Linux SME

Job Title: Linux SME



Location: Bethesda, MD, ICC-B – Onsite, SCIF Environment



Eligibility: TS/SCI with CI Polygraph (Full Scope Poly preferred)



Contract Type: Contingent Upon Award, this will be available in the next

few weeks.



Job Description:

We are seeking an experienced Linux Subject Matter Expert (SME) to

provide advanced systems engineering and operational support for

Dedicated Cross Domain Infrastructure within a secure Defense

Intelligence Agency (DIA) environment. This role is embedded with our

Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) team and is responsible for maintaining,

hardening, troubleshooting, and optimizing Linux-based systems across

multiple domains and mission enclaves.



The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of Red Hat Enterprise

Linux (RHEL), system hardening (STIG), cross domain security

architectures, and the accreditation processes necessary to support Top

Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) systems.



Key Responsibilities:



- Lead system engineering, patching, configuration, and lifecycle

maintenance of RHEL/CentOS/Oracle Linux systems supporting CDS

environments.



- Implement and maintain DISA STIG-compliant baselines using

automation tools (e.g., Ansible, SCAP, Puppet).



- Collaborate with CDS engineers, Information Assurance personnel, and

enclave leads to meet ATO/RMF compliance.



- Troubleshoot kernel-level issues, performance bottlenecks, and

cross-domain interface stability.



- Provide SME-level support for SE Linux, LDAP/Kerberos, and auditing

solutions (e.g., syslog, Splunk forwarders).



- Manage OS provisioning, virtual infrastructure (e.g., VMware or

KVM), and baseline image creation for cross-domain enclaves.



- Assist with developing and maintaining infrastructure-as-code

configurations and custom scripts (Bash, Python).



- Serve as Tier III escalation for complex OS issues affecting CDS

reliability or availability.



- Support enclave isolation and guard-side interface requirements

under strict security policies.



- Document engineering decisions, operational procedures, and system

configurations for cross-team knowledge sharing and accreditation

packages.



Required Qualifications:



- U.S. Citizen with active TS/SCI clearance and CI Polygraph (or

ability to obtain).



- 8+ years of experience administering Linux systems in a secure,

mission-critical environment.



- 3+ years supporting cross-domain or multi-enclave environments (CDS,

Garrison, SMART.NeXT, CDSSF).



- Advanced knowledge of RHEL 7/8/9, including system hardening and

kernel-level tuning.



- Experience with automation frameworks and scripting languages

(Ansible, Bash, Python).



- Familiarity with RMF/ATO processes and audit log management.



- Strong understanding of networking (TCP/IP, firewalls, VLANs, DNS)

as it relates to Linux systems.



Desired Qualifications:



- DoD 8570 IAT Level II or III certification (Security+ CE, CASP+,

CISSP).



- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) or similar Linux certification.



- Familiarity with CDS guard technologies (Radiant Mercury, Data

Diode, Garrison, etc.).



- Experience with hypervisors and virtual infrastructure supporting

isolated environments.



- Knowledge of Zero Trust, enclave segmentation, and compartmentalized

architectures.