Automation Engineer

Introduction

This position is for an Automation Engineer supporting the Army Edge Computing Capability (AECC) project that ALTESS is fielding for the US Army. The AECC solution is a containerized, Kubernetes-based, multitenant hosting environment for hosting Army enterprise and tactical applications. AECC is utilizing Kubernetes and potentially Red Hat OpenShift to implement a cloud-native, software-defined infrastructure across multiple global sites. ALTESS is integrating Hashicorp Vault and Terraform, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, GitLab Ultimate Suite, and other Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools into the AECC solution to provide an automation platform to support the AECC infrastructure and potentially offer to host enterprise and tactical applications. ALTESS provides value-added common and managed services built on top of the Kubernetes foundation that hosted Army applications will require. ALTESS is a managed service provider (MSP) and hosting services provider for Army applications. ALTESS is a Product Lead office under Capability Program Executive (CPE) Enterprise Software and Services (CPE ES2).

Your role and responsibilities

Position Duties for an Automation Engineer:

Collaborate with government engineers to design, develop, and maintain automation and DevSecOps frameworks supporting the AECC environment.

Design, deploy, and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) pipelines and automated configuration management for Kubernetes-based containerized solutions.

Automate the installation, configuration, and lifecycle management of Kubernetes clusters, including Container Network Interface (CNI) and Container Storage Interface (CSI) integrations.

Support hosted AECC customers by provisioning and managing customer enclaves using automation frameworks and container orchestration tools.

Harden automation tools and containerized environments in accordance with industry best practices and required government cybersecurity controls.

Develop and maintain comprehensive system and infrastructure documentation, including system diagrams, network topology, software configurations, device configurations, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Troubleshoot complex issues within Kubernetes clusters, containerized applications, and automation frameworks, performing root cause analysis and remediation.

Provide on-call support for after-hours production incidents, including triage, resolution, and post-incident analysis.

Recommend and implement enhancements to the automation framework, including introducing new tools, replacing legacy solutions, and developing new service offerings for hosted applications.

Advocate for automation concepts, processes, and best practices across the ALTESS organization.

Assess and document existing ("as-is") IT environments, perform gap analyses, and propose automation strategies to improve operational efficiency and technical maturity.

Required technical and professional expertise

Senior-level experience with automation, secrets management, and configuration management tools, including Terraform, Vault, Ansible, GitLab, or similar technologies.

Experience working in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) environments, including automated network configuration, server deployment, software provisioning, monitoring, and testing.

Security+ or equivalent DoD 8570.01-M Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II certification.

Must possess, or obtain within six months of hire, an approved computing environment certification under DoD 8570.01-M (e.g., automation, DevOps, or Kubernetes industry certification).

Must hold and maintain and active DoD Secret Security Clearance

Preferred technical and professional experience

Working knowledge of DoD Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) and the Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) process, or equivalent industry-standard system hardening practices.

Experience automating Kubernetes cluster deployments in enterprise environments.

Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, PowerShell, and Bash to support automation and operational tasks.

Experience developing and maintaining Ansible playbooks for enterprise operations, including organizing playbooks into reusable roles.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.