Systems Engineer

Astraeus Operations LLC • , VA

6d • $154,000 - $159,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Systems Engineer provides on-site, 24/7/365 Tier 1 operations for Google Public Sector’s USG2 sovereign and classified cloud environments. The role initially supports Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) Air-Gapped and may expand to additional sovereign infrastructure, appliances, and air-gapped products. The engineer monitors platform health, troubleshoots Linux and Kubernetes systems, executes approved runbooks, verifies network and circuit connectivity, and prepares diagnostic evidence for engineering consultation. The position coordinates customer case management and communications with Customer Support Specialists, and works with the Senior Operations Lead on escalation review, shift continuity, and service improvements. Overnight duties include frontline case response to meet service commitments.

Astraeus Operations (AO), part of Chenega MIOS, supports government operations through technical and other contract services. The company describes its shared-services Program Management Office and ISO 9001:2015 certification as supporting mission requirements and contract operations.

The role requires on-site shift coverage, including overnight, weekends, holidays, and severe weather, as well as participation in COOP activities and support for new products. The position requires an active TS clearance with SCI eligibility, an active DoD 8140/IAT Level II qualifying certification, and completion of applicable onboarding, screening, and government-contract compliance requirements.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of hands-on experience in Linux systems administration, cloud operations, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), or Kubernetes administration.
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools such as Grafana and Prometheus, and ticketing systems such as ServiceNow.
• Practical scripting ability in Bash or Python and proficiency updating technical documentation and runbooks in Markdown.
• Possess and maintain an active DoD 8140/IAT Level II qualifying certification.
• Successfully complete Google’s extended workforce onboarding and badging process and maintain applicable government-contract compliance, including mandatory security and cyber training.
• Active TS clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Successfully pass background and drug screening.
• Strong command-line proficiency with Linux and Kubernetes (kubectl), including troubleshooting pods, nodes, networking, certificates, and role-based access control (RBAC) permissions.
• Knowledge of Linux, Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, networking, and air-gapped operations.
• Ability to interpret monitoring data and logs, diagnose platform issues, and verify system and network health.
• Ability to execute approved runbooks safely, recognize authorization limits, and escalate issues with clear diagnostic evidence.
• Strong organization and time management to prioritize incidents, meet service commitments, and provide complete shift handoffs.
• Clear technical and customer communication and ability to collaborate with Customer Support Specialists, Senior Operations Leads, and Google teams.
• Ability to protect sensitive and classified information and follow security, access, and data-handling requirements.
• Ability to identify recurring issues and noisy alerts and contribute practical improvements and accurate operational reporting.
• Ability to support 24/7/365 operations, including overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts, COOP activities, and new product requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or equivalent military or industry experience.
• Prior experience operating in classified SCIF environments or handling sensitive or classified data.
• Prior experience supporting Google Cloud or Google Distributed Cloud (GDC).
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), or Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer certification.

Responsibilities

• Analyze GDC Air-Gapped infrastructure, platform performance, and system conditions across Linux, Kubernetes, and supporting cloud environments; investigate complex issues and develop, recommend, and implement technical solutions.
• Evaluate system configurations, platform capabilities, and proposed changes; develop and test technical improvements and recommend implementation approaches based on performance, operational requirements, and technical risk.
• Perform start-of-shift system health checks and execute approved mitigation runbooks to maintain platform availability.
• Investigate and reproduce complex customer issues, analyze diagnostic evidence, assess remediation options, and develop recommended solutions through established review and escalation procedures.
• Verify network and circuit connectivity between customer environments, colocation providers, and Google platforms.
• Provide on-site technical support, system checks, and operational data to Google engineering, PMO, and TAM teams.
• Maintain continuous console coverage and frontline case response, including overnight, and meet applicable FMR response targets: 15 minutes for critical P0/P1, 2 hours for P2 (24/7), and 4 hours for P3/P4 (business hours).
• Coordinate customer follow-ups and retain case ownership during consults unless Google management approves a transfer.
• Provide clear shift handoffs, promptly accept incoming active cases, and maintain continuity of technical support.
• Support assigned shifts, including weekends, holidays, and severe weather; remain reachable by phone and shift channel and respond to urgent Google operational inquiries within 15 minutes.
• When designated Queue Manager, manage case timers to prevent missed service targets.
• Maintain technical documentation and contribute to runbook, alert-quality, and operational reporting improvements.
• Support accreditation and COOP activities and adapt operations to new sovereign or classified products.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The company states that it offers a broad range of benefits, but does not list specific benefits in the posting.
• Well-being programs.
• Professional development opportunities, including on-the-job learning experiences and formal development programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed