Senior IT Engineer

Linuxconfig; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Turion Space

Health Insurance

401(k) plan with employer contribution

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Professional Development

Team Building Activities

Job summary

Turion Space is seeking a Senior IT Engineer to lead IT Ops, automate critical workflows, and mentor staff. You will tackle escalated issues, design scalable, automated solutions, and drive improvements across Windows and Linux environments, virtualization, and cloud services.

Collaboration with Platform Engineering and InfoSec is essential. You will build a paved road for IT processes, enabling employees to design, build, and operate spacecraft while growing your expertise in security and

Qualifications

• 5+ years in IT operations, systems administration, or a similar role with progression of responsibilities.
• Expert-level scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, Bash) with projects showing automation impact.
• Experience with configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef).
• Deep hands-on experience administering Windows and Linux servers.
• Strong networking knowledge and virtualization platforms (Hyper-V/VMware).
• Experience as technical escalation point and mentoring juniors.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects from conception to completion.
• Problem-solving mindset with root-cause analysis experience.
• Strong admin experience with Azure AD/Entra ID, IAM architectures, and MDM systems.
• Ability to obtain/maintain Secret and/or TS/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary escalation point for complex, high-severity issues across systems, networks, and applications.
• Lead RCA efforts and implement automated, long-term fixes.
• Design, build, and maintain automation for onboarding/offboarding, provisioning, patching, and endpoint config using PowerShell, Python, and Ansible.
• Act as technical lead on IT projects like storage/backups modernization and self-service tools.
• Mentor junior staff and promote knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Administer and enhance Windows and Linux environments, virtualization, and cloud services.
• Collaborate with Platform Engineering and InfoSec to ensure secure deployments and feedback.
• Contribute to maturity of the help desk by runbooks and better self-service.

Skills

PowerShell

Python

Bash

Ansible

Puppet

Chef

Windows administration

Linux administration

Networking fundamentals

Virtualization

Azure AD/Entra ID

IAM

MDM

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Terraform

Git

Job description

At Turion, our IT Ops team builds the corporate infrastructure that enables employees to design, build, and operate spacecraft. As a Senior IT Engineer, you will be a technical leader and mentor on the IT Ops team, responsible for tackling the most challenging support issues while building the automated, scalable systems that prevent them from recurring. You will be a key player in maturing our IT operations, blending deep systems administration expertise with a modern, automation-first mindset. You will not only solve complex problems but also design and implement the "paved road" solutions that empower our users and streamline our workflows.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a primary escalation point for complex and high-severity technical issues, providing expert-level support for systems, networks, and applications.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring problems, moving beyond tactical fixes to develop and implement long-term, automated solutions.
• Design, build, and maintain automation for critical IT workflows, including employee onboarding/offboarding, software provisioning, system patching, and endpoint configuration using tools like PowerShell, Python, and Ansible.
• Act as a technical lead on IT projects, such as storage and backup modernization, virtualization platform buildout, and the implementation of new self-service tools.
• Mentor and develop junior IT staff, sharing knowledge, establishing best practices for troubleshooting, and championing a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing (KCS).
• Administer and enhance core IT infrastructure, including our Windows and Linux environments, virtualization platforms, and cloud services, with a focus on reliability and scalability.
• Collaborate with Platform Engineering and InfoSec to consume internal services and ensure IT systems are deployed securely and in alignment with company standards. You will be an "expert consumer" of the internal platform, providing valuable feedback to improve it.
• Contribute to the maturity of the help desk function by creating runbooks, improving support workflows, and identifying opportunities to deflect tickets through better documentation and self-service.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years in IT operations, systems administration, or a similar role with a demonstrated progression of skills and responsibilities.
• Expert-level scripting and automation skills (e.g., PowerShell, Python, Bash) with a portfolio of projects demonstrating your ability to eliminate manual IT processes.
• Experience with configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef.
• Deep, hands‑on experience administering both Windows and Linux server environments.
• Strong working knowledge of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPNs) and virtualization platforms (Hyper‑V or VMware).
• Experience acting as a technical escalation point and mentoring junior team members.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects from conception to completion.
• A problem‑solving mindset with a passion for digging into root causes and building lasting solutions.
• Strong administration experience with Azure AD/Entra ID, IAM architectures, and MDM (Mobile Device Management) systems.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret and/or TS/SCI security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles and tools like Terraform.
• Experience in a regulated or security‑sensitive environment (defense, aerospace, government contracting) and familiarity with compliance frameworks (CMMC, NIST).
• Experience working in a hybrid environment with both on‑premise and cloud (AWS, Azure) infrastructure.
• Hands‑on experience with Git‑based workflows for managing code and configurations.
• A demonstrated passion for improving user experience and building self‑service tools.
• Experience with modern IT service management (ITSM) practices and the Knowledge‑Centered Service (KCS) methodology.

ITAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or software source code that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Benefits

• Equity: Receive equity in Turion Space, letting you benefit from the company's success
• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.
• Retirement Plans: Access to a 401(k) plan with a 3% Employer Direct Contribution to help you plan for your future.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, sick days, and holidays to ensure you have time to recharge.
• Parental Leave: Paid parental leave following the birth of a newborn or adoption.
• Emotional Wellbeing: A no-cost Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your household’s emotional health and wellbeing.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for ongoing internal training, workshops, and courses to advance your skills and career growth.
• Team Building Activities: Regular social events, team outings, and company‑sponsored activities to foster a positive work environment.

Senior IT Engineer Salary: $140,000 - $180,000

Employees may be asked to support alternate shifts, extended shifts, and/or travel during peak work periods.

Turion Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Turion Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.