Network Systems Administrator III

Iridium Satellite•McLean, VA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Iridium is an award-winning satellite communications company operating the world's only truly global voice and data network, delivering reliable connectivity anywhere on Earth. For more than 20 years, Iridium has powered mission-critical communications for governments, businesses, aviation, maritime, and the rapidly expanding Internet of Things. Now part of Iridium, Aireon is the world’s only space-based air traffic surveillance system, providing real-time visibility of aircraft over oceans, the poles, and remote regions. Together, Iridium and Aireon are helping build a safer, more connected, and more efficient future for global aviation. Join our team and help shape how the world stays connected. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where employees are empowered to innovate, grow professionally, and make a meaningful impact. If you are an experienced Network Systems Administrator with strong Linux/Windows and security-focused infrastructure skills, you will be excited about the Network Systems Administrator opening on Aireon’s Network Engineering team. As a Network Systems Administrator, you’ll independently deliver high-quality work and drive system deployment, hardening, and sustainment activities to completion for Aireon’s on-premises operational networks that distribute data to customers. In this role, you will focus primarily on secure build and patch lifecycle management, centralized authentication, automation, and Tier II/III operational support. You will thrive in this role if you communicate proactively, collaborate effectively across distributed teams, and bring a strong ownership mindset in a fast-paced operational environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field OR equivalent relevant experience in lieu of degree.
5+ years of professional systems administration and/or IT engineering experience supporting Linux and Windows environments in a security-conscious operational setting.
Demonstrated hands-on experience installing, configuring, administering, and troubleshooting Linux and Windows systems.
Hands-on experience with OS hardening, patching, vulnerability remediation, and security controls at the OS and application layers.
Working knowledge of Internet protocols, OS/network configuration, and general IP networking concepts (OSI Layer 2/3).
Experience administering centralized authentication services (AD/LDAP) and troubleshooting authentication and access issues.

Nice To Haves

Experience with virtualization and containers.
General knowledge of Cisco IOS and/or Juniper OS.
Experience conducting or supporting network and system-level penetration testing and/or security validation activities.
Experience working in a configuration-managed operational environment with rigorous security controls.
Relevant certifications (preferred): RHCSA, RHCE, Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, CompTIA Server+.
Familiarity with ticketing systems, issue tracking, and collaboration tools.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain operational, test, and development infrastructure to support Aireon’s on-premises operational networks and customer data distribution.
Install, configure, harden, and patch Linux (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu) and Windows systems in accordance with established security controls and stringent security requirements.
Implement and maintain automation for system administration activities using tools such as Ansible and/or Puppet to improve consistency, reliability, and auditability.
Administer and support centralized authentication solutions (e.g., Active Directory/LDAP) and resolve authentication-related incidents and change requests.
Provide Tier II/III operational support for escalated system and network-layer security incidents; perform root cause analysis and coordinate resolution with vendors, engineering, security, and subcontractors.
Maintain continuous monitoring of system resources and security posture, including configuration management, inventory/license/asset tracking, backups, off-site archives, disaster recovery readiness, and patch/update compliance.
Collect and evaluate performance data to identify systemic issues, tune systems, and ensure adequate capacity, resilience, redundancy, and performance.