1

Senior Unix Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

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 ...

Engineer, Data Sr

Reston, VA · On-site

$119K - $143K/yr

Mindlance is a company seeking a Senior Data Engineer to manage ETL processes and infrastructure ... UNIX and SQL • Experience with manage metadata hub-MDH, Operational Console and troubleshoot ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Senior CNO Software Engineer

Hanover, MD · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

MANTECH seeks a highly technical and mission-focused Senior CNO Software Engineer to join our team ... Experience with low-level system internals across one or more platforms (e.g., Windows, Unix ...

Showing results 41-60

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.

Sr. Elastic Engineer

ECS

Fort George G Meade, MD • On-site

$180K - $205K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago


Job description

ECS is seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to work in our Ft. Meade, MD OR Quantico, VA office. Please Note: This position is contingent upon additional funding.
Are you passionate about building and scaling Elastic environments and eager to make an immediate technical impact? Join ECS, a leading provider of cloud, AI, data, and enterprise transformation solutions. In this role, you will implement, optimize, and maintain Elastic Stack environments at scale while contributing to architecture, automation, and integrations that improve reliability, performance, and operational efficiency.
We are seeking a Sr. Elastic Engineer to join our Managed Security Services (MSSP) team. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with Elastic Stack and enjoys designing, coding, and deploying complex systems. You will collaborate with engineering, DevOps, cloud, and client teams to deliver resilient, high-performance Elastic solutions while maintaining visibility into system health and operational workflows.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Design, deploy, and maintain Elastic Stack environments, including Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash, Beats, and Fleet.
  • Build and optimize ingestion pipelines, index strategies, search queries, dashboards, and automation workflows.
  • Write scripts, automation, and integrations (Python, PowerShell, Bash, etc.) to streamline operations, data processing, and monitoring.
  • Deploy Elastic across platforms, including on-premises, public cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), GovCloud, and containerized environments (Kubernetes, Docker, OpenShift).
  • Leverage automation and orchestration tools such as Terraform, Ansible, CI/CD pipelines, and Docker to manage deployments and operational tasks.
  • Integrate Elastic with enterprise tools such as SIEMs, Splunk, CrowdStrike, and other telemetry sources.
  • Monitor system health, troubleshoot performance issues, and optimize for reliability and scalability.
  • Lead design reviews, provide guidance on Elastic best practices, and support knowledge sharing across teams.
  • Maintain documentation for architectures, deployment patterns, runbooks, and operational best practices.
  • Stay current with Elastic features, certifications, and emerging platform capabilities.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $205,000
General Description of Benefits
  • Deep, hands-on expertise with Elastic Stack (Elasticsearch, Kibana, Logstash, Beats, Fleet).
  • Strong scripting and automation skills (Python, PowerShell, Bash, etc.).
  • Solid understanding of observability, logging, metrics, and distributed systems.
  • Experience designing, deploying, and optimizing production-scale Elastic environments.
  • Strong Linux/Unix, networking, and cloud platform knowledge (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • Ability to mentor, guide, and influence engineering teams on Elastic best practices.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
  • Willingness and ability to support domestic or international on-site engagements.
  • U.S. Passport required.
  • Must have a Secret Clearance, at minimum.
  • Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance.