Security Operations Systems Administrator

Advantage Technical; Southwick (MA); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Time off

Supplemental insurance

Job summary

Advantage Technical is seeking a Security Operations & Systems Administrator in Southwick, MA on a hybrid contract-to-hire basis. You will lead SecOps efforts, manage the DigiCert certificate lifecycle, and support Windows Server, backups, endpoints, and Fortinet networking.

The role emphasizes incident response, vulnerability remediation, and PKI design, with collaboration across IT and security teams to maintain resilient systems and compliant processes.

Qualifications

• Hands-on security operations experience including alert triage and incident response.
• Experience with XDR/MDR platforms and security monitoring workflows.
• Certificate lifecycle management and PKI experience with DigiCert preferred.
• Experience administering a public CA platform is a plus.
• Understanding of TLS/SSL, DNS, firewalls and core networking basics.
• Strong documentation and cross-team communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, triage, and investigate security alerts; drive incidents to resolution.
• Participate in incident response, containment, and post-incident analysis.
• Support vulnerability remediation and risk-based prioritization.
• Maintain security baselines, access controls, and configuration standards.
• Own DigiCert account, certificate lifecycle, renewals, inventory.
• Administer Windows Server, backups, endpoints; support Fortinet networking.

Skills

SecOps

XDR/MDR

Incident response

PKI

TLS/SSL

Fortinet

Windows Server

Active Directory

NinjaOne

Tools

DigiCert

ACME

Fortinet

NinjaOne

Job description

Security Operations & Systems Administrator

Location: Southwick, MA-hybrid model | Type: contract to hire

Pay range: 45/hr-67/hr

About the Role

We are looking for a security operations professional to join our team as a SecOps & Systems Administrator. This is a security-first role - you will bring strong SecOps experience to our day-to-day detection, response, and hardening work, and you will be the designated owner of our DigiCert platform and certificate lifecycle. Systems administration is a secondary part of the job, supporting the servers, backups, and endpoints that the security program depends on. You will work closely with the Security Operations (SecOps) department and the wider IT team.

What You'll Do

Security Operations

• Monitor, triage, and investigate security alerts from XDR, MDR, and other security tooling, escalating and driving incidents to resolution
• Participate in incident response, including containment, evidence gathering, root cause analysis, and post-incident documentation
• Support vulnerability scanning and remediation, prioritizing findings by risk and working with system owners to close them
• Apply and maintain security baselines, access controls, and configuration standards across servers, endpoints, and network devices
• Review and tune firewall policies and network security controls, with a focus on Fortinet environments
• Help build and improve runbooks, detection use cases, and security processes, and support audits and compliance requests with clear evidence

DigiCert & Certificate Lifecycle

• Own and administer the DigiCert account and platform, including organization and domain validation, user roles and permissions, ordering, renewals, and vendor relationship
• Manage the certificate lifecycle end to end - issuance, deployment, renewal, replacement, and revocation - so that no certificate expires unexpectedly
• Maintain a complete, accurate certificate inventory with owners, expiration dates, and the systems each certificate protects
• Build and maintain certificate discovery, monitoring, and renewal automation via ACME, API-based workflows, and expiry alerting
• Design and maintain internal PKI, including certificate templates, policies, and trust chains, and set standards for key length, algorithms, and certificate use
• Partner with application, infrastructure, and network teams to plan deployments and resolve TLS/SSL issues quickly

Systems Administration

• Administer and patch Windows Server environments, including Active Directory and Group Policy
• Monitor backup jobs, verify recoverability, and assist with restore testing
• Manage endpoints and automate patching, scripting, and alerting through NinjaOne (RMM)
• Provide hands-on Fortinet networking support, including basic configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting

Required Qualifications

• Strong, hands-on experience in a security operations role, including alert triage, investigation, and incident response
• Working knowledge of XDR and/or MDR platforms and security monitoring workflows
• Proven experience managing digital certificates and PKI, including CSR generation, certificate chains, renewals, and revocation
• Experience administering a public Certificate Authority platform - DigiCert strongly preferred
• Solid understanding of TLS/SSL, DNS, firewalls, and core networking and security fundamentals
• Strong troubleshooting skills, sound judgment, and the ability to work independently while keeping the SecOps department informed
• Clear written communication for documentation, runbooks, and cross-team coordination

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at a Managed Service Provider (MSP), including supporting multiple client environments and ticket-driven workflows
• Experience with Windows Server and Active Directory administration
• Experience with Fortinet firewalls or other Fortinet security products
• Experience with NinjaOne or a comparable RMM platform
• Experience monitoring or managing enterprise backup solutions
• Relevant certifications: Security+, CySA+, GCIH, NSE (Fortinet), or a PKI/CA-specific credential

What Success Looks Like

• Zero unplanned outages caused by expired or misconfigured certificates
• DigiCert fully owned and documented, with a current certificate inventory and automated renewal and alerting in place
• Security alerts and incidents handled quickly, with clear documentation and measurable reductions in open vulnerabilities
• Reliable support for server, backup, endpoint, and network tasks without pulling focus from security priorities
• A strong working relationship with the SecOps department, with proactive communication on priorities and risks

The base pay range listed reflects what we reasonably expect to offer for this role. Actual pay may vary based on location, experience, and performance. Depending on the position, benefits may include medical, dental, and vision coverage; retirement and savings plans; paid holidays and time off; supplemental insurance; and additional wellness or incentive programs.

About Us

Advantage Technical connects top- talent in technology, engineering, and technical fields with forward-looking companies.

Advantage Technical is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Advantage Technical offers reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities; contact your local branch for inquiries. Advantage Technical is an E-Verify employer. See our Privacy Notice for Candidates and Employees/Contractors at https://smgroupna.com/privacy-notice-for-candidates-and-employees-contractors. By applying, you consent to receive AI-generated and non-AI-generated calls, texts, or emails from Staffmark Group, its affiliates, and partners. Frequency varies and message/data rates may apply. Reply STOP to cancel or HELP for help.