Senior DevOps Engineer (TS/SCI + CI Poly)

Description

The DarkStar Group is seeking a Senior DevOps Engineer with a TS/SCI CI Poly clearance to join one of our top projects in Herndon, VA.  Below is an overview of the project, as well as information on our company, our benefits, and our $25,000 referral program.

THE PROJECT

The DarkStar Group's team solves unique and challenging intelligence problems for a Special Operations customer. This work is as close to the mission as a technologist can get, so the environment is fast-paced: team members face rapidly-changing requirements and priorities as mission needs evolve. If you hate monotony and want to use your skills to have a direct impact on real-world operational success, this is the project for you.

We are a multi-faceted software development and systems administration team working to build and maintain software applications backed by a self-managed cloud infrastructure (OpenStack) with a true big-data footprint (over 10 petabytes). Our diverse background of experience in mission support and software development serves as a catalyst to solve unique and challenging intelligence problems in support of special operations analysts and their on-going activities. Prototyping and frequent, iterative feedback are core to our delivery approach, anchored by a need to work quickly in support of our missions.

The technical stack is quite robust and includes Java, Python, C#, C/C , Geospatial tools, Big Data and Graph Products (Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, ElasticSearch, Neo4j), Linux, OpenStack, AWS, Ansible, SQL/NoSQL, Text Processing, Cloud Services, Containerization, Infrastructure as Code (IAC), and more.

Work on this program takes place in the Herndon, VA area (we cannot support remote work) and requires a TS clearance and a willingness to obtain a CI Poly: a current TS/SCI CI Poly is preferred.

THE ROLE

• The DarkStar Group is seeking a Sr. DevOps Engineer to support the development and integration of various intelligence capabilities into a test and subsequently operational environment. You will be a member of a project team responsible for designing and maintaining multiple DevOps pipelines integrating and deploying numerous components into the larger system infrastructure. Deployment will be across multiple networks into hybrid architectures consisting of both on-prem and cloud infrastructures.

Principal Responsibilities: 

• Manage and automate the deployment, scaling, and monitoring of containerized applications using Kubernetes, ensuring cluster performance, security, and infrastructure reliability through continuous integration, optimization, and troubleshooting. 
• Design, implement and maintain multiple DevOps pipelines. 
• Implement CD & CI solutions to support rapid development and integration. 
• Integrate static code analysis and other security mechanisms into pipeline. 
• Design and apply hybrid deployment strategy (cloud and local virtualized). 
• Work with software and system engineers to apply automated test and documentation processes. 
• Troubleshoot and resolve network, automation pipelines, and infrastructure issues. 
• Build, maintain, and monitor configuration management of release products. 

Required Skills 

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering or related discipline. 4 years additional experience may be substituted for a degree. 
• 8 years of DevOps experience minimum. 
• Direct hands-on knowledge of managing code using Git and associated server tools like Bitbucket, GitLab, GitHub or Gitea.  
• Must have extensive understanding of and ability to work without assistance using Kubernetes. 
• CI & CD implementation experience with technologies like Jenkins, ArgoCD, or Bamboo. 
• Experience with automated deployment technologies such as Cloud Formation, Ansible, Terraform. 
• Cloud application deployment strategies like Helm and Jenkins Pipelines. 
• Direct experience crafting docker images and running containers in and out of a cloud environment. 
• Working to expert knowledge of Linux, MacOS and Windows operating systems 
• Working knowledge of opensource data storage technology installation, configuration and maintenance, PostgreSQL, Mongo, Elasticsearch, et al.  
• Ability to build Linux shell scripts to support a wide variety of tasks like CRON or remote SSH execution. 
• General knowledge of cyber security methods and responsibilities across all tiers of the cloud technology stack. 
• Must be willing to work on-site 5 days a week both in and out of a SCIF. 

Desired Skills (Optional)

• Security or comparable certification for privileged user access.  
• Experience with distributed processing methods and tools, such as REST APIs, microservices, IaaS/PaaS services. 
• Knowledge level understanding of Kubernetes platform installation, configuration, and maintenance. 
• Experience developing, deploying, and configuring ingress or proxy for web-based access.  
• Experience supporting software in a production environment. 
• Experience with Fortify and/or SonarQube. 
• Experience working with HPC’s is a plus. 
• Custom source application deployments and maintenance. (Java, Python) 
• Experience working in an Agile environment. 
• Enterprise Linux system administration experience, (Amazon, Red Hat, Rocky, or CentOS) 
• Experience implementing/following CM practices; plans, procedures, and source control in all responsible areas.  

About The DarkStar Group

Our Company

The DarkStar Group is a small business that solves BIG problems. We're one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US, and our engineers and scientists support the most critical national security missions in Virginia, Maryland, and elsewhere. Data Science, Software Engineering, Cloud/AWS Infrastructure, and Cyber/CNO are our core areas of expertise. We offer interesting and important work, job security, some of the best and most flexible benefits you'll find in the IC, and salaries so strong that they'll likely surprise you. 

Our Benefits

The DarkStar Group offers exceptional compensation and benefits:

• very strong salaries;
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for you and all dependents;
• the ability to get increased salary if you don't need medical/dental/vision;
• 100% company-paid disability and life insurance benefits;
• a generously-funded HSA;
• an 8% 401(k) contribution; 
• 31 days of PTO/holidays to start (more with tenure);
• the ability to flex time across pay periods without using your PTO;
• a generous training budget;
• $25,000 employee referral bonuses;
• business development / growth incentives; and
• top notch company swag.

** We have a huge growth opportunity, so we are offering up to a $25,000 reward for anyone new you refer whom we hire. **

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.