Automation & DevOps Engineer

Position: Automation & DevOps Engineer
Employment Type: W2 Contract-to-Hire
Location: Atlanta, GA - Onsite



Job Summary
The Research Information Systems Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining advanced research systems and solutions. This role involves engineering systems and automation, providing technical support, and ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and compliance of research systems and applications. This role collaborates with cross- functional teams to optimize research processes and support the organization's research objectives.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize systems and algorithms for data extraction, processing, and decision-making. Develop and implement intelligent automation, infrastructure as code, and CI/CD solutions to streamline research workflows. Conduct automation testing and validation to ensure accuracy and compatibility with existing systems. Serve as a resource and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for related engineering tools and technologies.
• Provide specialized technical support for complex research infrastructure systems and applications. Diagnose and resolve technical issues and performance bottlenecks. Offer guidance and training to end-users and technical support associates. Provide subject matter expertise and make other significant contributions to research projects.
• Design, develop, implement, and maintain infrastructure, applications, and systems to meet requirements and enable new capabilities. Configure, deploy, and troubleshoot systems, networks, and software to ensure reliable and efficient operations. Conduct system analysis, performance tuning, and optimization to enhance the performance and scalability of research infrastructure systems. Test and evaluate solutions, perform quality assurance checks, and ensure compliance with technical standards.
• Collaborate with researchers, process owners, and technical teams to identify technology needs and requirements. Define and prioritize product features, requirements, and user stories based on research needs and feedback. Participate in project planning, requirement gathering, and implementation of research infrastructure solutions. Communicate updates, changes, and plans to stakeholders and internal teams.
• Document system configurations, technical specifications, and implementation procedures. Maintain automation documentation and track changes to support governance. Manage change control processes to ensure systematic and controlled implementation of changes. Design, develop, and implement comprehensive IT business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) strategies to ensure the protection of critical research systems, applications, and data. Ensure that business continuity plans are tailored to meet regulatory requirements for safeguarding research data, including Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
• Ensure adherence to technical standards and best practices. Ensure continuous compliance with governance, security, and data privacy standards. Support system governance, compliance, and security measures to ensure system integrity and quality.
• Stay informed about the latest trends and technologies in research infrastructure and automation. Continuously monitor and optimize infrastructure performance through data analysis and improvement cycles. Drive innovation by integrating new technologies and methodologies into research processes.
• Conduct market research, customer interviews, and usability studies to gather insights and inform infrastructure decisions. Translate research requirements into actionable tasks, user stories, and acceptance criteria for development teams. Manage service backlogs, prioritize feature development, and ensure timely delivery of infrastructure increments. Conduct user acceptance testing, validate infrastructure functionality, and gather feedback for improvements.
• Provide training, guidance, and mentorship to enhance technical skills and knowledge of coworkers and stakeholders. Offer user training, support, and assistance to help end-users navigate research infrastructure systems and applications.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

• Manage Kubernetes environments with Rancher and OpenShift.
• Manage all Gitlab CI/CD needs for the team and support research needs.
• Architect automation tooling for Compliance-as-Code configurations using Ansible, GitLab, Artifactory, Tenable Nessus, Axonius, CrowdStrike, and related tools.
• Design and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code deployment platforms and pipelines for provisioning Windows, macOS, and Linux VMs and bare-metal systems.
• Integrate security and compliance scanning into automated workflows (STIG, NIST 800-171, CMMC Level 2).
• Develop pipelines and other automation processes to reduce manual reoccurring tasks (e.g., SSL certificate rotation, documentation updates).
• Maintain automation documentation and track changes to support governance.
• Manage change control processes for automation code and infrastructure definitions.
• Collaborate with operating system administrators and cybersecurity teams to automate hardening and configuration of environments.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior engineers on automation practices.
• Continuously improve build and deployment processes as new technologies and challenges emerge.

• Experience with Automation and DevOps.
• Experience with Docker container and Kubernetes platform management.
• Associate's Degree in related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Two or more years of relevant experience.

• Bachelor's Degree in related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Four or more years of relevant experience.
• Experience as an automation/DevOps architect designing automations and build processes from the ground up.
• Experience designing Compliance-as-Code configurations using Ansible AAP/Tower and GitLab.
• Familiarity with security tooling such as Tenable Nessus, Axonius, and CrowdStrike.
• Strong general IT foundation, including networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP), Linux administration basics, and familiarity with ITIL-based practices such as change and configuration management.
• Relevant industry certifications are a plus (e.g., Red Hat certifications, GitLab/CI-CD credentials, Security+).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively across teams.
• Linux, Windows, and macOS Support experience.