Systems Administrator - AWS

Leidos; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus $10k

401K with company match

Paid time off

Education and training support

Parental paid leave

Discounted stock purchase plans

Flexible schedules

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Systems Administrator in Maryland to support Linux-based development, test, and production environments. You will manage RHEL, automation, security hardening, patching, and incident response, with a focus on reliability and scalable operations.

The ideal candidate has extensive Linux administration experience, hands-on with Ansible, Python, Bash, and AWS services, plus a TS/SCI w/polygraph clearance. This role offers a mission-focused team and competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline and eight years of related experience.
• Extensive hands-on Linux systems administration (RHEL or equivalent).
• Automation or configuration management using Ansible, Bash, Python.

Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, secure, monitor, and troubleshoot Linux systems across Dev, Test, and Prod.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across OS, storage, and network.
• Manage lifecycle activities: accounts, permissions, patching, package management.
• Implement and maintain Linux security controls, baselines, and compliance.
• Develop automation/configuration-management with Ansible, Bash, Python.
• Research and resolve complex issues with cross-functional collaboration.
• Create and maintain technical documentation and runbooks; participate in on-call.

Skills

Linux administration

Scripting (Bash/Python)

Networking basics

Security hardening

Automation

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical discipline

Tools

Ansible

Bash

Python

AWS (EC2, ECS, EKS, SSM)

CloudFormation

Kubernetes

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Systems Administrator in our Intelligence Sector, Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA) . Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network Operations (CNO), Mission Software, Analytical Methods and Modeling, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Cryptographic Key Management. At Leidos , we offer competitive benefits , including Paid Time Off, 11 paid Holidays, 401K with a 6% company match and immediate vesting, Flexible Schedules, Discounted Stock Purchase Plans, Technical Upskilling, Education and Training Support, Parental Paid Leave, and much more. Join us and make a difference in National Security!

This position is eligible for a $10k sign on bonus!

Job Summary

The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on Linux administration experience and is comfortable supporting mission-critical Development, Test, and Production environments using command-line tools, system logs, automation, and established change-management processes. The Linux Systems Administrator will serve as a senior technical resource responsible for system configuration, automation, security hardening, vulnerability remediation, monitoring, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of Linux-based infrastructure and operational practices.

Primary Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, secure, monitor, and troubleshoot RHEL/Linux systems across Development, Test, and Production environments supporting mission-critical workloads.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across operating systems, applications, storage, authentication, performance, and network connectivity using Linux command-line tools, system logs, and monitoring platforms.
• Manage Linux system lifecycle activities including account and permission administration, patching, package management, software installation, service configuration, upgrades, and ongoing system maintenance.
• Implement and maintain Linux security controls, hardening standards, vulnerability remediation, configuration baselines, and compliance requirements.
• Develop and maintain automation and configuration-management solutions using Ansible, Bash, Python, or comparable technologies to improve consistency, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Independently research and resolve complex technical issues while collaborating with SAs, DBAs, SWEs, SEs, testers, and other team members to develop sustainable solutions and promote knowledge sharing across the team.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, SOPs, operational runbooks, system configurations, and change records, and participate in rotational on-call support for the mission environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline from an accredited college or university and Eight (8) years of related experience. Five (5) years of additional related experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.
• Extensive hands-on Linux systems administration experience, including RHEL or comparable enterprise Linux distributions, supporting complex production environments.
• Experience administering Linux systems including accounts and permissions, package management, patching, system services, storage, authentication, system configuration, and performance monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with automation or configuration management using Ansible or comparable technologies, along with Bash and/or Python scripting.
• Strong Linux troubleshooting skills and knowledge of networking fundamentals including DNS, TCP/IP, IP addressing, ports, routing, and firewalls.
• Experience with Linux security hardening, vulnerability remediation, configuration management, and formal change-control processes.
• Experience with AWS, including EC2, ECS (Elastic Container Service), EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service), Systems Manager (SSM), CloudFormation, and associated monitoring and operational services.
• Security Clearance Requirement: Active TS/SCI with polygraph.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced experience with Ansible and RHEL 9, including automated configuration, provisioning, and repeatable system administration.
• Experience with AWS, including EC2, Systems Manager (SSM), CloudFormation, and associated monitoring and operational services.
• Experience with FIPS, SELinux, fapolicy, STIG requirements, vulnerability remediation, and Linux security controls.
• Experience with PKI, including certificates, keys, trusted authorities, and certificate revocation lists.
• Experience with Git-based workflows, Terraform/CloudFormation, Salt, or other infrastructure/configuration automation technologies.
• Experience supporting Kubernetes/container platforms and monitoring, logging, or security technologies such as Splunk, Elastic, CloudWatch, SIEM solutions, or Nessus.
• Experience with Jira and Confluence and supporting Linux infrastructure within secure government, Intelligence Community, DoD, or similarly regulated environments.