Senior Windows SME

Leidos; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior Windows Systems Administrator to serve as the primary Windows SA and SME for the DISA CESO ITSS team. You will own the Windows environment and oversee a mixed-OS infrastructure, driving architecture decisions and operational excellence.

Responsibilities include design, implementation, monitoring, and incident resolution, enforcing enterprise standards, and mentoring junior engineers. A TS/SCI clearance and Security+ or equivalent is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience, or a master’s with 6–10 years.
• Active TS/SCI clearance required.
• Security+ or DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification.
• Extensive experience administering Windows Server environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior SME for Windows Server environments and drive architecture decisions.
• Design, implement, and sustain enterprise Windows infrastructure.
• Ensure health and availability of Windows systems and proactively monitor performance.
• Lead complex troubleshooting and root-cause analysis to implement permanent fixes.
• Establish enterprise standards and hardening aligned with security frameworks.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to admins and engineers.
• Plan system lifecycle activities including patches, upgrades, migrations.
• Provide cross-platform support with basic Linux administration.

Skills

Windows Server

Windows services

Troubleshooting

Linux basics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline

Master’s degree (6–10 years)

Job description

Leidos is committed to delivering innovative solutions and supporting mission-critical operations for our customers.

The DISA CESO ITSS team provides network operations and cyber defense support to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), enabling secure and reliable communications for the Department of Defense (DoD) and Combatant Commands (COCOMs).

Leidos is seeking a Senior Windows Systems Administrator (SA) to serve as the primary Windows SA and subject matter expert (SME) for our team.

This role focuses on ownership of our Windows environment while supporting a mixed‑OS infrastructure.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior lead and primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all Windows Server environments, driving technical strategy, architecture decisions, and operational excellence.
• Design, architect, implement, and sustain enterprise Windows infrastructure.
• Own the health, performance, and availability of Windows systems; proactively monitor, analyze trends, and implement improvements to prevent issues before they impact operations.
• Lead complex troubleshooting and incident resolution efforts, conducting deep root cause analysis and implementing permanent corrective actions across systems and services.
• Establish and enforce enterprise standards, baselines, and hardening guidelines in alignment with security frameworks and compliance requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to system administrators and engineers;guide best practices and elevate team capabilities across Windows technologies.
• Lead planning and execution of system lifecycle activities, including patching, upgrades, migrations, and modernization initiatives.
• Provide cross‑platform support by performing basic Linux system administration and coordinating with Linux SMEs for complex issues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with 8+ years of prior relevant experience, or master’s degree with 6–10 years of prior relevant experience.
• Security+ Certification or other DOD 8570 IAT Level II Certification
• Security Clearance Requirement: Active TS and SCI eligibility
• Strong experience administering Windows Server environments.
• Deep understanding of core Windows services and system management.
• Working knowledge of Linux systems.
• Solid troubleshooting and communication skills.

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Pay Range: Pay Range $116,350.00 - $210,325.00

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.

Leidos Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations.

Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026.

For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and Benefits Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement.

More details are available here.

Securing Your Data

Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information at any part of the employment application process. And Leidos will communicate with you only through emails that are sent from a Leidos.com email address. If you receive an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information, please report the email to [e-mail].

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.