps environment
Strong production troubleshooting across compute, storage, networking, OS, and application layers
Experience with system hardening, vulnerability remediation, security baselines, and secure configurations
Ability to document technical environments and communicate technical risks/recommendations
Ability to work primarily onsite in the Washington, D.C. area and support occasional on-call/nonstandard hours
Ability to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States

Benefits

Comp & perks

Performance-based bonuses
Company-paid training and/or certifications
Referral bonuses
Health, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement plan with company match
Paid time off (PTO) and holidays
Parental Leave and dependent care
Flexible work arrangements
Professional development opportunities
Employee assistance and wellness programs
Additional incentives based on individual and company performance