Lead Deployment Engineer

About Bridge Defense. Bridge Defense is redefining how modern defense technology is delivered. Based in Washington, D.C., we are built for the dynamic mission environment facing the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and federal law enforcement agencies. We provide full-spectrum national security solutions that combine secure infrastructure, cleared talent, and mission-ready software to meet evolving defense challenges. Our services include secure software development in classified environments and the design and implementation of advanced IT and cybersecurity capabilities ranging from secure cloud architectures and enterprise infrastructure to data center operations, scientific analysis, cutting-edge cyber defense, and intelligence analysis.

We are led by technologists and veterans with firsthand mission experience, which enables us to understand both the operational realities and the innovation needed to succeed. Our approach is agile and outcome-based, delivering results in weeks rather than months whenever possible.

At Bridge Defense we value people, integrity, and excellence. We foster an environment where innovation thrives in support of traditional mission requirements. Our team members receive competitive compensation, robust benefits, professional development and certification opportunities, and clear paths for growth while working on the nation’s most critical projects.

Core Values:

• Innovation & Responsiveness: We push beyond legacy models with efficient, tech-led solutions built to scale and evolve.
• Trusted Performance: Security, compliance, and deep experience in delivering to demanding environments guides all we do.
• Mission Focused Expertise: From veteran leadership to cleared engineers, our people understand both the technology and the mission.

Summary

Bridge Defense seeks a highly qualifiedLead Deployment Engineer — DevSecOps / Site Reliability Engineer to build and lead the company's deployment engineering function responsible for operating software within accredited, air-gapped, and high-side production environments. This hands-on role will establish the technical direction, operational standards, and deployment practices for mission-critical software delivered into government environments. The successful candidate will own the end-to-end deployment lifecycle across cloud, on-premises, and disconnected networks while partnering closely with software engineers, infrastructure providers, and customers to ensure secure, reliable, and scalable operations.

What You'll Own

• Lead and grow the deployment engineering function as its first and founding engineer, setting standards for how Bridge Defense ships and operates software in accredited and high-side environments.
• Own the full deployment lifecycle on top of our partners' managed orchestration platforms (packaging, configuration, release, upgrade, and rollback) for both CodeBridge-developed software and third-party mission applications (TAK, TRAX, and others).
• Manage Kubernetes clusters, workload configuration, resource allocation, and namespace/tenancy across cloud, on-prem, and multiple network enclaves with differing accreditation and connectivity constraints.
• Operate and maintain availability of cloud and physical Linux infrastructure powering the platform in air-gapped and high-side production environments.
• Partner closely with CodeBridge engineers to make their software deploy and run reliably within the constraints of accredited, disconnected environments — advocating for sensible, scalable systems design and shared ownership of production.
• Build and support CI/CD and configuration-management workflows, and automate routine deployment and operational tasks wherever possible.
• Integrate security tooling into the deployment pipeline; run scans, triage findings, and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Diagnose, resolve, and prevent production issues; participate in and help define the on-call model for the team.
• Produce and maintain body-of-evidence artifacts (System Security Plans, architecture diagrams) and keep architectures within the scope of a granted ATO.

What We Value

• Confidence troubleshooting complex systems independently, with minimal supervision, including inside secure facilities.
• Comfort managing large-scale production systems: configuration management, service mesh, monitoring/alerting, resource management, and container orchestration at scale.
• A bias toward automation, continuous learning, and novel solutions to evolving challenges.
• Experience deploying and operating third-party or vendor software in constrained environments, not just internally built applications.
• Experience maintaining compliance within accredited environments and keeping systems within the parameters of an ATO.
• Comfort with the ambiguity and breadth of a founding role in a startup environment.
• Experience operating on top of managed deployment/orchestration platforms.

Required Qualifications, Education, and Experience

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Active U.S. security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Willingness to work onsite within secure government facilities.
• Willingness to travel to customer and partner locations.
• Strong Linux system administration experience (RHEL or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience administering Kubernetes or OpenShift environments.
• Experience with Docker, Podman, or other container technologies.
• Experience operating cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) and/or on-premises environments.
• Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI, Jenkins, Helm, or equivalent technologies.
• Experience implementing Infrastructure as Code using Terraform or similar tools.
• Experience with monitoring and alerting platforms such as Prometheus, Alertmanager, Grafana, Splunk, or PagerDuty.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity and compliance frameworks including FedRAMP, DoD SRG, IL5, FISMA, and NIST 800-171.
• CompTIA Linux+
• Proficiency in at least one programming or scripting language including Go, Java, Python, Bash, Groovy, Ruby, or similar.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of four (4) years of Linux systems administration experience.
• Experience supporting production systems in accredited or regulated environments.
• Experience deploying and maintaining containerized applications at scale.
• Experience supporting mission-critical production infrastructure.

Desired Qualifications, Education, and Experience

Qualifications

• Experience operating within air-gapped, disconnected, or classified environments.
• Experience deploying and supporting third-party mission applications such as TAK, TRAX, or similar operational software.
• Experience maintaining systems operating under an Authorization to Operate (ATO).
• Experience working on managed deployment or orchestration platforms.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with complex distributed systems.
• Demonstrated ability to automate repetitive operational tasks.
• Experience supporting startup or rapidly growing engineering organizations.

Education

• Advanced technical degree preferred.

Experience

• Experience leading deployment or platform engineering initiatives.
• Experience establishing operational standards, processes, and technical documentation.
• Experience supporting government or Department of Defense cloud environments.

Preferred Certifications

• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification or higher (Security+, CISSP, or equivalent).
• Linux+, RHCE, or other Unix/Linux administration certifications.

The Successful Candidate will Possess

• Prospective candidates should have strong risk management skills, excellent communication, teamwork, and conflict management skills.
• The candidate must be analytical and effectively able to prioritize needs, requirements, and other issues.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively at all levels of staff and management.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, develop relationships, and obtain consensus among interested parties.
• Critical thinker with strong technical skills, diagnostic skills, and problem-solving ability.
• Solid written and verbal communication skills to negotiate direction, drive projects to successful conclusion, and deliver knowledge to team members through documentation, runbooks, and technical sessions.
• Self-starter, flexible, adaptable, collaborative, and motivated to champion continuous improvement.
• Ability to develop peer networks across an enterprise to maintain technology awareness and support problem resolution.
• Ability to operate across traditional technical boundaries, including compute, networking, storage, and platform infrastructure.
• Technically curious and driven to continuously learn new skills.
• Comfortable working independently in secure environments with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates a strong bias toward automation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

General Factors

• Must be able to sit/stand at a desk for long periods and occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.
• Must be able to multi-task and rapidly change priorities with limited notice.
• This position requires regular onsite work within secure government facilities.
• Depending on project requirements, may be required to work within a compressed schedule; overtime should be expected when schedules demand it.
• Willing to travel up to 50%, if needed.
• No Relocation assistance.
• Anticipated Salary Range: $135,000 - $215,000 annually. Actual compensation will vary based on several factors, including, but not limited to, education, relevant years of experience, technical expertise, certifications, security clearance level, contract requirements, internal equity, and overall qualifications.
• Bridge Defense offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, paid holidays, life insurance and disability coverage.

Online applications, please.

When we review candidates' information, we are looking for the best matches for the position based on the qualifications listed in the job posting. If your skills and experience appear to match an open position, a recruitment services professional or a hiring manager may contact you.

Bridge Defense is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. It is the policy of the company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, national origin or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you are a qualified disabled veteran or individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to use or access our online system, please contact us at 202-436-9222.

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