System Administrator - Linux / VMware (DoD Systems)

Nakupuna Consulting; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Nakupuna Consulting is seeking a System Administrator to manage DoD-grade Red Hat Linux and VMware environments on Dell hardware in Charleston, SC. You will harden systems, apply RMF and STIG controls, and automate deployments while maintaining high-availability infrastructure.

The role requires DoD experience, security certifications, and a Secret clearance. Expect a full-time salary with responsibilities spanning virtualization, storage, and network integration in a defense-focused environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of system administration experience supporting DoD enterprise networks.
• Hands-on Dell PowerEdge server lifecycle management with OpenManage or iDRAC.
• Advanced knowledge of RHEL deployment, storage (LVM) and performance tuning.
• Proven VMware ESXi/vCenter experience with high-availability configurations.
• Direct RMF, DISA STIG implementation, and SCC familiarity.
• Active DoD 8570.01-M/8140-compliant certs (e.g., Security+, CISSP).
• RHCSA/RHCE, VCP, or Dell certifications preferred.
• U.S. citizen with Secret Clearance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage, secure, and optimize RHEL and VMware environments on Dell hardware.
• Apply cyber hardening using DISA STIGs and SRGs.
• Analyze ACAS/Nessus findings and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Configure DoD-compliant network setups (VLANS, vSwitches, firewalls).
• Develop scripts (Bash/Python/Ansible) to automate configuration and patching.
• Document RMF artifacts, architectures, and SOPs.

Skills

DoD networks

RHEL/Linux

VMware ESXi

Dell/OpenManage

iDRAC

RMF/STIG

Security+ / CISSP

Automation (Bash/Python/Ansible)

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT

Tools

Dell OpenManage

iDRAC

VMware vCenter

VMware ESXi

LVM

Splunk/ELK

Ansible Tower

OpenShift

Job description

System Administrator - Linux / VMware (DoD Systems)

Job Locations: US-SC-Charleston

Job ID: 2026-6921

Type: Full-Time Salaried

Company: Nakupuna Consulting

Overview

Nakupuna Companies is seeking an experienced System Administrator to manage, secure, and optimize our critical Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and VMware environments running on Dell enterprise hardware. You will sustain high-availability Department of Defense (DoD) networked servers. You will lead cyber hardening initiatives and leverage Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) to ensure modernization and strict compliance with federal defense frameworks.

Responsibilities

The following reflects management's definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Infrastructure Management: Maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot RHEL 7/8/9 servers and VMware vSphere/vCenter environments.
• Hardware Administration: Manage Dell PowerEdge enterprise servers, including hardware provisioning, firmware updates, and iDRAC configuration.
• HCI Architecture: Support and optimize Hyper-Converged Infrastructure solutions to streamline compute, storage, and networking.
• Cyber Hardening: Apply DISA STIGs (Security Technical Implementation Guides) and SRGs to Linux OS, virtual infrastructure, and Dell hardware.
• Vulnerability Remediation: Analyze ACAS (Assured Compliance Assessment Solution) / Nessus scans to patch and remediate findings.
• Network Integration: Configure RHEL and VMware networking within secure DoD frameworks, managing VLANs, vSwitches, and firewalls.
• Access Control: Manage Identity and Access Management (IdAM) utilizing Active Directory, LDAP, and PKI/CAC authentication.
• Automation: Develop Bash, Python, or Ansible scripts to automate configuration management, patching, and STIG compliance checks.
• Documentation: Author and maintain Risk Management Framework (RMF) artifacts, system architectures, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Experience: 5+ years of system administration experience supporting DoD enterprise networks.
• Hardware Expertise: Hands-on experience lifecycle-managing Dell PowerEdge servers and utilizing Dell OpenManage or iDRAC tools.
• Linux Expertise: Advanced knowledge of RHEL deployment, troubleshooting, storage management (LVM), and performance tuning.
• Virtualization Expertise: Proven experience managing VMware ESXi clusters, vCenter, vMotion, and high-availability configurations.
• DoD Compliance: Direct experience with RMF, DISA STIG implementation, and SCAP Compliance Checker (SCC).
• Security Certification: Active CompTIA Security+ CE, CCNA Security, CySA+, or CISSP.
• OS/Hardware Certification: Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA/RHCE), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or Dell Technologies certifications.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience deploying and scaling Dell VxRail or VMware vSAN Hyper-Converged solutions.
• Experience with automation platforms like Red Hat Ansible Tower or Horizon.
• Familiarity with DoD containerized environments (Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift).
• Experience managing centralized logging architectures (Splunk, ELK stack).

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cyber Security, or Information Technology.

Certifications:

• DoD 8570.01-M / 8140 compliance (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CISSP) required.

Clearance: This position requires a Secret Clearance. Must be a U.S. citizen.

Physical Requirements: The ideal candidate must at a minimum, be able to meet the following physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergencies.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and work on a computer.