OpenShift Engineer Senior Principal (Lead)

Job Description

We put our customers first – exemplified by our missions: “We Protect Those Who Protect Us®” and “We Innovate for Those Who Move the World.” Sound like a team you want to be a part of? Come build your career with BAE Systems.

BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems is seeking an OpenShift engineering lead to design, implement, and manage the Red Hat OpenShift platform across multiple environments. The OpenShift Engineer will be responsible for providing technical leadership and management of Red Hat OpenShift resources and supporting technologies. The ideal candidate has a strong background in managing enterprise-grade Kubernetes within Red Hat’s ecosystem.

The Operations Strategic Capabilities Unit plays a fundamental role in enabling efficient business and program execution – from strategic capital investments, industrial operations and an efficient supply chain, to state-of-the-art manufacturing and test operations and top-notch facilities management.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead a small technical team to deploy, configure, and maintain Red Hat OpenShift resources.
• Ensure high-availability and high-performance of cluster services.
• Provide advanced escalation support for OpenShift resources - engage with support vendors and internal support groups.
• Manage a diverse multi-cluster environment including:
  • Virtual, bare metal, and hybrid infrastructure deployments.
  • Highly-available multi-tenant production clusters.
  • Single-tenant Single Node OpenShift (SNO) clusters.
• Continuously drive automation efforts through GitLab CI pipelines and GitOps practices.
• Monitor cluster performance through log aggregation and metrics.
• Maintain compliance with appropriate security standards including, but not limited to:
  • Federal Information Protection Standard (FIPS 140-3).
  • Security Technical Implementation Guidelines (STIGs).
  • Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
• Manage cluster authentication and authorization through IdPs and external services (Keycloak).
• Reliably host critical persistent workloads such as Ansible Automation Platform (AAP).
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture team to ensure consistency of platforms and tools across the enterprise.
• Collaborate with ISSOs, security staff, and other IT stakeholders to ensure secure, compliant, and high-performing system operations.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and contribute to RMF packages and audit readiness.
• Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Capabilities Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.
• Perform other duties as necessary.

On-Site Work Environment: This position requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site five days each normally scheduled week in the primary work location. Travel and local commute between company campuses and other possible non-company locations may be required.

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or cleanroom, outdoors or remote research environment.
• May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.
• May access other facilities in various weather conditions.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience.
• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.
• A current, active TS/SCI security clearance is required with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI Polygraph.
• Experience managing multi-cluster OpenShift environments.
• Experience using GitLab for source control and CI/CD.
• In-depth understanding of infrastructure as code (IaC) principals and tools (i.e. Terraform & Ansible).
• Familiarity managing bare metal servers and vSphere VMs.
• Experience with GitOps patterns, practices, and tools (i.e. Argo CD).
• Familiarity with the Red Hat OpenShift software ecosystem, including:
  • Advanced Cluster Manager (ACM).
  • Advanced Cluster Security (ACS).
  • OpenShift Observability.
  • OpenShift GitOps.
• Experience managing cluster permissions.
• DoW 8570/8140 cybersecurity certification (e.g. Security+).

#LI-LO1

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Active TS/SCI CI Poly highly preferred.
• Team lead experience.
• Red Hat Certified OpenShift Admin/Architect.
• Experience with OpenShift Virtualization.
• Experience managing AWS resources, particularly Red Hat OpenShift on AWS (ROSA).

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.


About BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems
BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Space & Mission Systems is a leading provider of national defense and civil space applications, advanced remote sensing, scientific and tactical systems for government and commercial customers. We continually pioneer ways to innovate spacecraft, mission payloads, optical systems, and other defense and civil capabilities. Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission focus, we continually discover ways to enable our customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters most.

This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.

Multiple positions may be available on this opening.