Systems Engineer (TS/SCI Clearance)

Location: Aurora, CO (On-site)
Clearance: Active TS/SCI with CI Poly (required on day one)
Employment Type: Contractor or Contract-to-hire (W-2)
Salary: $125,000 - $150,000

This program supports the design and modernization of mission-critical satellite command and control ground systems. The Senior Platform Linux Engineer will play a key role in designing, developing, and implementing the Front End Processor (FEP) environment that serves as the interface between satellite systems and ground terminal equipment.

This position involves both hands-on technical engineering and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring secure, reliable, and high-performing FEP solutions in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments.

This role is 100% on-site in Aurora, Colorado, with occasional travel (up to 10%) to customer sites for configuration, integration, and testing support.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Platform Linux Engineer (FEP Engineer) to lead the design, configuration, and integration of on-premises infrastructure supporting satellite ground operations. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in RHEL-based systems, network and storage infrastructure, and hardware/software integration for secure operational environments.

This engineer will provide technical leadership across all stages of the development lifecycle, from requirements definition through deployment and maintenance, helping shape the future architecture of the FEP environment.

• Design, develop, and implement Front End Processor (FEP) systems, including both software-based (SoftFEP) and hardware-based solutions.

• Configure and implement Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments, developing scripts for automation, configuration, and troubleshooting.

• Design and maintain integrated network, compute, and storage systems for mission operations.

• Develop test and integration configurations, optimizing FEP system performance across environments.

• Provide technical guidance on FEP resource allocation, utilization, and hardware configuration.

• Configure and manage network connectivity, perform system diagnostics, and operate hardware/software simulation tools.

• Support maintenance, verification, and test activities in both factory and operational environments.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams, including systems, software, and network engineers, to ensure integration consistency and mission assurance.

• Bachelor's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) — preferably in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Physics.

• 5+ years of experience supporting on-premises RHEL-based infrastructure design and implementation.

• Strong background designing integrated systems including network, compute, and specialized FEP hardware.

• Experience configuring and maintaining cryptographic equipment in secure environments.

• Active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph clearance required on start date (U.S. citizenship required).

• Experience verifying and hardening systems in accordance with Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs).

• Advanced Linux CLI development and automation experience.

• Experience designing and implementing secure network architectures.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and SAFe Agile processes.

• Experience performing automated infrastructure testing across large systems.

• Experience with hardware setup and configuration, including network time protocol (NTP) management.

• Hands-on experience configuring and maintaining cryptologic equipment.

• Background in systems integration, infrastructure validation, and hardware testing.