# Senior IT Operations Engineer (R6117) **Company**: Shield AI **Location**: Dallas, Texas **Work arrangement**: onsite **Experience**: senior **Job type**: Full Time Employee **Salary**: USD 99,000-140,000 per-year-salary **Category**: IT **Industry**: Technology **Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/5e726b28-a905-418d-a1e5-35c83371869d?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_15a5e369-b1d ## Description Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. ## Job Description: The Senior IT Systems Engineer builds, improves, and sustains classified infrastructure supporting engineering work. The role covers compute, virtualization, storage, networking, identity, endpoints, and security tooling in standalone and air-gapped environments. This is a hands-on senior individual contributor position. ### Responsibilities: - Build and operate classified infrastructure - Deploy, configure, and sustain Windows Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems, virtualization clusters, enterprise storage, and core infrastructure services in standalone and air-gapped enclaves. - Build and support VMware, Nutanix AHV/Prism, or similar virtualization environments. Nutanix experience is preferred. - Support high-density compute for AI/ML, simulation, and engineering workloads, including GPU node provisioning, performance troubleshooting, capacity planning, and coordination with facilities on rack space, power, and cooling. - Administer and support Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, PKI, certificate services, privileged access, and role-based access for isolated forests with no connection to corporate IT. - Build and maintain golden images and hardened baselines for servers, workstations, virtual desktops, and supporting infrastructure. - Manage patching, updates, software packages, and security content in disconnected environments through approved transfer and validation processes. - Administer backup, recovery, and continuity capabilities. Perform scheduled restore testing and document results and corrective actions. - Design, configure, and troubleshoot managed switching, VLANs, firewall rules, network segmentation, and approved network connections between facilities. Coordinate with network and security teams to maintain secure, supportable network standards. ### Automate and standardize: - Automate provisioning, configuration, patching, reporting, and compliance tasks using PowerShell, Ansible, Python, Terraform, or similar tools. - Create repeatable build processes, system baselines, checklists, and runbooks so systems can be deployed consistently rather than built by hand each time. - Improve existing processes by reducing manual steps, preventing common errors, and documenting effective methods for building and supporting systems. - Apply and validate DISA STIGs and SRGs using SCAP, STIG Viewer, ACAS/Nessus, scripted remediation, and other approved tools. - Maintain configuration-management records, as-built documentation, change records, and scan evidence so system configurations can be understood and defended later. - Review technical changes before production implementation, with attention to security, availability, rollback planning, and operational impact. ### Support accreditation and security operations: - Work with ISSMs, ISSOs, security teams, and program stakeholders to implement NIST SP 800-53, JSIG, RMF, and program-specific technical controls. - Provide technical documentation and evidence for authorization packages, continuous monitoring, assessments, and audits. - Implement and maintain audit logging and forwarding, including Elastic or similar centralized logging and SIEM tools. - Support vulnerability management through ACAS/Nessus scanning, findings triage, remediation planning, patching, and validation during approved maintenance windows. - Help resolve technical POA&M items and document remediation steps, validation results, and remaining risks. - Support approved media handling, file transfer, cross-domain processes, and contamination or spillage response alongside the security team. ### Support users and sites: - Act as a senior escalation point for classified IT issues that block engineering work or require deeper troubleshooting across multiple systems. - Identify and correct root causes rather than relying on repeated fixes or workarounds. - Support user-account, privileged-access, and workstation-access requests consistent with least privilege and separation-of-duties requirements. - Support new facility and enclave stand-ups from rack layout and cabling through infrastructure deployment, user onboarding, and operational handoff. - Mentor junior system administrators and site IT staff, review implementation work before production release, and help improve team standards. - Work independently, manage competing priorities, communicate risks early, and bring practical solutions to the team. ## Required qualifications: - Strong hands-on experience with Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, PKI, and enterprise endpoint management. - Experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux or similar enterprise Linux systems. - Experience with VMware, Nutanix, Hyper-V, or similar enterprise virtualization platforms. Nutanix AHV/Prism experience is preferred. - Experience with enterprise storage, backup/recovery, and capacity planning. - Experience with managed switching, VLANs, firewall administration, network segmentation, and troubleshooting network connectivity. - Experience with PowerShell and infrastructure automation. Experience with Ansible, Python, Terraform, or similar tools is a plus. - Experience applying DISA STIGs, using SCAP/STIG Viewer, supporting ACAS/Nessus findings, and working in RMF, NIST SP 800-53, JSIG, or similarly regulated environments. - Experience operating in disconnected, air-gapped, classified, or highly controlled environments. - Ability to document work clearly, follow change control, validate results, and build systems that are easy for others to support. - Ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment, shift between infrastructure disciplines when needed, and make sound technical decisions without requiring detailed direction. ## Preferred qualifications: - Nutanix AHV, Prism Central, Files, Flow, or cluster lifecycle management. - GPU server, AI/ML, simulation, VDI, or high-performance compute infrastructure. - Elastic, Splunk, or other centralized logging and SIEM platforms. - Disconnected WSUS, offline patching, software-repository management, or approved media-transfer workflows. - Data-center buildouts, rack-and-stack, structured cabling, power/cooling coordination, and new-facility stand-ups. - Relevant technical or security certifications, such as Security+, CISSP, RHCSA/RHCE, VMware VCP, Nutanix NCA/NCP, Microsoft certifications, or CCNA/CCNP. ## Skills ### Required - Windows Server - Active Directory - Group Policy - DNS - DHCP - PKI - enterprise endpoint management - Red Hat Enterprise Linux - VMware - Nutanix - Hyper-V - enterprise storage - backup/recovery - capacity planning - managed switching - VLANs - firewall administration - network segmentation - PowerShell - infrastructure automation - Ansible - Python - Terraform - DISA STIGs - SCAP/STIG Viewer - ACAS/Nessus ### Nice to have - Nutanix AHV/Prism - GPU server - AI/ML - simulation - VDI - high-performance compute infrastructure - Elastic - Splunk - centralized logging - SIEM platforms - Disconnected WSUS - offline patching - software-repository management - approved media-transfer workflows - Data-center buildouts - rack-and-stack - structured cabling - power/cooling coordination - new-facility stand-ups - Security+ - CISSP - RHCSA/RHCE - VMware VCP - Nutanix NCA/NCP - Microsoft certifications - CCNA/CCNP --- Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/5e726b28-a905-418d-a1e5-35c83371869d?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)