Linux System Administrator – Federal Programs

Fathom Management LLC•Austin, TX

19h•$70,000 - $80,000•Remote

About The Position

Seeking an experienced Linux System Administrator to support federal programs and mission-critical environments. This role focuses on the secure operation, maintenance, and optimization of enterprise Linux systems supporting high-availability, high-volume workloads, including AWS cloud-hosted infrastructure. This position is ideal for professionals experienced in federal IT environments, and structured change management who are comfortable supporting systems during scheduled maintenance windows and off-hours. As a Linux System Administrator supporting federal customers, you will play a critical role in ensuring the availability, performance, and security of Linux-based systems. You will collaborate with engineers and government stakeholders to maintain compliant, stable, and resilient environments aligned with federal IT standards.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience as a Linux System Administrator in enterprise or mission-critical environments.
Strong experience administering Red Hat–based Linux systems.
Experience supporting high-availability systems and structured maintenance cycles.
Knowledge of server and network protocols including NTP, SMTP, SFTP, and email routing.
Familiarity with federal incident response processes, secure data handling, and compliance-driven operations.
Ability to respond to system outages and break-fix issues, including off-hours support.
Strong documentation and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Red Hat certifications (RHCSA, RHCE) or Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC-3).
Experience supporting federal government or defense-related programs.
AWS experience supporting Linux workloads in secure cloud environments.
Automation experience using Ansible, including writing and maintaining playbooks.
PowerShell scripting experience.
Ability to work independently in a compliance-focused environment with minimal supervision.
Strong customer service mindset when supporting government customers.

Responsibilities

Evaluate Linux systems, patches, and upgrades for compliance, stability, and operational readiness.
Develop and execute system upgrade and patch management strategies aligned with federal change-control requirements.
Assist in the design, implementation, and sustainment of complex Linux-based solutions supporting federal missions.
Coordinate system activities with security teams, engineers, and government stakeholders.
Ensure Linux assets maintain a strong security posture through timely patching and vulnerability remediation.
Support weekly and scheduled maintenance windows, including off-hours updates and emergency fixes.
Follow incident handling, PII protection, and information handling protocols required in federal environments.
Install, configure, and maintain Red Hat Linux 6 and 7 servers.
Support Linux applications and services including: Apache, Tomcat, Kerberos, LDAP, MySQL Red Hat Satellite Server, Centrify, Java Pacemaker, Bash, Python, Ansible, Perl
Support Oracle database environments, including installation and shared storage configurations.
Monitor system health and performance, providing recommendations to improve availability and efficiency.
Research, document, and maintain system configurations, procedures, and operational standards.
Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for complex Linux system processes.
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior administrators.
Communicate technical information clearly to both technical staff and government stakeholders.