Principal Systems Engineer

General Dynamics

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: McLean, VA
Salary: $130,050–$175,950 / yr
Posted: 7 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Below market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $191k

This role $153k

$118k most similar roles pay here $247k

This role pays less than 88% of similar roles. Most pay $169,250–$211,827 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $153k versus about $191k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About General Dynamics

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company offering a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation, ship construction, land combat vehicles, and information technology. It serves customers in the U.S. government, allied governments, and a diverse array of commercial markets.

General Dynamics currently has 1123 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $124,093–$150,385 across 984 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at General Dynamics

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Systems Engineer

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As a Principal Systems Engineer, you will join the IT Infrastructure and Operations team to manage a classified commercial cloud environment. You will be responsible for operating, securing, and optimizing a secure workstation enclave to ensure reliable access to mission-critical resources. Your daily responsibilities include leading the engineering and operations of Red Hat and other Linux systems in an air-gapped environment, including configuration, hardening, patching, and maintenance. You will also configure and monitor network devices using Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco switches, Panorama, and ClearPass. Additionally, you will manage vulnerability remediation, perform STIG reviews for NIST and DoD compliance, and develop technical documentation. The role requires expertise in Linux development, kernel systems, networking, and systems architecture while utilizing specific tools like Red Hat operating systems to maintain infrastructure integrity.

What does a Systems Engineer earn?

Median $158250 from 186 postings across 30 companies.

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Skills

Red Hat Linux Palo Alto Firewalls Cisco Switches Panorama ClearPass Systems Architecture Networking Vulnerability Management STIG NIST Patching Hardening

What you'll do

Manage day-to-day engineering and operations of Red Hat and other Linux systems in air-gapped environments.
Configure, patch, and monitor network devices including Palo Alto firewalls and Cisco switches.
Perform system hardening and compliance tasks to meet NIST and DoD requirements.
Execute vulnerability management by reviewing scans and implementing necessary patches and remediations.
Maintain engineering documentation for designs, configurations, and operational procedures.
Troubleshoot network and security issues in collaboration with internal teams and vendors.
Manage security updates, licenses, and support tickets for the secure workstation enclave.

What we're looking for

Must possess a current and active Top Secret security clearance.
Must be a United States citizen.
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree required.
8+ years of related experience in systems engineering or similar fields.
Must be DoD 8140 / 8570.01-M compliant, such as Security+ or equivalent.
Proficiency in Linux development and various operating systems including Red Hat and Debian.
Experience with networking hardware and software including Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco switches, Panorama, and ClearPass.
US Citizenship.

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