Lead Systems Engineer (AI / Compute Infrastructure)

Our client is redefining how modern defense technology is delivered. Based in Washington, D.C., they are built for the dynamic mission environment facing the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and federal law enforcement agencies.

About the Role

As the Lead Site Reliability Engineer for a major compute and AI infrastructure engagement, you will be responsible for the reliability, scalability, and performance of one of the largest hardware and AI infrastructure efforts in the U.S. defense sector. You will lead the deployment, management, and automation of a high-performance computing mesh across multiple secure environments, ensuring operational excellence and mission continuity for a nine-figure government program. This is a hands-on engineering leadership role that bridges physical infrastructure and modern DevOps automation—ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of hardware systems, distributed computing, and AI/ML workflows.

What You’ll Do

• Lead infrastructure design, deployment, and operations for large-scale hardware clusters across secure and distributed environments
• Install and configure physical systems, including high-density GPU servers, networking gear, and storage arrays
• Build and deploy secure Linux images and containerized workloads using OpenShift and other orchestration platforms
• Develop and manage automation pipelines for provisioning, configuration management, and monitoring using modern DevOps toolchains (Ansible, Terraform, etc.)
• Operate and maintain distributed networking meshes across classified and unclassified domains
• Implement and manage out-of-band management tools (IPMI, iDRAC, BMC, etc.) for remote troubleshooting and control
• Integrate and optimize NVIDIA GPU infrastructure for AI/ML training and inference workloads
• Collaborate with mission engineers, software teams, and government operators to ensure system readiness and performance
• Provide on-site technical leadership for deployments, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement
• Mentor junior engineers and establish operational best practices as the program scales

What You’ll Bring

• 3+ years of experience in site reliability, systems engineering, or hardware operations roles
• Deep expertise with physical infrastructure: server racking, cabling, diagnostics, and troubleshooting
• Strong Linux systems administration experience, including imaging and automated deployment
• Hands-on experience managing large-scale clusters or distributed systems in OpenShift or Kubernetes
• Familiarity with DevOps automation (Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines)
• Experience configuring and managing networking and mesh architectures
• Direct experience with NVIDIA GPUs, CUDA, and AI/ML frameworks
• Proficiency with out-of-band management tools (IPMI/iDRAC)
• Certifications: Linux+ and Security+ (required or in progress)
• Excellent communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills
• Clearance: Active TS/SCI required

Bonus Points

• Experience operating in secure DoD or intelligence environments
• Familiarity with Palantir platforms or other government data systems
• Experience supporting AI/ML infrastructure in production or tactical settings
• Experience tuning and monitoring HPC or GPU-accelerated clusters

At our client, people, integrity, and excellence come first. They foster an environment where innovation thrives in support of mission-critical requirements. Team members receive competitive compensation, robust benefits, professional development and certification opportunities, and clear paths for growth while working on some of the nation’s most critical projects.

Core Values

• Innovation & Responsiveness: Pushing beyond legacy models with efficient, tech-led solutions built to scale and evolve
• Trusted Performance: Security, compliance, and deep experience delivering in demanding environments guide all work
• Mission-Focused Expertise: From veteran leadership to cleared engineers, the team understands both the technology and the mission