Senior / Principal Engineer – Secure Linux SOE (NV1 / AFP)

Australia | Immediate Start | Contract or Permanent

About the Role

We are supporting a major client with an urgent requirement for a Senior or Principal-level Engineer to deliver a hardened, mission-critical Secure Operating Environment (SOE) for frontline use within an Australian Federal Police (AFP) context.

This role sits within a highly sensitive environment and requires existing NV1 clearance and AFP Organisational Suitability Assessment (OSA). You will be responsible for realising an already-designed SOE, adapting it where required, and preparing it for secure deployment at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and harden a locked-down Ubuntu Pro–based SOE
• Implement full-disk encryption and security controls, including:
  • LUKS
  • AppArmor
  • UFW
  • ClamAV
  • Standard Linux security hardening features
• Create and manage SOE builds using Ansible
• Implement and manage Canonical Landscape
• Configure the SOE as a VM host using KVM, supporting both Windows and Linux guests
• Prepare the SOE for deployment across two laptop hardware profiles
• Ensure the build is secure, repeatable, auditable, and production-ready
• Operate confidently within strict security, compliance, and operational constraints

Required Skills & Experience

• Active NV1 clearance and AFP OSA (mandatory)
• Strong hands-on Linux systems engineering experience
• Deep experience with Ubuntu (FLOSS and Canonical Pro)
• Proven SOE build and hardening experience
• Strong security fundamentals across Linux environments
• Experience with:
  • Canonical Landscape
  • Ansible
  • KVM / virtualisation

Nice to Have (Bonus)

• Hands-on experience implementing Intune MDM for Android
  (nice to have, not required)

Seniority & Engagement Model

• Open to Senior or Principal-level engineers
• Permanent or short-term contract / freelance considered
• Immediate start strongly preferred

Why This Role

• Work on a mission-critical system with real-world impact
• High-trust, senior-level responsibility
• Apply deep Linux and security expertise in a federal environment
• Flexible engagement model for the right cleared engineer