System Administrator Junior

asmexternalcareersite; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

ASM external career site is seeking a Junior System Administrator to support mission‑critical IT infrastructure in a government environment. Responsibilities include user account management, regular server health checks, and adherence to security baselines.

The role requires a current TS/SCI clearance and a DoD 8140 IAT‑II certification such as Security+. Candidates should have experience with Windows, Linux, and scripting to automate tasks and support audit readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 0–3 years of hands‑on IT experience, with 1–3 years preferred for this environment.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft operating systems and products (Windows, Windows Server, Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint) and basic Linux familiarity.
• Ability to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve routine system hardware, software, or networking problems and follow escalation protocols.
• Ability to plan and coordinate deployment of updates or new technology per change management procedures.
• Must have a current TS/SCI clearance.
• Must have a DoD 8140 compliant certification for IAT-II such as Security+.

Responsibilities

• Administer user accounts, group memberships, permissions, and RBAC.
• Perform routine installation, configuration, patching, and health monitoring of Windows/Linux servers.
• Monitor logs, performance, storage, services, and alerts; escalate as needed.
• Execute backup, restoration, and recovery procedures; resolve exceptions.
• Troubleshoot server, OS, application, hardware, connectivity, and auth issues.
• Develop scripts (PowerShell, Bash) to automate tasks.
• Maintain configuration records, SOPs, inventories, and change docs.
• Apply hardening standards and least‑privilege across systems.

Skills

Windows administration

Linux administration

Microsoft 365

Teams

SharePoint

Troubleshooting

PowerShell scripting

Bash scripting

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Security+ (IAT-II)

Job description

The System Administrator Junior supports the daily administration, maintenance, security, and availability of mission‑critical IT infrastructure in a highly regulated government environment, with a focus on user account management and core server operations. This role performs routine configuration, patching, monitoring, backup verification, and troubleshooting under established procedures while maintaining accurate system documentation and contributing to after‑hours support as required.

The administrator uses scripting and automation tools to streamline recurring administrative activities, assists in identifying performance or security anomalies, and applies approved security baselines and hardening standards across Windows and Linux systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer user accounts, group memberships, permissions, and role‑based access controls in alignment with approved security and operational policies.
• Perform routine installation, configuration, patching, and health monitoring of Windows and/or Linux servers and associated infrastructure components.
• Monitor event logs, performance metrics, storage utilization, system services, and alerts to identify operational or security issues and escalates per established procedures.
• Execute documented backup, restoration, and recovery procedures, verifying that scheduled backup jobs complete successfully and resolving exceptions.
• Troubleshoot common server, operating system, application, hardware, connectivity, and authentication problems using standard diagnostic methods and tools.
• Develop and maintain basic PowerShell, Bash, or comparable scripts to automate account management, reporting, system health checks, and other repeatable tasks.
• Maintain configuration records, operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, asset inventories, and change documentation to support audit and operational needs.
• Apply system‑hardening standards, vulnerability remediation instructions, least‑privilege principles, and approved configuration baselines across supported systems.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent relevant experience consistent with entry‑level IT administrator roles.
• 0–3 years of hands‑on experience in information technology, systems administration, infrastructure support, or closely related technical roles, with at least 1–3 years preferred for this environment.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft operating systems and products (e.g., Windows, Windows Server, Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint) and basic familiarity with Linux administration.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve routine system hardware, software, or networking problems and follow escalation protocols for complex issues.
• Ability to plan and coordinate deployment of updates or new technology in accordance with change management procedures and maintenance windows.
• Must have a current TS/SCI clearance.
• Must have a DoD 8140 compliant certification for IAT-II such as Security+.

Preferred Qualifications

• Microsoft Windows Server, Azure, Linux, or comparable platform certification.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure, digital workspace, and storage technologies in an enterprise or federal IT environment.
• Familiarity with system hardening, vulnerability remediation, and least‑privilege access control practices.

Compensation Ranges

Compensation ranges for ASM Research positions vary depending on multiple factors; including but not limited to, location, skill set, level of education, certifications, client requirements, contract‑specific affordability, government clearance and investigation level, and years of experience. The compensation displayed for this role is a general guideline based on these factors and is unique to each role. Monetary compensation is one component of ASM's overall compensation and benefits package for employees.

EEO Requirements

It is the policy of ASM that an individual's race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation or national origin are not and will not be considered in any personnel or management decisions. We affirm our commitment to these fundamental policies.

All recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications is done without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, or age. All decisions on employment are made to abide by the principle of equal employment.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described in "Knowledge, Skills and Abilities" above are representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job. (For example, "light office duties' or "lifting up to 50 pounds" or "some travel" required.) Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualifying disabilities, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the primary functions.

Disclaimer

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.