Senior Classified Systems Administrator - Linux RHEL

Draper•Cambridge, MA

3d•$95,000 - $245,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Classified Systems Administrator supports day-to-day user activities, performs system maintenance, and helps design, develop, document, and deploy IT solutions. The role includes data administration, knowledge management, customer service, technical support, network services, systems administration, and systems security analysis. It installs, configures, troubleshoots, and maintains server hardware and software to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and administers accounts, firewalls, patches, access controls, passwords, and general system operations. The position installs, configures, tests, operates, maintains, and manages networks and firewalls; maintains operating procedures and technical documentation; develops project and architecture materials; conducts security reviews; resolves customer issues and escalates issues beyond Tier II; and manages patching, deployments, licensing, hardware, software, and system lifecycles. It works with Information Assurance on system accreditation and coordinates with senior personnel and IT management on risks to IT services. The role also evaluates system specifications and performance, mentors team members, and leads IT projects involving new technology solutions. The additional technical focus includes Linux administration and platform engineering: building and managing rootless Podman or comparable containers, developing Ansible automation, using Nexus Repository Manager and Packer, operating HashiCorp Vault, maintaining GitLab CI/CD pipelines, and deploying and troubleshooting production Kubernetes clusters. The position is full-time and on-site in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Applicants selected require an active government Secret security clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology or a related field.
7–10 years of experience in systems administration or networking administration.
3–5 years of experience building, deploying, and managing containers with rootless Podman or comparable runtimes.
Expert-level Ansible experience, including playbooks, roles, and collections for large-scale infrastructure.
Hands-on experience with Nexus Repository Manager, including Docker, Maven, NuGet, and raw repositories.
Knowledge of Packer for immutable image creation across VM, container, or cloud environments.
Production deployment and operation experience with HashiCorp Vault, including dynamic secrets, policies, and authentication methods.
Experience designing, implementing, and maintaining GitLab CI/CD pipelines, including runners, caching, and security scanning.
Proven experience deploying, managing, and troubleshooting production Kubernetes clusters; familiarity with Helm, custom resources, and networking.
Strong Linux administration skills, including systemd, networking, and security hardening, and comfort with rootless container environments.
Knowledge of systems administration or networking administration.
Knowledge of LDAP, Active Directory, WSUS, VMware, Veeam or equivalent, Nessus, or Splunk.
Knowledge of security technologies and architecture, including encryption, network security, firewall configuration, and intrusion detection.
Proficiency with Windows operating systems, including Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019.
Knowledge and understanding of one or more of JAFAN 6/9, NISPOM, JSIG, CNSSI 1253, NIST, RMF, and ICD 503.
Security+ and/or CISSP certification.
Excellent time-management skills and the ability to prioritize and multitask.
Ability to work efficiently and independently with minimal supervision and meet important deadlines.
Active government Secret security clearance is required for applicants selected for the position.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Information Technology or a related field.
Ability to design and evaluate end-to-end platform architectures for scalability, reliability, and security across all layers.
Demonstrated track record of reducing manual toil through code-driven processes and tooling.

Responsibilities

Install, configure, test, operate, maintain, and manage networks and firewalls, including supporting hardware and software.
Maintain standard operating procedures, network drawings, and configuration documentation.
Develop project plans, architecture diagrams, requirements documentation, test plans, change requests, and user communications.
Conduct technical reviews and inspections to identify and mitigate security weaknesses and ensure security compliance and system functionality.
Resolve moderately complex customer-defined problems and diagnose and address basic technical issues; escalate issues beyond Tier II as needed.
Perform software patching, system deployment, license management, hardware and software management, and lifecycle management.
Work with the Information Assurance group to follow system accreditation processes and maintain required documentation.
Coordinate with senior personnel and IT management regarding risks affecting IT services, including outages, environmental changes, disasters, accidents, deliberate acts, maintenance, and vendor actions.
Develop and test system specifications and requirements, evaluating and validating technical, functional, and performance characteristics.
Assist and mentor team members.
Lead IT projects involving implementation of new technology solutions.
Build, deploy, and manage containers using rootless Podman or comparable runtimes.
Develop and manage large-scale infrastructure automation using Ansible playbooks, roles, and collections.
Use Nexus Repository Manager for Docker, Maven, NuGet, and raw repositories.
Use Packer to create immutable VM, container, or cloud images.
Deploy and operate HashiCorp Vault, including dynamic secrets, policies, and authentication methods.
Design, implement, and maintain GitLab CI/CD pipelines, including runners, caching, and security scanning.
Deploy, manage, and troubleshoot production Kubernetes clusters, including Helm, custom resources, and networking.
Design and evaluate end-to-end platform architectures for scalability, reliability, and security.
Reduce manual work through code-driven processes and tooling.
Perform other duties as assigned.