The posting
We are seeking a hands-on Systems Engineer with deep expertise across infrastructure, platforms, and application ecosystem spanning cloud and on-premises environments. This role requires a proven practitioner who can analyze existing (“as-is”) systems and applications, document current state architectures, design future-state solutions, and implement system enhancements or technology transformations end-to-end.
The ideal candidate is a technical leader and achiever who can seamlessly collaborate across infrastructure, platform, application, DevSecOps, information systems security, and data teams while maintaining ownership of system reliability, performance, scalability, and security.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related technical discipline, or the equivalent combination of education, technical training, or work/military experience
Minimum ten (10) years of related systems engineering experience
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
The candidate must demonstrate hands-on experience in all the following areas:
Infrastructure & Platforms
Enterprise networking (e.g. routing, switching, firewalls, load balancers, DNS)
Storage technologies (e.g. SAN, NAS, object storage)
Virtualization and container platforms (VMware, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Docker)
Windows and Linux (Redhat, CentOS) operating systems (administration, hardening, automation)
Data platforms (HPCC, Hadoop/Cloudera)
Cloud & On-Prem Technologies
Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and/or GCP)
Hybrid and on-prem infrastructure design and integration
Cloud networking, identity, security, and cost optimization
Data & Application Platforms
Relational and NoSQL databases – relational (e.g., Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Redis) databases
Data platforms (HPCC, Hadoop/Cloudera)
Data pipelines, and ETL frameworks – with ETL pipelines, Airflow, Kafka, Spark, or similar frameworks
Web services, APIs, and middleware
Software development lifecycle (SDLC) fundamentals
Engineering & Automation
Infrastructure as Code – Scripting & Automation: Python, Bash, PowerShell, Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation
Configuration management and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python, etc.)
CI/CD integration with infrastructure and platforms (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, GitOps)
Security best practices and system hardening
Monitoring & Incident Response: Proficiency with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, ELK Stack, CloudWatch
Architecture & Design
Ability to create:
o As-is architecture documentation
o To-be architecture and detailed engineering designs
o Implementation and migration plans
DESIRED SKILLS
Observability and monitoring tools (logging, metrics, tracing)
Zero Trust and modern security architectures
Data analytics, AI/ML platform exposure
Experience supporting regulated or mission-critical environments
Relevant certifications (cloud, systems, security, or architecture)
Knowledge of machine learning platforms (TensorFlow, PyTorch, SageMaker)
Familiarity with big data ecosystems (Hadoop, Databricks, Snowflake, Google, BigQuery)
Strong background in ITIL processes and agile methodologies
Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect / DevOps Engineer, Azure Administrator, Kubernetes CKA/CKAD, ITIL Foundation
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Perform hands-on systems engineering across network, compute, storage, operating systems, middleware, databases, and applications
Analyze and document as-is infrastructure, platform, and application architectures
Design to-be architectures and detailed engineering designs for modernization, optimization, and transformation initiatives
Lead and execute cloud and on-prem system implementations, migrations, and upgrades
Ensure systems meet availability, scalability, performance, security, and compliance requirements
Integrate infrastructure and platforms with DevOps and DevSecOps pipelines
Troubleshoot complex, cross-stack issues spanning infrastructure, platforms, and applications
Collaborate effectively with:
o Infrastructure & Platform Engineers
o Software Engineers
o DevOps / DevSecOps Engineers
o Data Engineers (ETL)
o Data Modelers, Data Scientists, and Data Analysts
Produce clear technical documentation, diagrams, standards, and runbooks
Serve as a technical authority and escalation point for complex system issues
Communication Skills: Ability to brief executives clearly and translate technical issues into business impact
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Recognized SME with deep, hands-on technical expertise
Strong systems thinker with the ability to see and engineer across the full stack
Comfortable operating at both strategic architecture and tactical implementation levels
Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical teams
Proven ability to own complex systems from design through production
Requirements
