DevSecOps Engineer

DevSecOps Engineer

The Opportunity

StaffRight Associates is recruiting for a DevSecOps Engineer to join an aerospace and defense organization modernizing how software is built, secured, tested, and shipped across complex, mission-driven programs. This is a full-time, on-site role in Reston, VA. Relocation assistance is available.

As the DevSecOps Engineer, you will work hands-on where development, cybersecurity, automation, and platform engineering meet. The client believes security belongs inside the delivery lifecycle from day one, not added as an afterthought. You will design secure CI/CD pipelines, harden the software supply chain, automate security and quality checks, and create repeatable deployment patterns that let development teams move quickly without sacrificing security or reliability.

Partnering with developers, cybersecurity specialists, platform and systems engineers, and program teams, you will influence engineering practices across the enterprise. The toolchain spans Azure DevOps Server, Nexus, SonarQube, and Kubernetes/K3s, and you will tie these together into unified, automated pipelines covering development, integration, test, staging, and production. This is a chance to go beyond maintaining pipelines or triaging scan results and instead build the capabilities, automation, and standards that make secure delivery possible at scale, in settings where reliability and mission success truly matter.

What You'll Do

Secure CI/CD Pipelines

• Architect and continually refine secure Azure DevOps pipelines, including reusable YAML templates, automated quality gates, artifact controls, and release safeguards.
• Standardize build and release patterns that improve consistency, repeatability, and security from development through production.
• Diagnose difficult pipeline breakdowns, including build and dependency errors, permission problems, failed security scans, and deployment blockers.
• Eliminate manual steps and recurring delivery problems to make releases more dependable and efficient.

Software Supply-Chain Security

• Embed SAST, SCA, dependency scanning, secrets detection, container scanning, code-quality gates, and artifact validation directly into build and release workflows.
• Implement artifact and code-quality management using Nexus, SonarQube, and Azure DevOps artifacts.
• Strengthen supply-chain integrity through automated checks, dependency visibility, artifact governance, and secure release practices.
• Translate cybersecurity requirements into workable engineering controls aligned with SSP, RMF, NIST, CMMC, STIG, Zero Trust, audit, and program mandates.

Secure Kubernetes Deployments

• Establish secure Kubernetes/K3s deployment standards and guardrails in partnership with platform engineering.
• Configure security for namespaces, RBAC, ServiceAccounts, Helm, ingress, TLS, storage, resource quotas, and workload protection.
• Unify deployment patterns and automate security practices across containerized applications.
• Author documentation, reusable examples, runbooks, and onboarding guides that help teams adopt secure pipeline and deployment practices.

Engineering Excellence and Developer Enablement

• Resolve friction points in software delivery by working directly with development and engineering teams.
• Track pipeline health, scan results, recurring release blockers, and control gaps.
• Convert lessons learned into automation, reusable templates, better tooling, and stronger engineering standards.
• Champion a collaborative DevSecOps culture that makes secure delivery a natural part of how software is engineered and deployed.

What You Bring

Required

• 5+ years in DevOps, DevSecOps, platform engineering, software delivery, systems engineering, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience building, managing, or improving Azure DevOps pipelines, including YAML, build and release workflows, repositories, artifacts, permissions, or agent-based builds.
• Proven experience integrating security, quality, or Compliance Controls into CI/CD pipelines.
• Practical knowledge of secure delivery practices such as SAST, SCA, Dependency Scanning, Secrets Management, Code-Quality Gates, artifact controls, or Container Scanning.
• Strong Pipeline Troubleshooting skills across build failures, deployment problems, permission issues, and dependency errors.
• Working experience with Kubernetes, K3s, Containers, Helm, or comparable orchestration and deployment technologies.
• Scripting and automation experience in PowerShell, Bash, Python, or similar languages.
• Clear communication of complex concepts and strong Technical Documentation skills, including runbooks, onboarding guides, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
• Willingness and ability to work in regulated, secure, compliance-driven environments.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

Preferred

• Active U.S. security clearance.
• Experience with Azure DevOps Server in enterprise or secure environments.
• Integration, configuration, or administration of Nexus, SonarQube, or similar artifact and code-quality platforms.
• Familiarity with SBOM generation, SCA, container scanning, Artifact Signing, and software provenance.
• Experience with Policy-As-Code, OPA/Gatekeeper, Kubernetes admission controls, or secure workload policies.
• Infrastructure-as-Code or Configuration-as-Code with Terraform, Ansible, Bicep, CloudFormation, or similar tools.
• Observability experience with Prometheus, Grafana, and Loki.
• Support for defense, federal, or other mission-critical programs governed by NIST 800-171, CMMC, RMF, STIG, or similar frameworks.

Compensation & Total Rewards

• Salary: $145,000 - $220,000
• Engagement: Full-time, direct hire; on-site in Reston, VA
• Benefits: Top-tier benefits and a generous stock program
• Relocation: Relocation assistance provided

Joining StaffRight Associates

When you partner with StaffRight Associates in your search for your next role, you're doing more than pursuing a job, you're aligning yourself with a team of experts committed to placing top-tier talent in truly impactful positions. We take pride in fostering professional growth and connecting forward-thinking individuals with organizations that value innovation and excellence. We look forward to showcasing your expertise in a way that resonates with our clients and opens the door to meaningful opportunities.