Journeyman Systems Administrator

Saalex; Ridgecrest (CA); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 52,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

20–25 hours/week

Alternate Fridays Off (9/80)

DoD credential sponsorship

Professional development credits

Job summary

Saalex is seeking a Journeyman Systems Administrator in Ridgecrest, CA for a part-time, onsite role supporting DoD mission-critical Linux and cloud environments. The position offers 20-25 hours per week with a flexible schedule and 9/80 Fridays alternate; strong RHCSA/RHCE and AWS/DevSecOps experience preferred.

Responsibilities include deploying and hardening Linux, AWS cloud integration, IaC automation with Ansible and Terraform, and security compliance with STIGs and RMF.

Qualifications

• Active RHCSA or RHCE certification.
• Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT II certification.
• Practical experience with core AWS services and scripting/automation.
• Familiarity with DISA STIGs and RMF controls.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, configure, and manage multi-distribution Linux environments (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu).
• Support and maintain scalable AWS infrastructure (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM).
• Automate provisioning with Ansible, Terraform, or CloudFormation.
• Apply DISA STIGs and remediate vulnerabilities per RMF controls.
• Maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitLab/Jenkins/AWS CodePipeline).
• Monitor performance, troubleshoot networking, and ensure security posture.
• Manage identities, access control, and compliance in DoD environment.

Skills

Cloud & DevOps mindset

Scripting (Bash/Python)

CI/CD awareness

Education

RHCSA Certification

RHCE Certification

DoD 8570/8140 IAT II

Bachelor's in technical field

Tools

AWS

Ansible

Terraform

CloudFormation

Job description

Saalex is seeking aJourneyman Systems Administrator in Ridgecrest, CA. Saalex is an Engineering and Information Technology Services company with a focus on Test Range Operations and Management, Engineering and Logistics Services, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Services and Information Technology Services.

Position Type:

Part-Time

Salary:

$36.00-$38.00 Hourly (depending upon experience)

Work Location:

Full-time onsite at China Lake, CA.

About the Opportunity:

Are you an experienced Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) looking for high-impact technical work paired with the flexibility of a part-time schedule?

At Saalex Solutions, we support vital Department of Defense tactical training systems and test range capabilities. We are actively seeking a Senior Red Hat & Cloud Systems Administrator-while targeting a Senior, motivated Journeyman-level professionals with the right mindset, strong technical foundation, and drive to grow are strongly encouraged to apply!

In this role, you will help maintain, automate, and modernize mission-critical systems across hybrid enterprise environments-bridging on-premise high-performance Linux enclaves with AWS cloud architectures. This position offers the ideal blend of high technical autonomy, cutting-edge DevSecOps tooling, and a flexible 20-25 hour workweek.

Why You'll Love Working With Us:

• True Work-Life Flexibility: Guaranteed 20-25 hours per week with adaptable scheduling around core operational windows.
• Alternate Fridays Off (9/80 Schedule): Enjoy standard three-day weekends every other week.
• Modern Tooling & Autonomy: Drive technical solutions across AWS cloud infrastructure, modern CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code automation.
• Direct Mission Impact: Support real-time systems essential to naval air warfare test ranges and national defense readiness.
• Continuous Growth & Mentorship: Full sponsorship for DoD cyber credentials, technical training, and professional development units (CEUs) to help you advance your career.

Key Responsibilities:

As our Linux and Cloud systems resource, you will perform hands-on administration, hardening, and automation across both classified and unclassified environments:

• Enterprise Linux Administration: Deploy, configure, and administer multi-distribution Linux environments (primarily Red Hat Enterprise Linux [RHEL], CentOS, and Ubuntu) supporting real-time servers, lab environments, and field engineering workstations.
• AWS Cloud Engineering: Support, deploy, and maintain scalable AWS infrastructure utilizing VPC, EC2, EBS, S3, IAM, CloudWatch, RDS, and EFS.
• Infrastructure as Code & Automation: Automate routine provisioning, configuration, and deployments using Ansible, Terraform, or AWS CloudFormation.
• System Hardening & Compliance: Apply DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), evaluate Nessus/ACAS scan findings, and remediate vulnerabilities in alignment with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) controls.
• CI/CD & DevSecOps Enablement: Support and maintain continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines (GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline) to enable reliable, secure software releases.
• Performance & Network Tuning: Proactively monitor server health, perform root-cause analysis on system alerts, and troubleshoot network routing (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, and load balancing).
• Identity & Access Management: Administer user accounts, role-based privileges, and group security policies in accordance with DoD and Navy cybersecurity directives.
• Agile Collaboration: Participate in Agile/Scrum sprint coordination, providing dependable infrastructure and deployment support to software developers, test engineers, and cyber leads.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required:

• Operating System Certification: Active Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Cybersecurity Baseline (DoD 8140 / 8570 Compliant): Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE, CCNA Security, CySA+, or equivalent).
• Cloud & Automation Exposure: Practical experience with core AWS services (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM) and scripting/automation tools (Bash, Python, Ansible, or Terraform).
• Security Hardening: Familiarity with DISA STIGs, SCAP compliance tools, and vulnerability remediation.
• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline with 3-5 years of hands-on Linux system administration experience, OR 3-5+ years of practical Linux experience with requisite certifications.

Desired:

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator.
• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes/OpenShift).
• Prior experience supporting Navy/DoD test range facilities (NAWCWD China Lake / Point Mugu or similar SSA environments).
• Familiarity with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence) or enterprise Git repositories.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline with 3-5 years of hands-on Linux system administration experience, OR 3-5+ years of practical Linux experience with requisite certifications.

Security Clearance:

• Must possess an active Secret clearance with the ability to gain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance. Requirements to obtain a clearance include US Citizenship, security investigation, etc.