Senior Systems Administrator

Bluestaq US External • Colorado Springs, CO

7d • $90,000 - $160,000

About The Position

At Bluestaq, the Senior Systems Administrator maintains, monitors, and troubleshoots critical infrastructure to keep systems secure, reliable, and ready for the missions its teams and customers support. The role spans cloud-hosted and on-premises systems and applications, and serves as a Tier 2/3 escalation point for infrastructure incidents, outages, and performance issues. It also supports users, maintains system documentation, and coordinates with security and compliance teams to meet DoD standards and hardening requirements.

The administrator builds and maintains automation workflows and supports system installations, upgrades, and cybersecurity risk mitigation. The position contributes to 24/7 operations through shift work and on-call rotations as mission needs require, and supports team knowledge sharing and mentorship of junior administrators. The role also calls for responsible use of modern AI tools, including reviewing their outputs and protecting proprietary or sensitive data.

Bluestaq builds secure data platforms for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. The company describes its approach as centered on modern architecture, operational excellence, mission impact, cloud-native solutions, security by design, and simplicity.

Requirements

• Willingness to support 24/7 operations and shift work.
• Active DoD Secret or Top Secret security clearance; the posting also notes the position may require an active TS/SCI clearance and that Bluestaq may sponsor eligible candidates based on program needs.
• Proficient understanding of Linux systems administration in production environments.
• Hands-on Active Directory administration experience.
• Experience with cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools.
• Working knowledge of system vulnerabilities and security issues.
• Solid networking fundamentals, including DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls, and routing.
• Working experience with automation and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, or Packer.
• Experience with cloud computing concepts and the AWS component stack.
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills, with a curious and investigative approach to problem-solving.
• Hands-on experience with Atlassian tools, including Confluence and Jira.
• Experience with help desk/ITSM systems and ticketing workflows.
• Strong collaboration skills and comfort working across teams and sharing knowledge.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfort working directly with customers, end users, and engineering teams.
• Active CompTIA Security+ certification (DoD Directive 8140/8570.01-M).
• Ownership mindset, including following through, documenting work, and knowing when to persevere or ask for help.
• At least 2 years of systems administration/information technology experience with a Bachelor's degree; alternatively, an Associate degree with 2 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required, or a High School Diploma/GED with 4 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required may substitute for a degree.

Nice To Haves

• CISSP or CEH certification.
• Advanced Ansible, Terraform, or Kubernetes usage in classified or production environments.
• Linux certifications such as RHCSA, RHCE, LPIC, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines or DevSecOps practices.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support the integrity of system networks through technical support and configuration management.
• Perform daily maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting of applications, networking problems, and systems issues across cloud-hosted and on-premises platforms.
• Serve as a primary Tier 2/3 escalation point for infrastructure incidents, outages, and performance degradation.
• Administer Active Directory, including GPO, role-based access controls, and user/group policy management.
• Support cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools and practices.
• Build and maintain automation workflows using Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes to reduce manual effort and improve reliability.
• Perform software and system installations, upgrades, routine automation, and cybersecurity risk mitigation tasks.
• Provide responsive, solutions-oriented support to system users to ensure reliable access to tools and systems.
• Maintain accurate documentation in Confluence, including system configurations, change records, runbooks, and SOPs.
• Track and manage work through Jira, communicating scope and status to the team and stakeholders.
• Coordinate with security and compliance teams to ensure systems meet DoD standards and hardening requirements.
• Support 24/7 operations, including shift work and on-call rotations as mission requires.
• Contribute to team knowledge sharing and support mentorship of junior administrators (L1/L2).
• Proactively identify issues, anticipate roadblocks, and escalate appropriately.
• Take responsibility for personal development and demonstrate a growth mindset.
• Use modern AI tools with judgment, review their outputs, and handle proprietary or sensitive data responsibly.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage for the employee and dependents.
• Up to 6% match on 401(k) contributions, with an additional discretionary 4% profit share from day one; Roth options are available and there is no vesting period.
• Annual performance bonus eligibility for every role.
• $200,000 employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• $5,000 annual professional development budget per employee.
• 20 days of PTO and 8 paid holidays.
• Pet insurance.
• Onsite gym.
• Flexible schedule.
• Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior