Senior Systems Engineer

On-site in Fort Meade, MD

Our client seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to support the Defense Information Systems Agency Citadel mission. The role requires advanced engineering, integration, administration, and operational support for enterprise infrastructure and mission systems in a secure DoD environment. The engineer will collaborate with government stakeholders, cybersecurity teams, network engineers, and mission partners to ensure availability, performance, and security across the environment.

Due to federal security clearance requirements, applicant must be a United States Citizen with an active Secret clearance. This is a contract to hire opportunity. Applicants must be willing and able to work on a w2 basis and convert to FTE following contract duration. For our w2 consultants, we offer a great benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, 401k with company matching, and life insurance.

Rate: $55.00 to $66.00/hr. w2

• Design, implement, maintain, and optimize enterprise systems infrastructure supporting DISA Citadel operations.
• Engineer and administer Linux server environments in classified (IL6) and unclassified (IL5) networks.
• Support virtualization platforms including VMware, Hyper-V, or cloud-based environments.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, architecture diagrams, SOPs, and operational procedures.
• Perform systems monitoring, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and root-cause analysis.
• Support patch management, STIG compliance, vulnerability remediation, and RMF activities.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity personnel to ensure compliance with DoD security requirements.
• Automate system administration and operational tasks using PowerShell, Bash, Python, or Ansible.
• Support backup, disaster recovery, continuity of operations, and high-availability solutions.
• Participate in system upgrades, migrations, and technology refresh initiatives.
• Provide Tier III escalation support for complex infrastructure issues.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical strategy and process improvement initiatives.

• 8+ years of systems engineering or enterprise infrastructure experience.
• Experience supporting DoD or federal government environments.
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
• VMware vSphere/ESXi administration.
• Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy.
• Enterprise storage and backup technologies.
• Automation and scripting tools.
• Systems monitoring and performance management.
• Understanding of RMF, STIGs, ACAS, and DoD cybersecurity policies.
• Active Security+ CE or equivalent DoD 8570/8140 certification.
• Active Secret clearance.
• Preferred: VMware VCP, Microsoft, Red Hat, or AWS certifications.
• Preferred: Hybrid cloud, automation frameworks, DevSecOps, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Preferred: Experience with DISA environments, Kubernetes, containers, or platform engineering.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.
• Effective written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work independently in fast-paced mission environments.
• Customer engagement and stakeholder coordination experience.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and operational deadlines.

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Recruitment Transparency Notice

Eliassen Group values transparency in our recruitment practices. Please be advised that Eliassen Group utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of its initial application screening  and hiring process. You may receive email and SMS notifications from the Eliassen Virtual Recruiting Team ( View email address on careers.eliassen.com , Show phone number) inviting you to complete a brief voice screening as part of your application process. These tools assist our hiring teams in different ways, including but not limited to, assistance in reviewing application materials to help identify candidates whose qualifications most closely match the requirements of the position. All AI-assisted evaluations and responses are reviewed by human recruiters before any hiring decisions are made. The use of AI in our process is intended to support fairness, efficiency, and consistency, and Eliassen Group takes measures to prevent bias or discrimination in connection with its hiring practices. By proceeding, you acknowledge, agree, and consent to Eliassen Group’s use of these tools, including AI tools, as part of the application and hiring process.

Skills, experience, and other compensable factors will be considered when determining pay rate. The pay range provided in this posting reflects a W2 hourly rate; other employment options may be available that may result in pay outside of the provided range.

· When you work with Eliassen Group, all email communication will come from an Eliassen.com address, never Gmail, Yahoo, etc.

· Eliassen Group will never ask you for personal information (home address, bank account, or check routing number) until you have worked with someone clearly associated with Eliassen Group.

If you have any indication of fraudulent activity, please contact  View email address on careers.eliassen.com .

About Eliassen Group:

Eliassen Group is a strategic consulting firm that helps organizations reach further and achieve more through our technology, business advisory, and life sciences solutions. For nearly 40 years, we have combined exceptional people, deep domain expertise, and intelligent capabilities to expand our clients’ capacity and accelerate meaningful outcomes. We are driven by a purpose to positively impact the lives of our employees, clients, consultants, and the communities we serve.

Eliassen is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and all employment decisions are based on merit, performance, and business needs. Eliassen does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender identity or expression, sexual preference or orientation, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), marital status, creed, religion, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, age, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, prohibited criminal record inquiries of applicants and employees, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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