Senior System Administrator / Mission Support Operator (MSO)

General Dynamics Information Technology•Livermore, CA

28d•Onsite

About The Position

This is an unpaid fellowship through the Department of War (DoW) SkillBridge Program. The fellow selected for this role will not receive compensation or benefits from GDIT and will not be an employee, agent or contractor of GDIT but rather will remain an employee of the DoW and will receive compensation and benefits through the DoW. Through the Department of War (DoW) SkillBridge Program, GDIT offers transitioning service members the opportunity to gain hands‑on training and professional experience as a Senior System Administrator / Mission Support Operator (MSO) Fellow, supporting mission‑critical IT operations within a classified, 24/7 enterprise environment. Transform your technical knowledge into operational impact as a Senior System Administrator / Mission Support Operator (MSO) Fellow with GDIT. A career in enterprise IT operations means sustaining and defending the systems that matter most. In this Fellowship, you will gain meaningful exposure to real‑time mission operations, enterprise monitoring, fault triage, and Tier 1/2 support across a highly complex and globally distributed IT infrastructure. At GDIT, people are our differentiators. As a Senior System Administrator / Mission Support Operator (MSO) Fellow, you will learn how Tier 1 and Tier 2 support is executed in live operational environments, how high‑priority systems are monitored using enterprise tools such as SolarWinds, Splunk, and Wireshark, and how rapid incident response is performed to maintain continuity across multi‑domain classified networks. Working alongside experienced System Administrators, Network Engineers, and Mission Directors, you will gain practical experience in troubleshooting, configuration management, mission reporting, and satellite ground station/spectrum‑related monitoring. This Fellowship is designed to build the operational readiness needed for future employment as a full‑time Senior System Administrator / Mission Support Operator (MSO) within GDIT’s mission‑critical programs.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
8+ years of IT, network administration, system support, or multi‑domain operations experience.
Experience with monitoring tools (SolarWinds, Splunk, Wireshark).
Experience supporting operational IT systems, environmental infrastructure, or Tier 1/2 troubleshooting.
Working knowledge of critical physical infrastructure (HVAC, Power, UPS, etc.) that supports mission operations.
Experience in enterprise monitoring, hardware/software troubleshooting, and device/system maintenance.
Understanding of network fundamentals (Layer 1/2/3), configuration management, and incident response workflows.
Ability to document operational procedures, system configurations, and troubleshooting steps.
Experience supporting expanded or modified systems in operational environments.
Strong communication skills; ability to collaborate across mission and technical teams.
Ability to operate effectively in a demanding, mission‑critical, on‑site environment.
Familiarity with Linux and Windows system administration; networking background preferable.
DoD 8570‑compliant certification required (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE).
Active TS/SCI security clearance.
U.S. Citizenship required.
On‑site attendance at customer site in Livermore, CA
Fellowship duration aligned with DoW SkillBridge requirements.
Ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
Has served at least 180 days on active duty
Can participate within the last 6 months of separation or retirement
Will receive an honorable discharge
Has taken any service TAP/TGPS
Has attended or participated in an ethics brief within the last 12 months
Received Unit Commander (first O-4/Field Grade commander in chain of command) written authorization and approval to participate in DoW SkillBridge Program prior to start of the fellowship.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field preferred.
Experience with Linux and Windows system administration and networking preferred.
Networking background preferable.

Responsibilities

Monitor the performance, capacity, and health of end‑to‑end IT systems using enterprise platforms such as SolarWinds, Splunk, and Wireshark.
Participate in supervised Tier 1/2 triage for hardware, software, environmental, RF spectrum, and network‑related alerts.
Observe and support rapid incident response, fault isolation, situational reporting, and escalation procedures in a 24/7 operations center.
Gain exposure to critical physical infrastructure dependencies—including HVAC, UPS, and power systems—that support mission facilities.
Support configuration management functions (Incidents and Assets) using tools such as BMC Remedy.
Learn to conduct daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly functional checks to validate system readiness and operational continuity.
Participate in mission exercises, operational rehearsals, and readiness validation events.
Assist in developing, updating, and maintaining SOPs and TTPs that govern mission operations.
Observe collaboration with Mission Directors, System Administrators, Network Engineers, external sites, and system operators for real‑time detection, isolation, and issue resolution.
Support basic Layer 1/2/3 networking tasks, documentation, troubleshooting, and integration activities.
Gain exposure to satellite ground station monitoring, RF spectrum fundamentals, and enterprise communications dependencies.
Learn how mission planning, workflow improvement, and enterprise system integration are performed to enhance operational effectiveness.
Participate in technical exchanges, operational briefs, and mission synchronization meetings.
Gain awareness of modernization efforts, technology‑insertion planning, and lifecycle upgrade strategies across a multi‑location enterprise.