Linux Administrator

Thales Trusted Cyber Technologies; Clarksburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales Trusted Cyber Technologies in Maryland is seeking a Linux Administrator to manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems across on-premises, air-gapped, and cloud environments for a DoD contractor.

The role enforces security baselines, automates using Ansible and Satellite, supports software engineering teams with CI/CD tooling, and ensures compliant, resilient Linux infrastructure in a hybrid work setting with occasional travel to Abingdon, MD.

Qualifications

• 4-7+ years of Linux systems administration experience, preferably in DoD or regulated environments.
• Strong hands-on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) experience (8/9+).
• Experience with multi-site, air-gapped environments and cloud provisioning.
• Familiarity with security hardening (STIGs, FIPS, CMMC) and compliance.
• Ability to automate installation, patching, and configuration tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provide system administration and engineering support for RHEL-based and mixed Linux systems across on‑premises, air-gapped, multi-site, and cloud environments.
• Install, configure, harden, maintain, and patch Linux servers/workstations in various network topologies.
• Enforce security baselines and compliance requirements on Linux systems in classified environments.
• Utilize Satellite, Ansible, and related technologies to provision, configure, patch, and deploy at scale.
• Support development/build/CI/CD infrastructure and tooling for software engineering teams.
• Monitor performance, troubleshoot, and perform routine automation tasks with cron/systemd/Ansible.
• Collaborate with security, network, and engineering teams; assist in air-gapped and remote work scenarios.

Skills

RHEL administration

Security baselines

Automation (Ansible)

Satellite

CI/CD tooling support

Cloud platforms (AWS GovCloud/Azure)

Scripting (Bash/Python)

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS or related field

Tools

Red Hat Satellite

Ansible

Terraform

Job description

Summary:

The Linux Administrator is responsible for all aspects of systems administration, including servers, applications, workstations, and systems engineering support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)-based systems in a multi-site, hybrid (on-premises, air-gapped, and cloud) environment. This role supports a Department of Defense (DoD) defense contractor operating under CMMC requirements. The individual will administer and maintain the Engineering environment-applications, servers, and workstations-primarily on Linux (with some Windows support), enforce security baselines, and provide troubleshooting and end-user support in accordance with company IT guidelines and all applicable security rules for secure and air-gapped areas.

Qualification Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship REQUIRED
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret-level Security Clearance upon hire

Education:

Bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent experience (3-5+ years of relevant hands-on experience may be substituted).

Experience and Skills:

• U.S. Citizenship Required - Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. Secret Level Security Clearance upon hire
• 4-7+ years of job-related Linux systems administration experience (preferably in DoD, defense contractor, or highly regulated environments)
• Strong, hands-on experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) environments, including RHEL 8/9/+
• Experience supporting multi-site environments and air-gapped / disconnected systems (offline patching, media transfer, secure configuration management)
• Experience managing Linux systems in cloud environments (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, or equivalent), including provisioning, configuration, and security hardening of cloud-based RHEL instances
• Experience supporting software engineering / development teams (build servers, CI/CD tooling, development workstations, container-based workflows)
• Experience with containerization on Linux and familiarity with orchestration concepts
• Proficiency with infrastructure automation tools (Ansible, Red Hat Satellite / Red Hat Insights required; Terraform or similar IaC tools a strong plus)
• Ability to provision, install, configure, harden, patch, and troubleshoot Linux servers and workstations (physical, virtual, and cloud) including associated peripherals
• Experience writing scripts (Bash, Python, or similar) to automate installation, configuration, patching, and compliance tasks
• Familiarity with virtualized environments running Linux workloads
• Knowledge of security hardening and compliance frameworks relevant to DoD contractors (STIGs, FIPS, CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171 controls)
• Ability to work collaboratively with technical teams and software engineering groups to assess needs, resolve issues, and support project objectives
• Hyrbid work schedule with willingness to travel to Abingdon, MD and Clarksburg, MD (approximately once per week) and to participate in after-hours / weekend support for special projects and recurring maintenance when needed
• Ability to comply with all company guidelines, policies, procedures, and Core Values

Certifications (preferred):

• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide system administration and systems engineering support for RHEL-based and non-RHEL based linux systems across on-premises, air-gapped, multi-site, and cloud environments
• Install, configure, harden, maintain, and patch Linux servers and workstations in standalone, networked, air-gapped, and hybrid cloud configurations
• Enforce security baselines and compliance requirements (STIG, FIPS, CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171) on Linux systems in classified and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) environments
• Utilize automation tools (Satellite, Ansible, and related technologies) to provision, configure, patch, and deploy Linux systems and applications at scale
• Support software engineering departments by maintaining development, build, and CI/CD-related Linux infrastructure and tooling
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and resolve break/fix problems on Linux workstations and servers
• Automate routine tasks using cron, systemd timers, Ansible, or other scheduling/automation methods
• Manage and maintain system baselines, configuration management, and documentation (including change records for air-gapped and secure systems)
• Perform regular patching and vulnerability remediation of Linux operating systems in both connected and disconnected environments
• Collaborate with security, network, and engineering teams to ensure systems