Operations Engineer Intern Jobs in Maryland (NOW HIRING)

Leidos is seeking a motivated Systems Engineering Intern based at Ft Meade, Maryland to support a complex, multi-year contract providing mission-critical engineering support to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). This is an excellent opportunity for a current student to kickstart their career by gaining hands-on, real-world experience with enterprise IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, and cross-domain technologies. This internship would start May 2027.

As a Systems Engineering Intern, you will work closely with our senior engineers on a high-priority integration effort. You won't be working alone-you will be mentored by a team of experts while contributing to real-world tasks. The ideal candidate is curious, eager to learn, and ready to jump in and help the team solve technical challenges in a fast-paced environment.

Primary Responsibilities include:

• Learn & Support:Assist senior engineers in designing, building, and maintaining IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, and storage systems.
• Virtualization:Gain hands-on exposure to virtual environments by helping configure and maintain VMware and ESXi systems.
• Cybersecurity in Action:Learn how to apply Department of War (DoW) security standards (DISA STIGs) to ensure our systems remain secure and compliant.
• Hands-on IT:Assist with the physical hardware setup in our labs, including racking servers, running network cables, and performing basic hardware configurations.
• Automation:Use the coding skills you've learned in school (Python, Bash, etc.) to help write basic automation scripts that make deploying systems faster and easier.
• Documentation & Diagramming:Help the team track hardware/software changes, update system baseline inventories, and use tools like MS Visio to create network and system diagrams.
• Troubleshooting:Participate in system testing and help the engineering team troubleshoot and resolve operational IT issues.
• Collaboration:Attend meetings with team members and mission partners to learn how engineering requirements are gathered and turned into technical solutions.

Basic Qualifications:

• Location & Onsite Commitment:Must be located near the Ft Meade, MD area for the summer and commit to a100% onsite work schedulein our facility.
• Student Status:Must becurrently enrolledin an accredited degree program in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.
• Required Certification:Must possessan active DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II certification (such asCompTIA Security Plus)prior to the internship start date in May 2027.
• Clearance:Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.(Note: U.S. Citizenship is required for security clearances).
• IT Fundamentals:Basic understanding of computer hardware, operating systems, and networking concepts (routers, switches, IP addressing) derived from your current coursework.
• Linux/Command Line:Familiarity with Linux operating systems and basic command-line navigation from labs, coursework, or personal projects.
• Scripting:Basic programming or scripting knowledge (e.g., Python, Bash, PowerShell, Java, or C++).
• Soft Skills:Strong attention to detail, a proactive attitude, and the ability to work well within a collaborative team environment.

Preferred Qualifications (Not required, but a plus!):

• Active DoD Secret or Top Secret clearance.
• Classroom experience or personal projects involving virtual machines (VMware/VirtualBox) or containers (Docker).
• Familiarity with basic network diagramming tools (like MS Visio).
• A strong interest in cybersecurity, network defense, or systems integration.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.