Systems and Platform Engineer

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable practices. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business. Employees enjoy career enrichment opportunities available through mobility and development, and experience rewarding relationships with supportive supervisors, talented colleagues, and customers. Your most important work is ahead.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Leidos is looking for a highly skilled platform engineer with deep expertise in operating systems, hardware, GPU, and high-speed networking.  In this role, you will design, develop, and optimize Kubernetes clusters that power enterprise AI for the mission customers.

This is a 100% on-site position. All work must be performed at the customer site in Bethesda at the Intelligence Community Campus.

Responsibilities:

• Kubernetes Cluster Engineering: Design, configure, and maintain enterprise Kubernetes platforms. Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to define and optimize Kubernetes architecture, ensuring they meet performance, efficiency, and feature requirements.
• Infrastructure as Code: Develop and manage Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform, Salt, Ansible, Bash, Python or similar frameworks.
• Collaborate with development teams to design and implement secure, automated, and repeatable pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI/CD).
• Troubleshot complex systems issues across cloud, network, and platform layers.
• Compliance & Documentation: Maintain technical documentation, architectural specifications, and Linux best practices. Support ATO (Authority to Operate) and ensure compliance with federal security standards.

You Bring

• Bachelor's or higher degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years in Platform Engineering or System Engineering experience.
• Strong expertise with Linux distributions. (RHEL, Ubuntu, Oracle Linux, and Rocky).
• Experience administering Kubernetes clusters, including deploying, scaling, and maintaining containerized workloads.
• Hands-on experience creating, managing, and troubleshooting Docker containers and container images throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Experience with Kubernetes cluster management and AI/ML workflow orchestration (Argo, Airflow, and Kubeflow).
• Strong track record with consuming, and troubleshooting RESTful APIs for platform integration and automation.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate within a team.
• Candidate must, at a minimum, meet DoD 8570.11- IAT Level II certification requirements (currently Security+ CE, CCNA-Security, GICSP, GSEC, or SSCP along with an appropriate computing environment (CE) certification). An IAT Level III certification would also be acceptable (CASP+, CCNP Security, CISA, CISSP, GCED, GCIH, CCSP).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in managing NVIDIA GPU data center platforms. (DGX, HGX, H200, H100, 200, B300, L40S).
• Experience with NVIDIA enterprise tools such as Base Command Manager, Run:AI, Nvidia AI Enterprise.
• Knowledge of enterprise server components (storage/network controllers, HBA, SSDs).
• Familiarity with GPU virtualization and cloud computing.
• Experience developing and deploying infrastructure in AWS.
• Knowledge of distributed resource scheduling systems. (Slurm , LSF, Open MPI,etc.)

Clearance

• Active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph required OR active TS/SCI and willingness to obtain and maintain a Poly.
• US Citizenship is required due to the nature of the government contracts we support.

What You’ll Gain

At Leidos, your work directly supports some of the most critical missions in the intelligence community. You'll be part of a high-performing, collaborative environment where your contributions shape national security operations. Whether optimizing secure networks, refining system baselines, or integrating next-generation technologies, you’ll find meaningful work, continuous technical challenges, and a clear path for advancement.

At Leidos, we don’t want someone who "fits the mold"—we want someone who melts it down and builds something better. This is a role for the restless, the over-caffeinated, the ones who ask, “What’s next?” before the dust settles on “what’s now.”

If you’re already scheming step 20 while everyone else is still debating step 2… good. You’ll fit right in.

#NMECDTP-ALL

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.