Systems Administrator - T1

Acuity•Beltsville, MD

1d•$60,000 - $80,000

About The Position

Acuity is seeking a motivated Tier 1 Systems Administrator to support a mission-focused federal technology environment. The role is suited to recent graduates, transitioning military professionals, and early-career technologists with a technical foundation who want hands-on experience supporting enterprise systems and users. Candidates should be curious, quick to learn, logical troubleshooters, professional communicators, and customer-service oriented. They should be comfortable asking questions, researching unfamiliar issues, accepting feedback, taking initiative, and owning problems through resolution. The position offers an opportunity to develop toward systems administration, cloud, infrastructure, or cybersecurity work. The position supports a federal enterprise environment through Tier 1 technical and systems administration services. Work includes assisting with Windows systems and applications, user access, Microsoft enterprise technologies, troubleshooting, ticket documentation, escalation, maintenance, configuration, and security and operational procedures. The administrator works with engineers, administrators, cybersecurity personnel, service desk teams, and government customers, while developing familiarity with enterprise technologies and continuing technical training. The job is offered on one of two night schedules: front-end nights, 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. local time Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and every other Wednesday; or back-end nights, 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. local time Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and every other Wednesday. The stated salary range is $60,000–$80,000 per year. U.S. citizenship is required, and candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the U.S. Government clearance required for the program. Acuity is willing to sponsor the required clearance for qualified candidates.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Engineering, or another related technical discipline.
Foundational knowledge of computer systems, operating systems, networking, or systems administration gained through coursework, internships, military experience, certifications, labs, help desk experience, or other hands-on technical experience.
Familiarity with Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Basic understanding of at least one of the following: Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, Microsoft 365, Azure, SharePoint, networking concepts, virtualization, PowerShell, or another scripting language.
Demonstrated technical aptitude and ability to learn new technologies quickly.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Professional, customer-service-oriented approach when working with users and teammates.
Ability to explain technical information clearly to technical and nontechnical users.
Self-motivation and willingness to ask questions, seek answers, and take initiative.
Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a technical team.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate task completion.
Reliability, accountability, and willingness to take ownership of assigned work.
Ability and willingness to continuously learn and develop technical skills.
Must be a U.S. citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain the U.S. Government security clearance required for the program.

Nice To Haves

Internship, military, help desk, technical support, systems administration, networking, cloud, or cybersecurity experience.
Hands-on experience from a university lab, home lab, certification program, or personal technical projects.
Exposure to Windows Server administration.
Experience with Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, or user-account administration.
Exposure to Microsoft Azure or Microsoft 365.
Familiarity with SharePoint, SQL Server, SCCM/Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, or Intune.
Basic PowerShell, Python, Bash, or other scripting experience.
Familiarity with VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox, or other virtualization technologies.
Experience using ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira, or another ticketing/ITSM platform.
Exposure to system patching, vulnerability scanning, endpoint security, or cybersecurity practices.
CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft, Azure, or similar certifications.
Currently holding or having previously held a U.S. Government security clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide Tier 1 technical and systems administration support in a federal enterprise environment.
Assist with administration, monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Windows-based systems and applications.
Support user accounts, permissions, password resets, and access management using Active Directory and related tools.
Assist with Windows Server, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Azure, and other Microsoft enterprise technologies.
Troubleshoot basic hardware, software, operating system, network connectivity, and application issues.
Respond to user incidents and service requests in a timely, professional, customer-focused manner.
Document issues, troubleshooting steps, and resolutions in the program's ticketing or IT service management system.
Escalate complex technical issues to senior administrators or engineering teams with complete and accurate troubleshooting information.
Assist with system patching, software installation, configuration, vulnerability remediation, and routine maintenance.
Support workstation, server, and application configuration activities as assigned.
Follow established security, configuration management, change management, and operational procedures.
Develop familiarity with enterprise technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Azure, SCCM or endpoint management tools, virtualization, and scripting.
Participate in technical training and actively develop systems administration skills.
Collaborate with engineers, administrators, cybersecurity personnel, service desk teams, and government customers.
Identify opportunities to improve processes, documentation, and customer support.
Take ownership of assigned tasks and follow them through to completion.