Systems Engineer

Overview BigBear.ai • Ashburn, VA

5d

About The Position

BigBear.ai is seeking a Systems Engineer to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The role supports engineering, integration, enhancement, and sustainment of mission-critical traveler processing, immigration management, and vetting systems used at and between U.S. Ports of Entry. In a dynamic, 24x7 mission environment, the Systems Engineer contributes to the design, implementation, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of cloud-based systems and infrastructure.

The engineer designs and maintains complex IT systems and cloud infrastructure, develops technical solutions for mission-critical applications, and supports Linux/Unix environments. The role uses AWS GovCloud and/or AWS C2S, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, and CI/CD tools such as Jenkins and GitLab. It applies DevSecOps practices, performs system integration and testing, investigates system issues, documents architectures and procedures, and collaborates across software development, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, and program teams. The role also provides technical guidance to junior engineers and contributes to planning, design reviews, operational support, and continuous improvement of engineering processes and system reliability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 5 to 8 years of experience.
• Strong experience with Linux/Unix environments.
• Experience designing, deploying, or maintaining systems in AWS, preferably AWS GovCloud and/or C2S.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes and Docker.
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code and automation using Terraform and Ansible.
• Experience developing or maintaining CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab, or similar tools.
• Experience applying DevSecOps practices within enterprise or mission-critical environments.
• Demonstrated experience with system integration, testing, troubleshooting, and performance analysis.
• Strong technical problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the required government clearance/background investigation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting federal government, DHS, CBP, or other mission-critical environments.
• Experience operating systems in 24x7 production environments.
• Experience with secure cloud architecture and government cloud environments.
• Experience implementing automated infrastructure provisioning and deployment.
• Experience with system monitoring, logging, and performance optimization.
• Relevant AWS, Kubernetes, Linux, DevOps, or security certifications.
• Experience mentoring junior engineers or providing technical leadership on engineering efforts.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, integrate, and maintain complex IT systems and infrastructure.
• Develop and implement technical solutions supporting mission-critical applications and services.
• Design and manage cloud infrastructure within AWS GovCloud and/or AWS C2S environments.
• Develop and maintain containerized environments using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Implement infrastructure-as-code and configuration automation using Terraform and Ansible.
• Design, maintain, and improve CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and/or GitLab.
• Apply DevSecOps practices across system development, integration, testing, and deployment activities.
• Perform system integration, functional testing, performance testing, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Analyze complex system and infrastructure issues and develop sustainable technical solutions.
• Support Linux/Unix environments, including system configuration, administration, and troubleshooting.
• Evaluate system performance, reliability, scalability, and availability.
• Develop and maintain system architecture documentation, technical procedures, and configuration documentation.
• Collaborate with software development, cybersecurity, cloud, infrastructure, and program teams to resolve technical issues and integrate solutions.
• Ensure engineering activities align with applicable security, technical, and industry standards.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers.
• Participate in technical planning, design reviews, implementation planning, and operational support.
• Support continuous improvement of engineering processes, automation, and system reliability.
• Perform other related engineering duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level