DevSecOps Digital Engineering Intern

Pennsylvania State University - State College, PA

Full-time - Intern

Onsite - State College, PA

Educational Services

About the position

The Digital Engineering Department in the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University is seeking a motivated, self-starting Intern to join our team performing DevSecOps-related functions around software development, cyber security, and/or cloud-native tool management. This internship offers a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies that are driving the future of our military, Department of Defense (DoD), and Intelligence communities. The position is flexible, allowing work from our State College, PA or Reston, VA offices, and can also be remote or hybrid. As an intern, you will be involved in designing and implementing secure, automated infrastructure solutions for high-performance computing environments through Agile software development and cybersecurity practices. You will collaborate with team members to perform and review code changes and documentation as needed, and help maintain our continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to facilitate frequent, trouble-free deployments of code while continuously incorporating Thread Intelligence. Additionally, you will configure or optimize various compute, firewall, or network resources, including bare metal or virtual environments, and coordinate with the team to identify risks, issues, requirements, and design solutions for project-level activities on a daily basis. This internship is particularly suited for candidates with a high interest in supporting Linux-based infrastructures or system administration, security profile evaluation, and application, as well as familiarity with tools such as Ansible, Puppet, or shell/scripting languages. You will also have the chance to explore technologies related to DevOps/DevSecOps tools and practices, infrastructure automation, configuration management via Git, Bitbucket, or GitLab, and container/orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes. The role requires troubleshooting skills with the ability to spot issues before they escalate, effective communication between business and technology areas, and a well-organized, independent, and eager-to-learn attitude.

Responsibilities

• Help design or implement secure, automated infrastructure solutions for high-performance computing environments through Agile software development and cybersecurity.
• Work as part of the team to perform and review code changes and documentation as needed.
• Maintain continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for frequent, trouble-free deployments of code.
• Configure or optimize various compute, firewall, or network resources and networks including bare metal or virtual environments.
• Coordinate with the team to identify risks, issues, requirements, and design solutions for project-level activities on a daily basis.
• Apply knowledge, skills, and abilities gained in the classroom to research and development efforts.

Requirements

• High interest in Linux-based infrastructures or system administration.
• Experience with security profile evaluation and application.
• Familiarity with Ansible, Puppet, or shell/scripting languages.
• Knowledge of Splunk, ELK stack, or Prometheus logging platforms.
• Basic understanding of software virtualization or networking.
• Experience with cybersecurity assessments, incident response, or investigations.
• Knowledge of security control or policy integration.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with DevOps / DevSecOps tools and practices.
• Familiarity with infrastructure automation and configuration management via Git, Bitbucket, or GitLab.
• Knowledge of container/orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Understanding of software vulnerability or compliance assessment.
• Familiarity with system security architectures including firewalls, router ACLs, web content filters, and Demilitarized Zones (DMZ).
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to spot issues before they become problems.
• Effective communication skills between business and technology areas.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies.
• Flexible work environment (remote/hybrid options).
• Experience in a leading research university setting.
• Exposure to military, DoD, and Intel communities.