Senior Systems Administrator

Saalex; Ridgecrest (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 55,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

20-25 hour work week

On-site at China Lake

Opportunities for DoD credentialing

Job summary

Saalex Solutions in Ridgecrest, CA seeks a Senior Red Hat & Cloud Systems Administrator to maintain and modernize mission-critical Linux environments and AWS cloud resources. This part-time role offers 20-25 hours per week with on-site work at China Lake.

You'll implement automation, security hardening, and CI/CD pipelines while supporting DoD systems. A strong RHCSA/RHCE, DoD 8570 II, and extensive Linux experience are required.

Qualifications

• Active RHCSA or RHCE certification.
• Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II certification.
• Hands-on AWS services and scripting/automation experience.
• 8-10+ years Linux system administration experience or BS/MS with relevant work.
• Familiarity with DISA STIGs and RMF controls.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, configure, and administer multi-distribution Linux environments (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu).
• Support and maintain scalable AWS infrastructure (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM).
• Automate provisioning with Ansible, Terraform, or CloudFormation.
• Apply DISA STIGs and RMF compliance controls; remediate vulnerabilities.
• Maintain CI/CD pipelines to enable secure software releases.
• Monitor performance and troubleshoot network routing and security.

Skills

Bash

Python

Ansible

Terraform

Linux administration

AWS

CI/CD

Networking

Education

RHCSA/RHCE certification

DoD 8570/8140 IAT II certification

Bachelor’s degree in technical field

Linux admin experience 8-10+ years

Tools

AWS (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM)

CloudFormation

Docker/Kubernetes/OpenShift

GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, CodePipeline

Job description

Saalexis seeking aSenior Systems AdministratorinRidgecrest, CA.Saalex is an Engineering and Information Technology Services company with a focus on Test Range Operations and Management, Engineering and Logistics Services, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Services and Information Technology Services.

Position Type:

Part-Time

Salary:

$38.00-$40.00 Hourly (depending upon experience)

Work Location:

Full-time onsite at China Lake, CA.

About the Opportunity:

Are you an experienced Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) looking for high-impact technical work paired with the flexibility of a part-time schedule?

At Saalex Solutions, we support vital Department of Defense tactical training systems and test range capabilities. We are actively seeking a Senior Red Hat & Cloud Systems Administrator-while targeting a Senior, motivated Journeyman-level professionals with the right mindset, strong technical foundation, and drive to grow are strongly encouraged to apply!

In this role, you will help maintain, automate, and modernize mission-critical systems across hybrid enterprise environments-bridging on-premise high-performance Linux enclaves with AWS cloud architectures. This position offers the ideal blend of high technical autonomy, cutting-edge DevSecOps tooling, and a flexible 20-25 hour workweek.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us:

• True Work-Life Flexibility: Guaranteed 20-25 hours per week with adaptable scheduling around core operational windows.
• Alternate Fridays Off (9/80 Schedule): Enjoy standard three-day weekends every other week.
• Modern Tooling & Autonomy: Drive technical solutions across AWS cloud infrastructure, modern CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code automation.
• Direct Mission Impact: Support real-time systems essential to naval air warfare test ranges and national defense readiness.
• Continuous Growth & Mentorship: Full sponsorship for DoD cyber credentials, technical training, and professional development units (CEUs) to help you advance your career.

Key Responsibilities:

• Enterprise Linux Administration: Deploy, configure, and administer multi-distribution Linux environments (primarily Red Hat Enterprise Linux [RHEL], CentOS, and Ubuntu) supporting real-time servers, lab environments, and field engineering workstations.
• AWS Cloud Engineering: Support, deploy, and maintain scalable AWS infrastructure utilizing VPC, EC2, EBS, S3, IAM, CloudWatch, RDS, and EFS.
• Infrastructure as Code & Automation: Automate routine provisioning, configuration, and deployments using Ansible, Terraform, or AWS CloudFormation.
• System Hardening & Compliance: Apply DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), evaluate Nessus/ACAS scan findings, and remediate vulnerabilities in alignment with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) controls.
• CI/CD & DevSecOps Enablement: Support and maintain continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines (GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline) to enable reliable, secure software releases.
• Performance & Network Tuning: Proactively monitor server health, perform root-cause analysis on system alerts, and troubleshoot network routing (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, and load balancing).
• Identity & Access Management: Administer user accounts, role-based privileges, and group security policies in accordance with DoD and Navy cybersecurity directives.
• Agile Collaboration: Participate in Agile/Scrum sprint coordination, providing dependable infrastructure and deployment support to software developers, test engineers, and cyber leads.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required:

• Operating System Certification: Active Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
• Cybersecurity Baseline (DoD 8140 / 8570 Compliant): Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE, CCNA Security, CySA+, or equivalent).
• Cloud & Automation Exposure: Practical experience with core AWS services (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM) and scripting/automation tools (Bash, Python, Ansible, or Terraform).
• Security Hardening: Familiarity with DISA STIGs, SCAP compliance tools, and vulnerability remediation.
• Master’s degree with 5-7+ years of relevant experience, OR Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical field with 7-10+ years of hands-on experience, OR 8-10+ years of progressive, hands-on Linux system administration experience (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu) and advanced technical proficiency.

Desired:

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator.
• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes/OpenShift).
• Prior experience supporting Navy/DoD test range facilities (NAWCWD China Lake / Point Mugu or similar SSA environments).
• Familiarity with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence) or enterprise Git repositories.

Education:

• Master’s degree with 5-7+ years of relevant experience, OR Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical field with 7-10+ years of hands-on experience, OR 8-10+ years of progressive, hands-on Linux system administration experience (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu) and advanced technical proficiency.

Security Clearance:

• Must possess an activeSecret clearancewith the ability to gain and maintain aTop-Secret clearance. Requirements to obtain a clearance include US Citizenship, security investigation, etc.