Computational Systems Engineer

Saalex is seeking a Computational Systems Engineer (CSE) in China Lake, CA. The selected candidate will be responsible for the architecture, design, initial implementation, automation, and comprehensive documentation of highly customized Red Hat OpenShift environments supporting virtual machines across multiple air-gapped, classified High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems. This position will develop a mature, automated platform that enables System Administrators (SAs) to perform routine operations, maintenance, and VM lifecycle activities without requiring specialized expertise in OpenShift, disconnected environments, or advanced automation.

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Salary: $135,000-$155,000
Work Location: Onsite – China Lake, CA. This position supports secure, air-gapped, and classified HPC environments.

Essential Functions:

• Architect and design Red Hat OpenShift solutions for air-gapped HPC environments, including offline installation, update strategies, and integration of GPU/vGPU resources for virtual machines.
• Lead the initial implementation and ongoing evolution of OpenShift clusters, Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) workflows, and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solutions.
• Develop and refine Ansible playbooks and AAP workflows that automate VM provisioning, configuration, redeployment, and routine administrative activities.
• Design automation that abstracts technical complexity and enables generalized System Administrators to reliably perform routine operational tasks.
• Develop clear and comprehensive technical documentation, runbooks, and operational guides to support long-term administration and sustainment.
• Design VM templates, resource-allocation models, and self-service workflows that maximize utilization of available CPU cores, memory, storage, and vGPU resources.
• Establish repeatable and sustainable processes for content mirroring, offline updates, and GPU device management within disconnected environments.
• Collaborate with security, HPC, and operations teams during architecture, design, implementation, and transition activities.
• Ensure delivered solutions meet applicable classification, security, performance, maintainability, and operational requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required:

• Deep technical expertise with Red Hat OpenShift, including extensive experience implementing and operating disconnected/air-gapped OpenShift environments.
• Strong proficiency with Ansible and Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) for enterprise-scale automation.
• Strong Linux systems administration experience.
• Experience with virtualization technologies, including KubeVirt and/or OpenShift Virtualization, and virtual machine lifecycle management.
• Experience developing or maintaining Infrastructure-as-Code and automated provisioning/configuration workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to work within secure, offline, classified, or highly regulated computing environments.
• Strong technical documentation skills with the ability to develop operational procedures and runbooks that can be followed by generalized System Administrators.

Desired:

• Experience integrating and managing GPU/vGPU resources within virtualized or containerized environments.
• Familiarity with High-Performance Computing (HPC) architectures and resource scheduling concepts.
• Experience designing VM templates and resource-allocation strategies involving CPU cores, memory, storage, and GPU/vGPU resources.
• Experience developing self-service or automated VM provisioning workflows.
• Familiarity with offline content mirroring, disconnected software repositories, and update management.
• Experience collaborating with security, HPC, infrastructure, and operations teams in classified or DoD-style environments.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field OR Certified Senior System Administrator (SA) credential required.

Security Clearance:

• Active TS/SCI security clearance required. Requirements to obtain a clearance include US Citizenship, security investigation, etc.