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Senior Unix Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Senior Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$100 - $130/hr

The Senior Software Engineer shall perform with a high degree of independence and expertise to ... Minimum 8 years of experience with Unix internals; Java or .NET; XML/JSON; Oracle, Postgres or SQL ...

Senior Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$127K - $168K/yr

S. Computer Science highly preferred Minimum 8 years of professional experience in progressively more senior software engineering roles Minimum 8 years of experience with Unix internals; Java or

Senior Summit Developer

Reston, VA · On-site

$56.75 - $75/hr

Reston, VA We are currently seeking a Senior Summit Developer to join our team in Reston, VA, focusing on the implementation and configuration of platforms with expertise in C++, Unix, and scripting ...

Senior Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$127K - $168K/yr

The Senior Software Engineer will implement solutions for complex software products and features ... of experience with Unix internals; Java or .NET; XML/JSON; Oracle, Postgres or SQL Server ...

Senior Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$127K - $168K/yr

M.S. Computer Science highly preferred • Minimum 8 years of professional experience in progressively more senior software engineering roles • Minimum 8 years of experience with Unix internals;

ECS is seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to work in our Ft. Meade, MD office. Please Note: This ... Strong Linux/Unix, networking, and cloud platform knowledge (AWS, Azure, GCP). * Ability to mentor ...

Sr. Elastic Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$170K - $210K/yr

ECS is seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to work in our Reston, VA office. Please Note: This position ... Strong Linux/Unix, networking, and cloud platform knowledge (AWS, Azure, GCP). * Ability to mentor ...

ECS is seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to work in our Ft. Meade, MD OR Quantico, VA office. Please ... Strong Linux/Unix, networking, and cloud platform knowledge (AWS, Azure, GCP). * Ability to mentor ...

Sr. Elastic Engineer

Springfield, VA · On-site

$205K - $240K/yr

ECS is seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to work in our Springfield, VA office. Please Note: This ... Strong Linux/Unix, networking, and cloud platform knowledge (AWS, Azure, GCP). * Ability to mentor ...

Senior Software Engineer, hyperscale

Sterling, VA · On-site

$121K - $160K/yr

They are seeking a senior software engineer to design and implement innovative solutions for large ... Unix/Linux platforms using Make/CMake build systems • Passion for software computational ...

Showing results 21-40

Senior Unix Engineer information

See Washington salary details

$67.4K

$143.3K

$207.8K

How much do senior unix engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior unix engineer in Washington is $143,338.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $162,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior Unix engineer?

To thrive as a Senior Unix Engineer, you need deep expertise in Unix/Linux system administration, scripting, troubleshooting, and a relevant degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with automation tools (such as Ansible or Puppet), shell scripting languages (like Bash or Perl), and certifications like RHCE or CompTIA Linux+ is highly valued. Strong problem-solving skills, effective communication, and the ability to mentor junior staff help set top performers apart in this role. These skills ensure reliable systems, smooth operations, and robust support for complex enterprise environments.

What does a senior Unix engineer do?

A Senior Unix Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining Unix-based systems within an organization. They handle advanced troubleshooting, system performance tuning, security configurations, and ensure the reliability and scalability of Unix infrastructure. In addition, they often mentor junior engineers, develop automation scripts, and collaborate with other IT teams to support business operations. Their expertise is crucial for managing large-scale, mission-critical environments.

What is the difference between Senior Unix Engineer vs System Administrator?

AspectSenior Unix EngineerSystem Administrator
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Unix/Linux certifications (e.g., RHCE, LPIC)Bachelor's in IT or related field, Linux/Unix certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentDesigning, implementing, and maintaining Unix systems, often in enterprise environmentsManaging daily system operations, troubleshooting, and user support
Industry UsageTech, finance, healthcare, and large enterprisesVaries across industries, including small to large organizations
Search & Comparison IntentFocus on advanced Unix skills and system designFocus on operational support and system maintenance

The main difference is that Senior Unix Engineers focus on designing and optimizing Unix systems, while System Administrators handle daily operations and support. Both roles require similar certifications and work in related environments, but their responsibilities differ in scope and complexity.

What are some of the most common challenges faced by senior Unix engineers in a large enterprise environment?

Senior Unix Engineers in large enterprises often face challenges related to managing complex, heterogeneous server environments and ensuring high availability. Balancing routine maintenance, security patching, and system upgrades with the need to minimize downtime can be demanding. Additionally, staying up to date with evolving technologies and scripting languages, while coordinating with cross-functional teams like network, storage, and application groups, requires strong communication and problem-solving skills.
What are popular job titles related to Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Washington? For Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Washington, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Washington look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Unix Engineer jobs in Washington are:
What cities in Washington are hiring for Senior Unix Engineer jobs? Cities in Washington with the most Senior Unix Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Unix Engineer job openings in Washington as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $143,338 per year, or $68.9 per hour.

Senior Systems Engineer 4 (MM)

Fuse Engineering LLC

Annapolis Junction, MD • On-site

$114K - $157K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago


Job description

Description

The Senior Systems Engineer shall be responsible for participating 

in Information Assurance (IA) system, hardware, and software design 

activities with focus on leading the evaluation of requirements 

generation, allocation and tracking throughout the development cycle 

to ensure supportability for security certification. The Senior Systems 

Engineer shall also be responsible for performing implementation and 

technology studies.


Provides identification and fixing of problems within existing systems, design and 

implementation of new systems and enhancement of existing systems.


Participates in analysis, design and new construction of next generation IT systems.


Responsible for understanding the needs of the customers and the realities of commercially 

available IT products, and creating requirements that will allow implementation by the development 

team.


Skill areas include Telecommunication (TCP/IP, OIS/CMIP/X25), operating systems 

(Windows, UNIX, and Linux), database/DBMS (Oracle, MS Access, Sybase) and applications 

(Tivoli, PeopleSoft) are required.


Applies principles of ITIL, SEI/CMM to engineering work.


 Provides oversight/management of systems engineering teams.


Requirements

 Qualifications:


Top Secret/SCI w/ Polygraph Clearance Required


Bachelor's degree with at least eight (8) years of relevant experience. May substitute Associate's 

degree with at least twelve (12) years of relevant experience.


Experience as a systems engineer on one or more IT platforms is required. 


 Requires DoD 8570 compliance with IASAE Level I certification, and Computing Environment 

(CE) Certification. The CE certification requirements can be fulfilled with either Microsoft OS, Cent 

OS/Red Hat OS CE certifications.


If assigned to Directory Services TTOs, experience with Active Directory, Identity Management, 

SCCM, DNS, Group Policy,. Active Role Servers, Privileged Account Management (PAM) Services, 

and MS Exchange are required.


If assigned to Desktop & Enclave Services TTOs, understanding of the concepts of mission islands, 

Trusted Thin Client, and enhanced VDI (e.g., remote GPU and memory scaling) is required.