Systems Engineer Principal

Description

SAIC is seeking a Principal System Engineer supporting DEVSECOPS for our strategic communications programs within the Department of Defense (DoD). This position is part of an essential team dedicated to the sustainment and enhancement of critical Navy communication systems, including associated operational environments (OE). As part of this role, you will lead the development, implementation, and sustainment of robust DEVSECOPS practices aligned with Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements and DoD/DoN cybersecurity policies.

In this role, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, program managers, and government personnel, to ensure mission-critical systems achieve and maintain compliance with Authority to Operate (ATO) and continuous monitoring requirements. You will contribute as a key technical leader, working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where innovation and attention to detail are highly valued.

This opportunity is well-suited for an experienced system engineer professional who thrives in complex environments and has a strong background in building & managing containerization, and container ecosystems.

This is an ON-SITE role located in San Diego, CA

JOB DUTIES:

• Set up and configure container platforms such as Docker and Kubernetes to support scalable and secure application deployments.
• Manage containerized environments, including building and maintaining custom images, integrating with CI/CD pipelines, and optimizing resource utilization.
• Implement security hardening for containers and container orchestration platforms, utilizing tools and best practices to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure compliance.
• Monitor and troubleshoot containerized applications, ensuring high availability, performance, and resilience in production environments.
• Primary POC for VMWare support in a development environment
• Provide network integration, configuration and network administration support
• Expertise in the testing, configuration and documentation of network system
• Participate in resolving technical issues and troubleshoot the system that may arise during integration, implementation and test
• Provide technical direction, guidance and training to less experienced staff
• Interface with management, customers and team regularly

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelors and nine (9) years or more experience; Masters and seven (7) years or more experience ; PhD or JD and four (4) years or more experience.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must have an Active Secret Clearance to start
• Must be able to obtain a Top Secret Clearance after start
• DoD IAT 2 certified eligible:
  • MS Windows (Windows Server 2008 or 2012 preferred) Certificate of course completion is required. Formal proctored test and registration with Microsoft is not.
  • MCITP (Enterprise Administrator or Server Administrator), MCSA or MCSE can be substituted for the Windows Server certification.
  • Cisco OS Certifications can be used in place of MS certifications.
  • Security+
• Must have experience with setup, configuration and hardening of Containers.
  • Strong grasp of DevOps practices, especially Building and Managing CI/CD Pipelines
  • Proven experience with container ecosystem tools, such as Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration or management platforms.
  • Hands-on expertise in container hardening, including applying security measures like RBAC, SECCOMP, AppArmor, and namespace isolation.
  • Familiarity with container-specific networking, monitoring, and logging tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, or ELK/EFK stack).
• Candidate should have strong computer and networking skills and demonstrate a working knowledge of current applicable military and commercial standards and specifications.

DESIRED SKILLS:

• Understanding of Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) to lockdown network equipment.
• Maintain network in compliance with NETSEC directives (IAVA, IAVM)
• Candidate must have working knowledge of Microsoft Office (i.e. Visio, Project, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, and Word).
• Working knowledge of CISCO Networks and equipment for network and serial communications
• Excellent Communications Skills are imperative
• Establish equipment configurations in support of operational requirements.

Target salary range: $160,001 - $200,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.