Senior Systems Administrator (Linux/Cloud)

Pennsylvania State University; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 80,100 - 152,004; Full time

Job summary

Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory in Reston, VA seeks a Systems Administrator to maintain HPC systems, Linux environments, and cloud tooling, with a focus on performance, upgrades, backups, and security clearance.

You will develop deployment plans, automate tasks, support CI/CD pipelines, and document configurations; occasional staff supervision may occur.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 6+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong Linux (Red Hat) admin skills, Ansible scripting, and GitLab pipelines.
• Experience testing/upgrading Kubernetes-based environments and Modeling & Simulation apps.
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher.

Responsibilities

• Install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and support Linux systems with Ansible and GitLab pipelines.
• Develop deployment plans, schedules, and requirements for system deployment.
• Create or improve scripts and tooling for systems management.
• Troubleshoot server/workstation/A/V issues and respond to outages during business hours.
• Test and implement upgrades/patches for OS, Kubernetes, and M&S apps.
• Maintain system reliability via monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Monitor backups and automation/CI-CD pipelines; document configurations.
• May supervise staff, including hiring, development, and performance management.

Skills

Linux admin

Ansible scripting

GitLab pipelines

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Kubernetes

GitLab

Job description

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

POSITION SPECIFICS

We are searching for a Systems Administrator to join the Reston, VA location of the Digital Engineering Department in the Cyber, Modeling, and Simulation Division of the Information Advantage Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will maintain the integrity of various high-performance computing (HPC) systems including operating systems, physical servers/workstations, and applications; administer, install, and troubleshoot a variety of Cloud tooling and applications, perform systems maintenance tasks such as troubleshooting and performance evaluation as well as back-up and recovery; perform configuration changes to address customer needs; schedule, install, and test system software upgrades; monitor and maintain software licensing.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You will:

• Install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and support systems and software with a focus on Linux (Red Hat), Ansible scripting, and GitLab pipelines
• Develop plans, schedules, and requirements for deployment of systems
• Create or improve existing scripts and tooling to aid in systems management
• Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve server, workstation, and audio-visual (A/V) issues and/or respond to outages during normal working hours
• Resolve service-related issues; determine immediate economic and financial consequences of an incident
• Test and implement upgrades and patches to installed operating systems, software container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes), and modeling & simulation (M&S) applications
• Maintain reliability of systems by monitoring, running tests, and troubleshooting
• Monitor backups and plans for installed systems
• Monitor, maintain, and execute automation processes and CI/CD pipelines
• Evaluate and recommend new or existing system improvements and/or solutions
• Create and maintain system documentation of our processes, procedures, plans, and configurations
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Required Skills/Experience areas to include:

• Ability to install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and support systems and software, with a strong focus on Linux (Red Hat), Ansible scripting, and GitLab pipelines
• Skilled in diagnosing, troubleshooting, and resolving server, workstation, and audio-visual (A/V) issues, including responding to system outages during normal business hours
• Proficiency in testing and implementing upgrades and patches for operating systems, Kubernetes-based container orchestration platforms, and modeling and simulation (M&S) applications
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required

Your working location will be fully onsite, located in Reston, VA.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

If filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:NoneIf filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:None

ARL's purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Intel Community (IC), and other federal government customers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at

www.arl.psu.edu.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory

Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $80,100.00 - $152,004.00.

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.