Senior Operations & Maintenance Support

We are seeking a Senior Operations & Maintenance Support Specialist to provide advanced technical support with specialized focus on Kubernetes and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in a government environment. This role combines Tier 1 and Tier 2 Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) support responsibilities with deep technical expertise in Azure Kubernetes Services and VDI technologies. The ideal candidate will serve as a technical escalation point, mentor junior team members, and provide expert-level troubleshooting for complex cloud infrastructure and application issues while ensuring system reliability and optimal user experiences. An active TS/SCI security clearance is required for this position.

Why Work with us ?

Applied Research Solutions (ARS) is respected as a world-class provider of technically integrated solutions as we deliver premier talent and technology across our focused markets for unparalleled, continuous mission support.Awarded a Best Places to Work nominee since 2020, ARS recognizes that without our career- driven, loyal professionals, we would not be able to deliver state-of-the-art results for our mission partners. We firmly believe that prioritizing our employees is of the upmost importance. We provide a culture where our employees are challenged to meet their career goals and aspirations, while still obtaining a work/life balance. ARS employees are motivated through our industry competitive benefits package, our awards and recognition program, and personalized attention from ARS Senior Managers.

Responsibilities include:

• Serve as first point of contact for end-user technical support requests related to cloud services, hosted applications, and VDI functionality, providing responsive customer service and executing deep troubleshooting
• Create, update, and maintain technical support tickets in Jira with accurate documentation, proper categorization, and tracking of resolution times to maintain SLA compliance
• Escalate complex issues to Tier 2/3 support teams, SREs, and Platform Engineers with comprehensive documentation, coordinating with Development, DevOps, and Architecture teams for resolution
• Manage VDI technologies including troubleshooting and repairing User Virtual Machines (UVMs), building and deploying base images for supported operating systems, and patching running UVMs
• Build, package, deploy, and manage Salt States to install applications in virtual machines, operating the Salt Master for application deployment across the VDI environment
• Monitor system performance, identify patterns indicating systemic issues, and support maintenance windows with user communication during planned outages
• Maintain and update knowledge base articles, contribute to support procedures and troubleshooting guides, and participate in continuous service improvement initiatives
• Work with cloud providers for Tier 1 and Tier 2 support issues, escalating Tier 3+ issues appropriately
• Other duties as assigned

Technical Experience & Qualifications

• Must be US Citizen
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related technical field
• Experience: Minimum 6 years of professional experience in technical support, operations, SRE, or infrastructure engineering roles
• Security Clearance: Active TS/SCI clearance (Required)
• Kubernetes Expertise: Advanced hands-on experience with Kubernetes or Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) including troubleshooting pods, services, deployments, networking, and cluster operations
• VDI Expertise: Deep experience with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure technologies, particularly Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), including architecture, troubleshooting, and optimization
• Configuration Management: Advanced proficiency with Salt, Ansible, or similar configuration management tools with experience developing complex automation
• Containerization: Strong experience with Docker, container troubleshooting, and containerized application support
• SRE Practices: Understanding of Site Reliability Engineering principles including monitoring, incident response, and system reliability
• Cloud Platforms: Advanced knowledge of Azure cloud services with focus on compute, networking, and storage
• Operating Systems: Expert-level troubleshooting in Windows and Linux environments
• Monitoring & Observability: Experience with Azure Monitor, Prometheus, Grafana, or similar monitoring tools for Kubernetes and infrastructure
• Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in PowerShell, Python, or Bash for automation and troubleshooting
• Incident Management: Advanced experience with Jira or similar systems, including leading complex incident resolution
• Technical Leadership: Proven ability to mentor team members and provide technical guidance

All positions at Applied Research Solutions are subject to background investigations. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history and identity check.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.