Senior System Admnistrator

Whizdom; Canberra; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Whizdom invites applications for a Senior Systems Administrator to deliver highly technical systems administration across enterprise ICT in a secure Australian Government context. The role is based in Canberra and covers installation, deployment, configuration, monitoring and ongoing maintenance of mission-critical systems.

You will provide technical leadership, support day-to-day BAU operations and contribute to secure delivery and ongoing management of existing and emerging capabilities,

Qualifications

• Five+ years of enterprise infrastructure experience.
• Linux administration across RHEL/Debian/Ubuntu.
• Experience with Ansible configuration management.
• Prepare to undergo Top Secret Vetting (TSPV) and related checks.

Responsibilities

• Manage technical and specialised systems administration projects.
• Deliver complex systems administration solutions with autonomy.
• Manage day-to-day BAU operations.
• Install, deploy, configure, monitor and maintain specialised systems.
• Produce clear technical documentation for continuity.
• Provide technical leadership and specialist advice.
• Identify risks and incorporate into planning decisions.
• Assess technical and design packages including scoping and review.
• Support implementation of technical actions.

Skills

Linux administration

Bash scripting

Networking

Documentation

Tools

Ansible

Splunk

Grafana

Prometheus

Xymon

Podman

Docker

VMware

Redis

PostgreSQL

Job description

About the Client

Our client is a highly secure Australian Government organisation responsible for delivering critical capabilities in support of Australia’s national security interests. Operating within complex and highly sensitive environments, the organisation delivers advanced technology capabilities that support essential government operations.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Systems Administrator to deliver highly technical systems administration outcomes across complex ICT systems and projects supporting mission-critical capabilities. Working under broad direction, you will take ownership of the installation, deployment, configuration, monitoring and ongoing maintenance of specialised systems operating within highly secure environments. You’ll provide technical leadership, support day-to-day BAU operations and contribute to the secure delivery and ongoing management of both existing and emerging ICT capabilities.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing technical and specialised systems administration projects.
• Delivering complex systems administration solutions with a high degree of autonomy.
• Managing day-to-day workflows and BAU operations.
• Installing, deploying, configuring, monitoring and maintaining specialised systems.
• Producing clear technical documentation and knowledge artefacts to support operational continuity.
• Providing technical leadership and specialist systems administration advice.
• Identifying technical risks and uncertainties and incorporating these into planning and decision-making.
• Assessing technical and design packages, including scoping, planning and reviewing proposed solutions.
• Providing recommendations and contributing to the implementation of technical actions.

The Successful Candidate

You will be an experienced Systems Administrator with at least five years’ experience across enterprise infrastructure and Linux environments. You’ll be comfortable working independently on complex technical problems and delivering reliable outcomes within secure, mission-critical ICT environments.

You will bring demonstrated experience across:

• Linux administration, including RHEL, Debian and Ubuntu.
• Configuration management using Ansible.
• Enterprise software infrastructure and platform lifecycle management.
• Bash scripting and associated scripting technologies.
• Networking technologies.
• Enterprise monitoring platforms such as Splunk, Grafana, Prometheus and/or Xymon.

Highly regarded experience includes:

• DevOps practices and automation using Infrastructure as Code.
• Containerisation technologies such as Podman or Docker.
• Virtualisation technologies such as VMware.
• Databases and data platforms including SQL, Redis and PostgreSQL.
• Configuration and deployment of server-hosted enterprise software.

Candidates must also be willing to undergo an Organisational Suitability Assessment (OSA) prior to engagement.

• We pay our contractors same day you submit your timesheet!
• We are Level 3, DISP certified and have signed the Veteran Employment Commitment and been awarded the highest level of compliance to this important initiative, proactively assisting veterans transitioning from the forces to civilian roles. We’ve been lucky enough to win industry awards for our high level of process compliance and are ISO 9001 certified. Our commitment to reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions has been accredited in line with large global organisations.
• We value diversity and welcome applications from Indigenous Australians, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and people living with a disability.

Location:

The role is based in Canberra ACT.

Contract terms:

18 months from commencement date, plus 2x 12 month extensions

Experience Level:

Senior – EL1 Equivalent

Security Requirements:

Candidates must hold an active or reactivatable Top Secret Positive Vetting (TSPV) Security Clearance on submission. Our client is not prepared to upgrade an existing clearance for this position. An OSA (Organisational Suitability Assessment) will be required for this position.

Candidates will need to be willing to undergo pre-employment screening checks which may include, ID and work rights, security clearance verification and any other client requested checks.

Applications open until 8am 20 November 2026.