Senior Systems Administrator

The Regional Municipality of Durham; Sully Square (VA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 204,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in cyber security solutions seeks a Senior Systems Administrator to enhance IT infrastructure management. In this pivotal role, you will secure operations and support various cloud environments while ensuring compliance with industry standards. Candidates must possess an active Top Secret clearance and extensive technical experience, making this a prime opportunity to impact national security through advanced technology.

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) with Polygraph security clearance required.
• 12 to 15 years of prior relevant experience.
• Understanding of DoD IT security protocols.

Responsibilities

• Manage and secure IT infrastructure with a focus on reliability and performance.
• Oversee installation, configuration, and maintenance of critical systems.
• Conduct regular system audits and vulnerability scans.

Skills

Expertise in administering and securing Windows and Linux operating systems

Strong experience with virtualization technologies

Proficiency in managing cloud platforms like AWS, Azure

Solid understanding of networking protocols

Proficiency in scripting languages (PowerShell, Bash, Python)

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

VMware

Hyper-V

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Looking for an opportunity to make an impact?

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. The Leidos National Security Sector (NSS) combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in the areas of cyber, logistics, security operations, and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers’ mission to defend against evolving threats around the world.

Your greatest work is ahead!

The Multi-domain Solutions Division (MDS) within the Leidos National Security Sector is seeking a skilled Senior Systems Administrator to join a new cyber security program and play a key role in supporting government-critical systems. You will be part of a program that oversees development, integration, delivery, and operations and maintenance of IT managed security services, which encompasses support to monitor the cybersecurity threat and security posture situational awareness for the enterprise. This opportunity is in anticipation of a future contract award!

What you’ll be doing:

• Manage, optimize, and secure our IT infrastructure, ensuring the reliability, scalability, and security of our systems.
• Oversee the installation, configuration, and maintenance of critical systems and applications, while proactively identifying and resolving technical issues.
• Manage both on-premises and cloud environments, automating routine tasks, and implementing best practices to enhance system performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless IT operations and provide guidance to junior administrators to promote a culture of operational excellence.
• Responsible for installation, configuration, administration, support and maintenance of systems, including associated hardware.
• Management of systems infrastructures, implementing best practices to Identify and recommend system functional specifications, configuration of physical and virtual systems, backup and recovery of IT infrastructure.
• Support duties may include updating and supporting systems by tuning performance, allocating storage space. Implementing critical patches, reviewing systems performance logs to identify anomalies and troubleshoot issues.
• Influence development of solutions that impact strategic project/program goals and business results.
• Recommend and develop new technical solutions, products, and/or standards in support of function’s strategy and operations.
• Lead and manage works of other technical staff that has significant impact on project results/outputs.
• Administer, maintain, and optimize Windows, Linux, and cloud-based systems to ensure high availability and performance.
• Manage system configurations, updates, and patch management to minimize security vulnerabilities.
• Monitor system health, performance, and capacity, and take proactive measures to prevent outages.
• Develop and maintain documentation for system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guidelines.
• Configure and manage virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V, etc.) to ensure efficient resource utilization.
• Oversee storage solutions, backup strategies, and disaster recovery planning to ensure data integrity and business continuity.
• Implement and maintain infrastructure as code (IaC) using tools like Terraform or Ansible for system provisioning and automation.
• Apply security best practices to harden systems, protect sensitive data, and ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Manage identity and access management (IAM) solutions, enforce role-based access controls (RBAC), and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Conduct regular system audits, vulnerability scans, and risk assessments to identify and mitigate security risks.
• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and organizational security policies.
• Investigate and resolve complex technical issues across systems, applications, and networks.
• Perform root cause analysis of incidents and implement preventive measures to avoid future occurrences.
• Develop and maintain incident response plans to minimize downtime and ensure rapid recovery.
• Deploy and manage cloud-based infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid environments.
• Implement and maintain secure virtual networks, VPNs, and cloud access controls.
• Optimize cloud resources to improve performance and reduce costs.
• Work closely with development, security, and operations teams to ensure seamless system integration and security.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior system administrators and IT staff.
• Participate in project planning, system upgrades, and migration efforts, ensuring minimal impact on business operations.
• Automate routine system administration tasks using PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Develop scripts to monitor system health, automate patching, and enhance configuration management.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve operational efficiency through automation and process optimization.

What does Leidos need from me?

• Active Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) with Polygraph security clearance required. Must be U.S. Citizen.
• Bachelor's degree and 12 to 15 years of prior relevant experience or Master's with 10 to 13 years of prior relevant experience. Experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Understanding of DoD IT security protocols and requirements.
• Expertise in administering and securing Windows and Linux operating systems.
• Strong experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware, Hyper-V, or Proxmox.
• Proficiency in managing cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Solid understanding of networking protocols, firewall management, VPNs, and TCP/IP.
• Hands-on experience with backup and disaster recovery solutions.
• Strong knowledge of identity and access management (Active Directory, LDAP) and group policy management.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (PowerShell, Bash, Python) to automate administrative tasks.
• Experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration management tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Puppet.

Favorable if you have:

• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, AWS Certified SysOps Administrator, CompTIA Security+ or similar security certifications.
• Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with SIEM, IDS/IPS, and other security monitoring tools.

Original Posting:
March 30, 2025
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:
Pay Range $112,450.00 - $203,275.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.