Linux Systems & DevOps Engineer

Linux Systems & DevOps Engineer

Schedule: Full-time; workday must begin between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Customer Environment: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Background Requirement: Must be able to complete the background investigation and suitability requirements for a U.S. Government Public Trust position and obtain and maintain required Government credentials, including a PIV card.

Position Overview
Nationwide IT Services , NIS, is seeking a hands-on Linux Systems & DevOps Engineer to support infrastructure and software operations for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system. This is a remote opportunity; however, the person must reside in the United States.

This is a broad technical role centered on Linux systems administration and Ansible Automation, with hands-on responsibilities across networking, monitoring, security, scripting, databases, and software operations. The environment supports real-time seismic monitoring and data processing across distributed systems, so we are looking for someone with solid technical fundamentals who understands how different parts of an IT environment work together.

Hands-on Linux systems administration and Ansible experience are core requirements for this position. The successful candidate should also be comfortable configuring and troubleshooting network infrastructure, working with databases, writing or modifying scripts, monitoring systems and services, and supporting the security and operation of Linux-based systems.

You do not need to be a senior specialist in every technology used by the environment. We are looking for a well-rounded engineer with strong Linux and Ansible skills who can work across technical areas and continue learning as the environment evolves.

What You Will Do
- Install, configure, administer, patch, secure, monitor, and troubleshoot Linux systems supporting mission-critical scientific operations.

- Use Ansible to configure systems, automate routine administration, maintain standardized configurations, and support infrastructure operations.

- Configure and troubleshoot switches, routers, firewalls, firewall rules, routing, network connectivity, and related infrastructure.

- Support LAN/WAN and telemetry-connected systems used to deliver real-time monitoring data to processing environments.

- Monitor servers, services, processes, network connectivity, resource utilization, and other operational health indicators; investigate alerts and create or modify monitoring checks as needed.

- Develop and maintain basic scripts and automation to support administration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and routine operations.

- Install, configure, operate, and maintain software packages and supporting services.

- Work with relational databases, including installation/configuration, connectivity, synchronization, basic administration, SQL queries, and operational troubleshooting.

- Support Linux security and hardening activities, including patching, access controls, host firewalls, vulnerability remediation, and compliance-related changes.

- Support security assessments and Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities by providing technical information and evidence and remediating system findings as needed.

- Use Git/GitLab and support software deployment, configuration, and operational workflows.

- Support messaging and publish/subscribe infrastructure used by applications and distributed systems.

- Document system, software, network, and configuration changes and maintain operational documentation.

- Collaborate with USGS personnel, university partners, developers, network engineers, scientists, and other technical staff to maintain and improve system reliability.

Required Qualifications
- Hands-on Linux systems administration experience in production or operational environments.

- Experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS, Rocky Linux , or comparable enterprise Linux system