Principal Engineer - Systems (Unix Systems Administrator)

Microchip Technology; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 75,000 - 232,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness & Medical Benefits

Stock grant

Quarterly bonus plan

Restricted Stock Grant

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Tuition Reimbursement

401K Retirement Savings Plan

Spending Accounts

Life Insurance

Long Term Care

Employee Assistance Plan

Paid Time Off

Holidays

Job summary

Microchip Technology Inc. is seeking an experienced enterprise systems administrator to design, deploy, and maintain Linux and FreeBSD environments both on premises and in cloud.

The role emphasizes strong security hardening using SELinux, DISA STIGs, and CIS benchmarks while supporting secure enclaves compliant with CMMC for handling CUI data. You will manage virtualization and containerized workloads, automate patching and compliance with Ansible, and troubleshoot complex OS and storage issues

Qualifications

• 10+ years of enterprise Linux/FreeBSD administration experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related field.
• U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain TS/SCI clearance.
• Experience hardening with DISA STIGs and CIS Benchmarks.
• Knowledge of CMMC frameworks for handling CUI.
• Experience provisioning and securing OS on bare-metal and in cloud.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and maintain enterprise Linux/FreeBSD environments on-premises and in cloud.
• Implement SELinux policies and system hardening.
• Apply DISA STIGs and CIS Benchmarks across baselines.
• Architect secure enclaves compliant with CMMC for CUI processing/storage.
• Deploy, secure, and manage virtualized and containerized workloads.
• Automate patching, configuration, and compliance auditing with tools like Ansible.
• Troubleshoot OS, network, and storage at kernel/hypervisor levels.

Skills

Linux admin

FreeBSD admin

DISA STIGs

CIS benchmarks

SELinux

CMMC compliance

Cloud virtualization

Container workloads

Ansible

Bare-metal provisioning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IT/Cybersecurity

Tools

Ansible

Job description

Are you looking for a unique opportunity to be a part of something great? Want to join a 17,000-member team that works on the technology that powers the world around us? Looking for an atmosphere of trust, empowerment, respect, diversity, and communication? How about an opportunity to own a piece of a multi-billion dollar (with a B!) global organization? We offer all that and more at Microchip Technology Inc. People come to work at Microchip because we help design the technology that runs the world. They stay because our culture supports their growth and stability. They are challenged and driven by an incredible array of products and solutions with unlimited career potential. Microchip’s nationally-recognized Leadership Passage Programs support career growth where we proudly enroll over a thousand people annually. We take pride in our commitment to employee development, values-based decision making, and strong sense of community, driven by our Vision, Mission, and 11 Guiding Values; we affectionately refer to it as the Aggregate System and it’s won us countless awards for diversity and workplace excellence. Our company is built by dedicated team players who love to challenge the status quo; we did not achieve record revenue and over 30 years of quarterly profitability without a great team dedicated to empowering innovation. People like you. Visit our careers page to see what exciting opportunities and company perks await!

Job Description:

• Design, deploy, and maintain enterprise Linux and/or FreeBSD environments on-premises and within cloud infrastructure environments.
• Implement deep system hardening and mandatory access controls using SELinux by writing custom policies.
• Apply, automate, and maintain strict security baselines according to DISA STIGs and CIS Benchmarks.
• Architect and manage secure enclaves compliant with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) standards for the safe processing and storage of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
• Deploy, secure, and manage virtualized environments and containerized workloads.
• Automate patching, configuration management, and compliance auditing across all hardware and cloud perimeters, utilizing in-house and industry automated tools (e.g., Ansible).
• Troubleshoot complex OS, network, and storage issues at the kernel and hypervisor levels.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years of hands-on, enterprise-level system administration experience specifically with Linux and/or FreeBSD operating systems.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field.
• Clearance Eligibility: Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI U.S. Government Security Clearance.
• Security & Hardening: Proven track record of hardening systems using DISA STIGs and CIS Benchmarks without breaking production workloads, practical knowledge of SELinux configuration.
• Federal Compliance: Strong working knowledge of CMMC frameworks and the specific technical guardrails required for handling CUI.
• Infrastructure Versatility: Demonstrated ability to provision, manage, and secure operating systems directly on bare-metal hardware, as well as within scalable cloud environments.
• Modern Workloads: Solid foundational knowledge of virtualization technologies and containerization runtimes.

Related & Preferred Certifications

• Operating System Focus: Red Hat Certified Engineer/Administrator (RHCE/RHCSA), Linux Foundation Certified Engineer/Administrator (LFCE/LFCS), CompTIA Linux+, or BSD Certification Group (BSDA/BSDP).
• Security & Compliance Focus: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+), or CompTIA Security+.
• Cloud & Modern Infrastructure: AWS Certified SysOps Administrator/Security Specialty, or Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA).

Benefits

• Wellness & Medical Benefits effective on your First Day of Employment
• Gold Standard in Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental & Vision Benefits
• Quarterly Employee Cash Bonus Plan
• Restricted Stock Grant
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 401K Retirement Savings Plan
• Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Care
• Legal Employee Assistance Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Vacation Pay
• Absence Time - "Sick Pay"
• 10 Paid Holidays

U.S. Export Controls Requirements

This job requires access to technology, materials, software or hardware that is controlled by the export laws of the United States. Candidates are required to provide proof of either US citizenship, Permanent US residency or classification as a protected individual as defined in 8 USC 1324b (a) (3).

Travel Time

0% - 25%

Physical Attributes

Feeling, Handling, Hearing, Other, Pulling, Reaching, Seeing, Talking, Works Alone, Works Around Others

Physical Requirements

70% sitting; 15% walking; 15% standing; 100% in doors; Usual business hours

Pay Range

The annual base salary range for this position, which could be performed in the US, is $75,000-$232,000.* *Range is dependent on numerous factors including job location, skills and experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Microchip Technology Inc is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information on applicable equal employment regulations, please refer to the Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Poster.

Recruitment Agency Notice

To all recruitment agencies: Microchip Technology Inc. does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our recruiting team or other Microchip employees. Microchip is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Corporate Culture

At Microchip, employees are our greatest strength. As one of the top performing semiconductor companies in the world, we are led by a set of guiding values and a mission to empower innovation to enhance the human experience. We work tirelessly to create a company culture that highlights how important every employee is to our mission.