Mission Systems Engineer - Linux Infrastructure (TS/SCI) in Herndon
Job DescriptionJob Description
About the Job
Illuminate provides analytic and cyber solutions enabling critical decisions from vast data sources. As a
Systems Engineer, you will be a core member of a US-based operations team responsible for building,
maintaining, and improving the hardware and software solutions that underpin security missions.
Day to day, this role is grounded in CONUS-based systems engineering — installing, configuring, and
maintaining Linux-based infrastructure, integrating and testing custom solutions, remediating issues, and
collaborating closely with internal development and engineering teams to continuously improve
operational effectiveness. You will work alongside expert international developers and application
engineers as part of a technically rigorous, mission-focused team.
Approximately once a quarter, you will accompany the customer on OCONUS deployments as part of a
small team, supporting in-field installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of custom solutions at
customer sites. You will work closely with the customer throughout the pre-deployment planning process
and serve as a trusted technical resource in the field. Due to the sensitive nature of the customer
environment, candidates must be comfortable operating with professionalism and discretion in close
coordination with government personnel.
Why Illuminate
At Illuminate, you won’t be maintaining routine IT infrastructure. You’ll be building and sustaining systems
that directly enable security decisions — and periodically seeing that work validated in the field
alongside the customer. This is a small, high-trust team where technical depth is valued, collaboration is
genuine, and the mission is real. If you’re looking for an environment where your systems engineering
skills are put to meaningful use and your contributions are visible, this is it.
What Success Looks Like
At 90 days, a successful hire is fully onboarded, independently handling CONUS-based systems work
across the full installation and commissioning workflow, and has established strong working relationships
with both the internal team and the customer. They understand the environment, the standards, and what
it takes to operate in a sensitive customer context.
At 12 months, they are a trusted and reliable member of the team — contributing to pre-deployment
planning, serving as the go-to resource for troubleshooting and issue remediation, and representing
Illuminate credibly in customer-facing settings both CONUS and in the field. They are someone the team
and the customer count on.
Responsibilities
Systems Engineering & Maintenance (Primary)
• Install, configure, and maintain Linux-based systems infrastructure, including server components,
virtual servers, and custom hardware and software solutions.
• Perform integration and testing of systems and solutions to validate performance against mission
requirements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware and software issues, running diagnostics, documenting
problems, prioritizing resolutions, and assessing risk.
• Design, test, and implement process and systems automation capabilities to improve overall
operational effectiveness and performance.
• Collaborate with internal development and engineering teams to relay findings, support issue
remediation, and contribute to capability development.
• Assist with OEM-level design and development of internal solutions to meet customer
requirements.
Customer Deployment Support (Quarterly)
• Work closely with the customer during pre-deployment planning to prepare for in-field installation
and commissioning activities.
• Accompany the customer on OCONUS deployments as part of a small team, supporting
installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of custom solutions at customer sites.
• Operate professionally and with discretion in sensitive customer environments, serving as a
trusted technical resource in the field.
• Create and maintain installation guides, as-built documentation, and field reports.
Core Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, or a
related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3–5+ years of Linux / Unix system administration experience (RHEL / Rocky / CentOS).
• 2+ years of direct experience in integration and testing, data analysis, or capability development.
• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting and resolving complex hardware and software issues
in operational environments.
• Ability to work closely with government customers in sensitive environments with professionalism
and discretion.
• Ability to obtain medical clearance to support international travel.
Qualifications
• Understanding of mobile telecom network architectures and related hardware, software, and
protocols.
• Experience working directly with development teams to resolve software and hardware problems
and applying patches.
• Strong knowledge of networking protocols including TCP/IP, NAT, routing, and switching.
• Experience analyzing logs, stack traces, and debug libraries.
• Proficiency in Python, Bash, and SQL databases.
• Experience with Linux firewall and VPN configuration.
Company DescriptionIlluminate provides government agencies, commercial enterprises, and network operators with the data, services, and technology that helps them protect the information that surrounds us all and extract real value from it. We combine decades of cyber, intelligence and telecommunications expertise with innovative collection and analysis tools to deliver timely, actionable insight that our customers use to make fast, informed decisions.Company DescriptionIlluminate provides government agencies, commercial enterprises, and network operators with the data, services, and technology that helps them protect the information that surrounds us all and extract real value from it. We combine decades of cyber, intelligence and telecommunications expertise with innovative collection and analysis tools to deliver timely, actionable insight that our customers use to make fast, informed decisions.