*Eligible TS/SCI w/ FS Poly
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, IT, or a related technical discipline, or the equivalent combination of education, technical training, or work/military experience
Minimum ten (10) years of related systems engineering experience
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
The candidate must demonstrate hands-on experience in all the following areas:
Infrastructure & Platforms
Enterprise networking (e.g. routing, switching, firewalls, load balancers, DNS)
Storage technologies (e.g. SAN, NAS, object storage)
Virtualization and container platforms (VMware, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Docker)
Windows and Linux (Redhat, CentOS) operating systems (administration, hardening, automation)
Data platforms (HPCC, Hadoop/Cloudera)
Cloud & On-Prem Technologies
Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, and/or GCP)
Hybrid and on-prem infrastructure design and integration
Cloud networking, identity, security, and cost optimization
Data & Application Platforms
Relational and NoSQL databases – relational (e.g., Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server) and NoSQL (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Redis) databases
Data platforms (HPCC, Hadoop/Cloudera)
Data pipelines, and ETL frameworks – with ETL pipelines, Airflow, Kafka, Spark, or similar frameworks
Web services, APIs, and middleware
Software development lifecycle (SDLC) fundamentals
Engineering & Automation
Infrastructure as Code – Scripting & Automation: Python, Bash, PowerShell, Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation
Configuration management and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python, etc.)
CI/CD integration with infrastructure and platforms (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions, GitOps)
Security best practices and system hardening
Monitoring & Incident Response: Proficiency with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, ELK Stack, CloudWatch
Architecture & Design
Ability to create:
o As-is architecture documentation
o To-be architecture and detailed engineering designs
o Implementation and migration plans
DESIRED SKILLS
Observability and monitoring tools (logging, metrics, tracing)
Zero Trust and modern security architectures
Data analytics, AI/ML platform exposure
Experience supporting regulated or mission-critical environments
Relevant certifications (cloud, systems, security, or architecture)
Knowledge of machine learning platforms (TensorFlow, PyTorch, SageMaker)
Familiarity with big data ecosystems (Hadoop, Databricks, Snowflake, Google, BigQuery)
Strong background in ITIL processes and agile methodologies
Certifications: AWS Solutions Architect / DevOps Engineer, Azure Administrator, Kubernetes CKA/CKAD, ITIL Foundation
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Perform hands-on systems engineering across network, compute, storage, operating systems, middleware, databases, and applications
Analyze and document as-is infrastructure, platform, and application architectures
Design to-be architectures and detailed engineering designs for modernization, optimization, and transformation initiatives
Lead and execute cloud and on-prem system implementations, migrations, and upgrades
Ensure systems meet availability, scalability, performance, security, and compliance requirements
Integrate infrastructure and platforms with DevOps and DevSecOps pipelines
Troubleshoot complex, cross-stack issues spanning infrastructure, platforms, and applications
Collaborate effectively with:
o Infrastructure & Platform Engineers
o Software Engineers
o DevOps / DevSecOps Engineers
o Data Engineers (ETL)
o Data Modelers, Data Scientists, and Data Analysts
Produce clear technical documentation, diagrams, standards, and runbooks
Serve as a technical authority and escalation point for complex system issues
Communication Skills: Ability to brief executives clearly and translate technical issues into business impact
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Recognized SME with deep, hands-on technical expertise
Strong systems thinker with the ability to see and engineer across the full stack
Comfortable operating at both strategic architecture and tactical implementation levels
Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical teams
Proven ability to own complex systems from design through production
Benefits
Leading Path is an award-winning Information Technology and Management Consulting firm focused on providing solutions in process, technology, and operations to our government and Fortune 500 clients. We offer a professional and family friendly work environment with a strong work-life balance. Leading Path provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including fully paid medical/dental/vision premiums, generous PTO, 11 Paid Holidays, 6% 401K contribution, annual training and tuition reimbursement, SPOT Award bonuses, regular team events, opportunities for professional growth and advancement and much more!
