IT Systems Engineer (Contractor) - Cyber Range Support

About the role

Sopra Steria Infrastructure & Security Services (I2S) is deploying its Cyber Range platform at a federal customer site in Ottawa. It is looking for an experienced IT engineer to act as the on-site hands and Level 1 support contact for about 4 weeks of initial deployment, followed by 36 months of L1 support (about 20 hours per month). The candidate is trained by the core Cyber Range team in Ottawa and becomes the customer's first line of technical contact after deployment. The engagement is with an independent contractor / freelance status and requires active Government of Canada Level III (Top Secret) clearance.

Key responsibilities

• Phase 1 (1 month): remote or on-site training covering platform architecture, scenario deployment, troubleshooting and escalation paths; rack-and-stack, network integration, OS/hypervisor setup, deployment of the Cyber Range platform, loading and validation of training scenarios, handover documentation and customer acceptance.
• Phase 2 (36 months, ~20 hours per month): first-line technical support including incident triage, basic troubleshooting, scenario resets, minor configuration changes, coordination with Sopra Steria L2/L3 remote teams and periodic health checks.

Required profile

• Active Government of Canada Top Secret (Level III) clearance, valid at contract start.
• 5+ years as an IT / systems / infrastructure engineer.
• Able to work independently on-site, document clearly and escalate appropriately.
• Bilingual English/French is a plus but not required; working English is mandatory.

Required skills

• Strong Linux administration (RHEL/Ubuntu/Debian, CLI, networking stack, systemd, virtualization).
• Solid networking fundamentals (VLANs, routing, firewalls, VPN, packet capture/troubleshooting).
• Virtualization / hypervisors (VMware, KVM or Proxmox).
• Nice to have: prior cyber range and cybersecurity experience, scripting (Bash, Python, Ansible), prior federal sector engagement, security certifications (Sec+, RHCE, CCNA or equivalent).

What we offer

• Competitive compensation with a strong base salary and annual performance bonus.
• Fully covered benefits: virtual healthcare, life insurance, long-term disability, health, dental and vision, and a health spending account.
• Paid time off including sick leave, personal days and 3 weeks of vacation.
• Monthly transportation allowance and hybrid work environment.