Linux Systems Engineer

Nightwing•Sterling, VA

19h•$122,000 - $253,000

About The Position

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets. Roka Security is seeking a highly skilled Linux Systems Engineer to design, deploy, optimize, automate, and support large-scale Linux infrastructure supporting secure networking and remote-access services. This role is ideal for an engineer with deep expertise in Linux networking, policy-based routing, infrastructure automation, and modern VPN technologies including WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPSec. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with engineering, systems administration, and platform engineering teams to deliver highly available, secure, and scalable infrastructure solutions in mission-critical environments.

Requirements

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field; OR equivalent combination of technical training and hands-on experience
Strong hands-on experience with Debian and Ubuntu Linux
Experience with dynamic and static routing, VLANs, trunking, NAT and firewall policies
Experience with WireGuard, OpenVPN 2.6+, IPSec, PKI and certificate management.
Experience with Bash, Git, and CI/CD workflows
Exceptional troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capabilities
Strong documentation and technical writing skills
Ability to operate independently in mission-critical environments
Security-first mindset with strong infrastructure design principles
Excellent collaboration and communication skills

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting cloud platforms including Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure
Experience with container technologies including Docker and Kubernetes
Experience supporting confidential computing environments
Industry certifications such as RHCE, LFCE, CCNP, or equivalent advanced certifications

Responsibilities

Design, deploy, administer, and maintain enterprise Linux environments
Develop standardized operating system configurations and hardened baseline builds
Perform operating system upgrades, patch management, lifecycle maintenance, and performance optimization
Troubleshoot complex operating system, networking, and application issues
Configure and troubleshoot OSPF and static routing, VLANs, LACP, 802.1Q trunking, network namespaces, VRFs, NAT and firewall policies
Analyze and troubleshoot network traffic using tcpdump, Wireshark, iproute2, nftables, and iptables
Design, deploy, and support secure VPN infrastructures using OpenVPN 2.6+, WireGuard, and IPSec
Troubleshoot encryption, routing, MTU, and performance issues while implementing modern cryptographic standards and VPN hardening best practices
Automate system provisioning, configuration deployment, compliance enforcement, VPN deployments, and security baseline management
Integrate SaltStack with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure monitoring platforms
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support project initiatives and resolve technical issues
Document system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps for knowledge sharing and training purposes
Contribute to knowledge base articles and best practices documentation