Senior Windows SME

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

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Senior Windows Systems Administrator to own and lead our Windows environment within a mixed OS infrastructure. You will drive technical strategy, architecture decisions, and operational excellence while mentoring engineers and coordinating lifecycle activities like patching and migrations.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of experience (or a Master’s with 6–10 years), Security+ or equivalent, and an active TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience or Master’s with 6–10 years.
• Security+ or DoD 8570 IAT Level II equivalent.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Extensive Windows Server administration experience.
• Solid Linux and Windows cross-training.
• Excellent troubleshooting and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior SME for Windows Server environments, guiding strategy and operations.
• Design, implement, and sustain enterprise Windows infrastructure.
• Own health, performance, and availability of Windows systems; monitor and optimize.
• Lead complex troubleshooting and root cause analysis with permanent fixes.
• Enforce enterprise standards, baselines, and hardening per security frameworks.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to admins and engineers.
• Lead patching, upgrades, migrations, and modernization initiatives.
• Provide cross-platform support and coordinate with Linux SMEs.

Skills

Windows Server

Security+

TS/SCI clearance

Linux basics

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related discipline

Master's degree in related field

Job description

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 mixedOS 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.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

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

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand 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.

About 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 $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

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 at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos' name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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.