LEAD IT SPECIALIST - SR. IT SPECIALIST - Linux System Admin - Spacecraft Operations - Boulder, [...]

Southwest Research Institute; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in aerospace technology is seeking a Lead IT Specialist in Boulder, Colorado. The successful candidate will manage Linux server infrastructure and ensure high availability for critical NASA missions. Qualifications include significant experience in Linux administration, problem-solving skills, and a strong educational background in IT. This role involves compliance with IT policies, security audits, and collaboration with research teams to enhance systems stability and performance.

Qualifications

• 6 years of experience as a Linux administrator with a Bachelor's degree or 10 years with a high school diploma.
• Expert knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols.
• Government IT compliance experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain Linux infrastructure for 24x7x365 operations supporting NASA missions.
• Provide solutions for operational needs through engineering systems administration.
• Monitor system performance and manage software upgrades.

Skills

Linux Administration

Problem Solving

Scripting (Python, Perl)

Network Management

System Automation (Ansible)

Education

Bachelors Degree in Information Technology

Associates Degree in directly related field

Job description

LEAD IT SPECIALIST - SR. IT SPECIALIST - Linux System Admin - Spacecraft Operations - Boulder, Colorado

19-00174

Who We Are:

Our team, the Space Mission Directorate within Division 19, is looking for Linux IT Systems Administrators with an enthusiasm for spacecraft operations.

Objectives of this Role:

• Build, install and maintain Linux servers as well as network operations in an environment supporting spacecraft operations that is audited by NASA to the NIST 800-53 standard.
• Formal knowledge of Linux required, with RedHat Enterprise Linux/CentOS specific experience a plus.
• Managing servers and networking.
• Apache HTTP, LVM, clustered filesystems, DRBD, high availability computing.
• SQL database servers and virtualization environments.
• Solid knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols such as SSH, NFS, CIFS, NTP, HTTP, LDAP, and SMTP.
• Python or Perl and shell scripting.
• Managing containers and networking (TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, firewalls) through Ansible.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Be part of an on-site team that proactively maintains and develops Linux infrastructure to support a 24x7x365 uptime service that includes research scientists and science and mission operations for various NASA spacecraft missions.
• Engineering of systems administration-related solutions for operational needs.
• Comply with IT policy on managing systems and services across all environments.
• Continuous fault finding and analysis of logging information for reporting for audit requirements.
• Proactively monitoring system performance and capacity. Manage, coordinate, and implement software upgrades, patches, and hot fixes on servers in production and dev/test environments.
• Create and modify Ansible and shell scripts to perform tasks.
• Provide input on ways to improve the stability, security, efficiency, and scalability of the computing environment.
• Collaborate with other teams and team members to develop automation strategies and deployment processes.
• Troubleshoot issues for local and remote users.
• Maintain/patch systems and resolve security issues within a federal research environment.
• Support and actively participate in security audits.
• Utilize ticketing system to log system administration actions and collaborate with other IT staff in resolving issues.

Requirements:

• Requires a high school diploma or equivalent or an Associates or a Bachelors degree in Information Technology or directly related degree field with the associated years of experience.
• 6 years: Experience as a Linux administrator and a Bachelors degree in an IT-related field; Expert level knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols related to user access rights, high-availability storage networks, virtualization and system automation through Ansible.
• 10 years: Professional level experience as a Linux administrator and HS diploma or an Associates degree. Knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols related to user access rights, high-availability storage networks, virtualization and system automation through Ansible.
• Government IT compliance experience preferred.
• Additional Linux certifications (e.g. RHCE) are preferred.
• Strong analytic and problem-solving skills, as well as accuracy and attention to detail. Proven ability to diagnose an issue effectively (via monitoring tools and logs) and implement a solution in real-time.
• Ability to deliver auditable technical documentation on schedule.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to achieve the desired outcome in a positive and constructive manner.
• Solid delivery track record, both long-term projects and under short-term deadline pressure.
• Strong problem solving and written and verbal communication skills.

Special Requirements:

Work assignment is in Boulder, Colorado. Must be a U.S. person (i.e., U.S. citizen, non-U.S. citizen national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee) due to ITAR work in section.

For benefits information at our San Antonio location, click here .
For benefits information at all other locations, click here .

An Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and veteran status.