System Administrator

LufCo; Aberdeen (MD); On-site; USD 135,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous PTO

Health/dental/vision insurance

401K matching

Tuition reimbursement

Blue Award referral bonus

Job summary

LufCo in Aberdeen, MD is seeking a Lead System Administrator to manage Linux infrastructure in a DoD environment, focusing on RHEL/Rocky Linux, security hardening, and automation. The role leads a small team and ensures system availability and secure operations.

The ideal candidate has experience with Ansible, virtualization, and network services, plus active TS/SCI clearance and willingness to travel 10–25% to customer locations in support of mission needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 6+ total years of experience with 3+ years Linux and 3+ years Windows.
• Active TS/SCI clearance required.
• Experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and RMF guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 2-3 admins supporting customer efforts.
• Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux servers (RHEL/Rocky).
• Manage Windows AD and related MS technologies.
• Configure networking services (DNS, DHCP, SSH, HTTP/HTTPS).
• Develop and maintain Ansible playbooks and automation.
• Implement security hardening and system monitoring.
• Perform backups, disaster recovery, and incident response.
• Collaborate across networking, cybersecurity, and software teams.

Skills

Linux administration

Networking

Security

Scripting

Troubleshooting

Leadership

DOD RMF

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Ansible

Bash

Python

Kickstart

PXE

Cobbler

VMware/VirtualBox

Git

Job description

Overview

Position Title

Lead System Administrator

Location

Aberdeen, MD

Reports To

Deputy Program Manager

Job Type & Status

Full-time; Onsite 5 days per week

Clearance Requirement

Active TS/SCI clearance

Summary

We are seeking a Systems Administrator to manage, maintain, secure, and troubleshoot Linux-based infrastructure in a DOW (Department of War) environment. The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and related distributions, system administration, automation, networking, virtualization, and security. The Linux Systems Administrator will be responsible for maintaining system availability, deploying and configuring Linux servers, implementing system hardening and security controls, troubleshooting complex infrastructure issues, and automating repetitive administrative tasks.

Key Responsibilities

• Team lead duties managing a team of 2-3 cyber security and system administrators in direct support of customer efforts.
• Customer service and support including engagement and interface with customers
• Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux servers, primarily RHEL/Rocky Linux environments.
• Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Microsoft (MS) Windows, MS Active Directory, and associated MS technologies.
• Perform system administration tasks including user and group management, permissions, storage, filesystems, services, processes, networking, and system performance.
• Deploy and maintain physical and virtual Linux systems in enterprise environments.
• Configure and troubleshoot network services including DNS, DHCP, SSH, HTTP/HTTPS, NTP, and TCP/IP networking.
• Manage system updates, patches, repositories, packages, and software deployments using tools such as DNF/YUM/RPM.
• Develop and maintain automated provisioning and deployment solutions using technologies such as Kickstart, PXE, Cobbler, and Ansible.
• Develop and maintain Ansible playbooks and automation scripts to standardize system configuration and deployment.
• Implement Linux security hardening in accordance with organizational security requirements and applicable security standards.
• Configure and manage SELinux, firewalld, SSH, sudo, system permissions, and authentication mechanisms.
• Monitor system health, performance, availability, and resource utilization.
• Troubleshoot hardware, operating system, application, networking, and configuration issues.
• Manage system logs and troubleshoot services using tools such as systemd, journalctl, and log management platforms.
• Support containerized workloads using technologies such as Podman and Docker.
• Develop scripts and automation using Bash and Python to improve operational efficiency.
• Perform system backups, recovery procedures, and disaster-recovery activities.
• Maintain system documentation, configuration baselines, procedures, and technical diagrams.
• Participate in incident response, root-cause analysis, and remediation of infrastructure issues.
• Collaborate with network, cybersecurity, software development, and systems engineering teams.
• Support infrastructure migrations, upgrades, and new system deployments.
• Provide technical support for production and development environments as required.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 6+ total years of experience with 3+ years working on Linux Systems and 3+ years of experience working on Windows systems.

Skills

• Strong experience administering RHEL or RHEL-compatible Linux distributions.
• Strong understanding of Linux system architecture, networking, storage, and security.
• Experience with Ansible and infrastructure automation.
• Experience with Bash scripting and/or Python.
• Experience troubleshooting Linux systems from the command line.
• Experience with systemd, SSH, cron, package management, filesystem management, and Linux networking.
• Understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, and firewall concepts.
• Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware, VirtualBox, or similar platforms.
• Experience with Git and configuration/version-control practices.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues independently.
• Management and leadership experience is a highly desirable
• Must have experience with DOD Risk Management Framework.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to travel between 10-25% to customer location or Aberdeen Proving Ground

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work: Contribute to critical national security initiatives and make a real difference in protecting our nation.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Work with the latest advancements in SIGINT and related fields.
• Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development, training, and advancement within a growing company.
• Collaborative Environment: Join a team of highly skilled and supportive engineers who are passionate about their work.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Competitive salary, generous PTO, health/dental/vision insurance, 401K matching, tuition reimbursement.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive Pay: Annual salary ranges from $135,000 to $175,000. Salaries depend on labor category, years of experience, education, skills relevant to the position, and type of contract.
• Benefits: Including Paid Time Off; 401K Contribution and Employer Match Contributions; and Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage.
• For the full list of LufCo Benefits, visit our website: https://www.lufburrow.com/careers

Position availability can vary due to dynamic, evolving contract needs. This job posting being active does not guarantee an immediately available position matching its description. This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications for this position. It is not an exhaustive list and may be subject to change based on the needs of the company.

LufCo provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

LufCo Employees: This position qualifies for up to a Blue Award level referral bonus. For more information, visit the Employee Portal.

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