Section Supervisor - Classified IT Systems Administration (Senior Tier 3 SME)

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory • Laurel, MD

30d

About The Position

Are you an accomplished senior systems administrator who also enjoys leading people and services? Do you have deep experience supporting classified environments-and the desire to guide others while remaining "hands on keyboard" a lot of the time? If so, we invite you to join our team at APL! We are ranked as one of Computerworld's Top Places to Work in IT six years running, and are seeking an Section Supervisor - Classified IT Systems Administration who will function as a senior Tier 3/4 hands‑on systems administrator and technical lead, with supervisory responsibilities-leadership, mentoring, and service management-embedded in daily technical work. This blended role requires deep technical expertise and broad leadership to deliver secure, reliable, and innovative IT solutions for critically important programs. In this role, you will: Act as the senior Tier 3/4 point of contact for complex system administration issues related to virtualization platforms, HPC clusters, cross domain integrations, and multi-site secure networks. Build, implement, and maintain robust technical solutions that meet or exceed regulatory security standards. Lead technical problem-solving, root cause analysis, and remediation of critical incidents, ensuring high availability and performance. Automate build, configuration, and compliance activities using scripting or infrastructure as code where practical. Develop and maintain detailed user documentation, runbooks, and lifecycle plans. Supervise, mentor, and develop a small team of systems administrators, fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture. Manage staff alignment to work, maintaining positive quality of life to work ratios and hiring when necessary. Apply ITIL aligned service management and sound project management practices to prioritize work, manage backlogs, and meet service level objectives. Coordinate technology roadmaps and major upgrades, balancing operational risk with mission needs. Communicate complex technical and service information to sponsors, users, and senior leadership in clear, actionable terms. Champion continuous improvement-encouraging innovation, acknowledging "noble failures," and refining processes based on lessons learned.

Requirements

• Hold a BS degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Possess 5 + years of senior level system administration experience in classified environments.
• Have experience applying ITIL or project management methodologies within IT operations.
• Demonstrate effective leadership and mentoring skills.
• Hold (or can obtain) an IAT Level II certification (e.g., Security+ CE).
• Hold an active Top Secret security clearance and be able to obtain an SCI. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

• Bring 8+ years system administration experience and 5 + years leading technical teams.
• Hold advanced certifications such as ITIL 4 Managing Professional, ITIL v3 Expert, or PMI PMP.
• Have deep expertise with DevSecOps pipelines, large hybrid Windows/Linux enclaves, or HPC environments of 100 + nodes.
• Demonstrate proven success managing IT compliance with complex regulatory requirements.
• Have guided multi-phase IT infrastructure projects from conception through operational hand off.

Responsibilities

• Act as the senior Tier 3/4 point of contact for complex system administration issues related to virtualization platforms, HPC clusters, cross domain integrations, and multi-site secure networks.
• Build, implement, and maintain robust technical solutions that meet or exceed regulatory security standards.
• Lead technical problem-solving, root cause analysis, and remediation of critical incidents, ensuring high availability and performance.
• Automate build, configuration, and compliance activities using scripting or infrastructure as code where practical.
• Develop and maintain detailed user documentation, runbooks, and lifecycle plans.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop a small team of systems administrators, fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Manage staff alignment to work, maintaining positive quality of life to work ratios and hiring when necessary.
• Apply ITIL aligned service management and sound project management practices to prioritize work, manage backlogs, and meet service level objectives.
• Coordinate technology roadmaps and major upgrades, balancing operational risk with mission needs.
• Communicate complex technical and service information to sponsors, users, and senior leadership in clear, actionable terms.
• Champion continuous improvement-encouraging innovation, acknowledging "noble failures," and refining processes based on lessons learned.

Benefits

• Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees