Senior Linux and Network Engineer

Digital Cloak•Stafford, VA

19h•$80,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Digital Cloak is seeking a highly skilled, self-motivated Linux and Network Engineer to operate as a matrixed resource managing and secure the enterprise digital infrastructure and contributing to client delivery efforts as needed. This role requires the ability to direct multiple workstreams and adaptability to prioritize tasks and deliverables based on business needs and the company’s strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate will exhibit professionalism and strong interpersonal skills that allow them to effectively lead or contribute to cross functional efforts and engage directly with clients or stakeholders as needed. This position requires experience operating and maintaining a mixed operating environment. To succeed, a candidate will need to be able to thrive in a fluid work environment with minimal direction or supervision. Rare after-hours support may be required, as this individual is responsible for environment uptime.

Requirements

Expert-level Linux system administration with complete fluency in the terminal (Windows administration is not required for this role).
Strong Bash scripting and Python skills — able to design and build tools, not just run one-off scripts.
Hands-on networking experience with pfSense, OPNsense, Cisco, and Aruba, including router/firewall, switch, and wireless AP configuration.
Proven competency with Proxmox VE, including VM configuration, software-defined networking, and Ceph storage.
Competent Docker user: building images, writing Compose stacks, and managing container networking, volumes, and runtime troubleshooting.
Demonstrated ability to methodically isolate root cause in complex, multi-layer environments.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to explain the same issue to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Adept leadership skills demonstrating the ability to guide others in shared tasks, recognizing strengths and creating space for input, and receiving constructive feedback.
Self-starter who operates effectively with minimal direction and takes full ownership of outcomes.
Cybersecurity and system hardening experience.
Automation-first mindset: builds tooling to enhance and scale everyday work.
Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field, or equivalent 3-5 hands-on experience.
Demonstrated experience administering Linux systems and supporting networked infrastructure in a production environment.
US Citizenship is required.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Certifications such as Security+, CCNA, or RHCSA are welcomed and noted, but strong practical ability takes precedence over credentials.
MDM experience, especially JAMF and/or macOS fleet management.
Kubernetes experience (any distribution — k8s, k3s, RKE2) for orchestrated workloads.
Elastic Stack experience in a SOC/SIEM or security monitoring context.
Structured patching and maintenance program experience.
VPN and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions, including WireGuard.
Identity and access management experience: LDAP, OIDC, OAuth, or other SSO implementations.

Responsibilities

Own the full internal environment: Linux servers, enterprise applications, network infrastructure, and end-user computing.
Perform patching, maintenance, and lifecycle management across systems and network devices.
Maintain environment uptime and availability; respond to rare after-hours issues when systems are impacted.
Configure and manage routers, firewalls, switches, and wireless across pfSense, OPNsense, Cisco, and Aruba platforms.
Perform router and firewall configuration, Cisco switch configuration, and Aruba wireless access point deployment and management.
Build, operate, and optimize the Proxmox virtualization environment, including VM provisioning, software-defined networking, and Ceph distributed storage.
Deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot containerized services and workloads on Docker-based infrastructure.
Diagnose complex, multi-layer issues end-to-end, tracing problems to true root cause rather than treating symptoms.
Communicate findings and resolutions clearly to technical stakeholders, non-technical staff, and end users alike.
Design and write automation tooling in Bash and Python to streamline provisioning, monitoring, maintenance, and daily operations.
Identify and implement process and design improvements that scale the effectiveness of a one-person IT function.
Support enterprise workflows and corporate applications, ensuring reliability and a smooth end-user experience.
Unblock end users promptly and serve as the primary point of contact for internal IT needs.