Senior System Administrator

AeroVironment•Annapolis Junction, MD

About The Position

The System Administrator III is a senior technical contributor responsible for designing, implementing, securing, and maintaining the organization’s core IT infrastructure. This role provides Tier 3 support for complex incidents, leads infrastructure projects, mentors junior staff, and ensures high availability, performance, and security of critical systems.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
10-15+ years of progressively responsible experience in system administration, with significant experience in medium to large enterprise environments.
Demonstrated experience operating as a Tier 3 resource for complex infrastructure issues.
An active TS/SCI with Polygraph

Responsibilities

Design, install, configure, and maintain servers, virtualization platforms, storage, and core services (e.g., AD, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy).
Manage and optimize virtualization environments (e.g., VMware, Nutanx, Hyper-V, or similar) and related storage solutions (SAN/NAS).
Administer Windows and/or Linux server environments, including patching, hardening, and lifecycle management.
Implement and maintain monitoring, alerting, and logging systems to ensure reliability and performance.
Implement and maintain security controls (OS hardening, access controls, patch management, endpoint security).
Collaborate with security teams to support vulnerability management, incident response, and audits.
Ensure systems comply with relevant standards and policies (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, internal IT policies).
Maintain backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies; perform regular DR tests.
Serve as the highest internal escalation point for complex infrastructure incidents and problems.
Troubleshoot advanced issues involving servers, storage, virtualization, networking interactions, and authentication services.
Perform root cause analysis for major incidents and implement long-term corrective actions.
Develop and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and standard operating procedures.
Develop scripts and automation (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Python, or configuration management tools) to streamline deployment, configuration, and maintenance.
Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, and processes to improve reliability, security, and efficiency.
Lead or contribute to infrastructure modernization initiatives (e.g., cloud migration, identity modernization, endpoint management).
Lead and/or serve as technical SME on cross-functional projects, upgrades, and new system implementations.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to System Administrator I/II and other IT staff.
Collaborate closely with application, network, and security teams to deliver end-to-end solutions.