Position Title: Systems Engineer – Ansible Automation
Location: Columbia MD (Hybrid work schedule)
Clearance Requirements: Eligibility for a Secret Clearance, Active Clearance would be great
Industry: Government / Defense / Secure Enterprise Environment
We are seeking a highly skilled Systems Engineer – Ansible Automation to architect, design, and own enterprise-scale automation frameworks. This is not a “playbook user” role — we are looking for someone who has built, structured, and maintained automation ecosystems from the ground up.
The ideal candidate has deep experience designing Ansible playbooks, modular role structures, and scalable configuration management frameworks that support secure, compliant, and repeatable infrastructure deployments. Experience operating in security-focused, federal, or DoD-adjacent environments is strongly preferred.
This role will serve as a technical leader in automation strategy, infrastructure as code (IaC), and configuration governance.
Architect and own enterprise-wide Ansible automation frameworks
Design, develop, and maintain scalable playbooks and reusable role structures
Establish best practices for configuration management, inventory structuring, and secrets handling
Build modular, version-controlled automation aligned with infrastructure lifecycle management
Integrate Ansible with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps toolchains
Automate system provisioning, patching, hardening, and compliance validation
Develop standardized automation for Linux and/or Windows environments
Collaborate with Security, Infrastructure, and DevOps teams to ensure automation aligns with compliance frameworks (e.g., STIG, NIST, RMF)
Troubleshoot and optimize automation workflows for performance and scalability
Provide technical mentorship and governance around automation standards
Maintain documentation, testing frameworks, and change control for automation assets
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience)
5+ years of systems engineering or infrastructure automation experience
Demonstrated experience architecting and owning Ansible automation frameworks
Deep expertise in:
Ansible playbook development
Role-based architecture and modular design
Inventory and variable structuring at scale
Ansible Tower / AWX (or similar orchestration platforms)
Strong understanding of:
Linux system administration
Infrastructure as Code principles
Configuration management best practices
Experience integrating Ansible into CI/CD pipelines
Strong scripting experience (Python, Bash, or similar)
Experience managing automation in large, multi-environment infrastructures (Dev/Test/Prod)
Experience in security-focused or DoD-adjacent environments
Familiarity with:
STIG hardening
NIST 800-53 / RMF controls
FedRAMP or IL-level environments
Experience in containerized or cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GovCloud)
Active or prior security clearance
Experience automating patch management and vulnerability remediation workflows
Familiarity with GitOps methodologies
We are specifically seeking someone who has:
Designed automation architecture — not just executed tasks
Owned lifecycle management of automation frameworks
Built reusable, scalable automation standards adopted by teams
Driven governance and technical direction around configuration management
Company Summary
Latitude is a Human Resource Consulting Firm headquartered in Hanover, MD with an office in Winter Park, FL. Latitude provides consulting services to a wide range of industries (Technology, Engineering, Scientific, Communications) in both the Private and Public Sectors. We are a contract, contract-to-hire and direct placement personnel agency providing clients with skilled professional employees of all skill levels.
Latitude provides its services to businesses in the Beltway Corridor, Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia regions. However, we are not limited to these areas as we will work with Nationwide Clients. As a company, Latitude differs from other temporary and permanent placement agencies because of the experience of it's owners and the talent and professionalism of it's employees.
With 30 plus years of experience, Latitude's Management team understands what is required to service the needs of the most complex clients and organizations. Our recruiters and consultants are chosen based on their experience and track records within the industry. This commitment to excellence will ensure successful results and most importantly cost efficiency for our client.
Latitude provides each of the following services for all clients and tailors these services to the particular needs of the client.
• Individualized recruiting and reference checking
• Skills evaluation and preliminary interviewing for each employee
• In person screening prior to client interview
• Background checks and drug tests at client request
• Software and technical testing
