Automation Engineer

Automation EngineerRemote (on-site as needed in Richmond, VA or Fairfax, VA)6-Month Contract-to-Hire (Full-Time conversion intended)$40/hr.-$70/hr. (based on experience)Job Summary Our Fortune 300 Energy client's Data Center Automation team is an active, standing product squad responsible for platform operations and administration at enterprise scale. The Automation Engineer will own ongoing platform care — patching, configuration management, lifecycle operations, and upgrade cycles — using configuration-as-code and infrastructure-as-code practices to drive consistency and reduce manual overhead.ResponsibilitiesOwn ongoing platform operations: patching, maintenance, upgrades, configuration, and full lifecycle managementImplement and maintain configuration-as-code practices to standardize and govern platform configuration at scaleManage infrastructure provisioning and changes using Terraform as the primary IaC toolSupport deployment pipelines and ensure consistent, repeatable infrastructure deliveryAdminister automation tooling built for a regulated enterprise environmentProduce and maintain documentation: runbooks, change records, configuration standards, and operational proceduresCoordinate patching and upgrade cycles across on-prem infrastructure with minimal disruptionCollaborate with architects and senior engineers to execute configuration standards and improvementsRequired Knowledge, Skills & Experience3+ years of infrastructure experience in platform operations, server administration, DevOps, or a closely related roleTerraform — team's primary IaC tool; heavy hands-on experience strongly preferredAnsible - experience managing accounts associated with system, patching, and performing configuration tweaksConfiguration-as-Code (CaC) experience in a real operational environmentDemonstrated experience building automation tooling in a regulated or enterprise environment — not just supporting what others builtStrong on-premises infrastructure foundationScripting proficiency in Python (preferred), PowerShell, or BashStrong communication skills and ability to document clearly and escalate earlyPreferred QualificationsExposure to enterprise utility or regulated-sector environmentsFamiliarity with SaaS-based automation tooling as a complement to Ansible