Independent Contractor Linux Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland (On-site)

Clearance: Must be eligible for a NIST site badge; U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency required

Job Type: Full-time

Contract Type: Government Contract (Base Year + 4 Option Years)

We are seeking an experienced Senior Server Administrator / DevOps Engineer to support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) NanoFab in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This role is responsible for maintaining the entire server infrastructure, managing configuration automation, and ensuring the security and availability of all CNST IT systems.

The ideal candidate is a senior-level systems administrator with deep expertise in Linux environments (Rocky 8/Ubuntu), containerization technologies (Docker), configuration management (Ansible), and CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI/CD). This position requires a strong security mindset, experience with enterprise database systems (Oracle), and the ability to manage complex server environments in a federal research setting.

This is a non-personal services contract position. The contractor employee reports directly to the Prime Contractor for all human resources, disciplinary, and administrative matters, while receiving work direction and prioritization from CNST NanoFab management.

• Maintain and administer all CNST NanoFab servers including production, test, development, public-facing, continuous monitoring, and utility servers
• Apply critical operating system (OS) updates and security patches
• Implement and renew NIST security certificates
• Upgrade OS from Rocky 8 to an appropriate Linux-based OS approved by NIST IT Security (Option Year 2)
• Monitor server health, performance, and availability
• Implement and maintain configuration management using Ansible
• Manage CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI/CD
• Maintain Docker container infrastructure and Docker-Compose configurations
• Automate routine administrative tasks
• Serve as CNST GitHub and GitLab repository manager
• Maintain CNST application packages on GitLab and GitHub
• Ensure release version code and documentation notes are in place prior to deployment
• Update GitHub and GitLab documentation wikis with code changes
• Manage version control for all source code and deliverables
• Implement and maintain NIST and DoC IT Security Policies
• Ensure servers meet Moderate Impact (Confidentiality and Integrity) controls as specified in NIST SP 800-53
• Maintain frequent dialog with IT Security Officer regarding security posture
• Manage server access controls and user permissions
• Support Oracle RDBMS and PostgreSQL databases

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum fifteen (15) years of software development and server administration experience
• U.S. Citizenship or permanent residency required
• Must be able to obtain a NIST site badge; must pass criminal background check and fingerprinting
• Proficiency in Linux (Rocky 8, Ubuntu)
• Proficiency in Ansible, GitLab CI/CD, Docker, Docker-Compose
• Proficiency in Git and GitLab
• Proficiency in Oracle RDBMS, SQLDeveloper, PostgreSQL
• Proficiency in Splunk, SonarQube
• Proficiency in Nginx
• Proficiency in shell scripting; Python preferred
• Experience with SSL/TLS certificate management, system hardening, security patching
• Strong communication skills; ability to work with cross-functional teams
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and independently plan and accomplish goals

• Hours: Monday through Friday, standard NIST business hours (typically 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM access window)
• Location: NIST Gaithersburg Campus, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
• Federal Holidays Off: All federal holidays as observed by NIST
• On-site Requirement: All work must be performed on-site unless otherwise agreed in advance by the Government

• Must obtain a NIST site badge; requires proof of identity, citizenship/visa status, fingerprinting, and criminal background check (processing takes approximately 4 weeks)
• IT Risk Level: Moderate Risk - access to NIST IT systems with elevated, limited access rights
• Must comply with all NIST and DoC IT Security Policies for Moderate Impact (Confidentiality and Integrity) systems

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.