DevOps Engineer/Principal DevOps Engineer (AHT)

Description

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems (NGDS) is seeking a DevOps Engineer to join our team at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) at Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base. You will be an active part of a Platform Engineering team with expertise in Kubernetes, cloud, GitLab, and related platform technologies, responsible for building, maintaining, and scaling foundational infrastructure that supports NASIC missions.

About the role

As a DevOps Engineer, you will combine software development and IT operations to create a more streamlined and efficient development process by implementing and managing DevOps practices across the organization. You will help design, build, and operate the platforms and pipelines that enable secure, reliable delivery of mission applications.

Candidates may be considered for DevOps Engineer (Level 2) or Principal DevOps Engineer (Level 3) based on education and years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Build, maintain, and scale foundational infrastructure that supports NASIC missions
• Design, build, and operate the platforms and pipelines that enable secure, reliable delivery of mission applications
• Implement and manage DevOps practices across the organization
• Work as part of a high‑performing engineering team and collaborate across disciplines
• Work in an Agile environment and adapt to evolving priorities

Basic Qualifications

DevOps Engineer (Level 2): Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 2+ years of relevant experience OR master's degree with 0 years of experience

Principal DevOps Engineer (Level 3): Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline with 5+ years of relevant experience OR master's degree with 3+ years of experience

Clearance and Certifications:

• Active Department of Defense Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance
• Active CompTIA Security+, SecurityX, or CISSP certification

Core Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in DevOps, software development, or systems administration

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with configuration and maintenance of DevOps Infrastructure as Code tools and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience with OCI‑compliant container technologies and tools such as Podman or Docker
• Experience managing and troubleshooting containerized workloads, specifically using Kubernetes or Docker Swarm
• Experience with the Linux operating system and familiarity with core cloud services, including virtual machines, storage, and networking
• Experience with distributed revision control systems such as Git
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python, Bash, or Go to improve platform efficiency
• Kubernetes‑related certifications such as CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator), CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer), CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist), or KCSP (Kubernetes Certified Service Provider)
• Experience with the configuration and administration of CNCF tools such as Harbor, ArgoCD, Grafana, Prometheus, and Helm
• Experience implementing "security as code", including automated vulnerability scanning and compliance‑driven infrastructure (e.g., DoD STIGs / RMF)
• Experience designing enterprise‑wide automation strategies and establishing golden paths / developer portals to reduce cognitive load for engineering teams
• Experience working in an Agile environment and familiarity with Agile principles and practices
• Experience with project / issue tracking software such as Jira and Confluence
• Demonstrated understanding of microservice architectures

Pay

• Primary Level (DevOps Engineer Level 2): $83,400.00 - $125,200.00
• Secondary Level (Principal DevOps Engineer Level 3): $103,600.00 - $155,400.00

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage
• Life and disability insurance
• Savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• Paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business
• Overtime and shift differential eligibility depending on position
• Discretionary bonus in addition to base pay
• Annual bonuses designed to reward individual contributions and allow employees to share in company results
• Long Term Incentives for employees in Vice President or Director positions

Schedule

• Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time
• Relocation assistance may be available