Senior Systems Administrator (Linux/Cloud)

About the Role

We are searching for a Systems Administrator to join the Reston, VA location of the Digital Engineering Department in the Cyber, Modeling, and Simulation Division of the Information Advantage Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will maintain the integrity of various high-performance computing (HPC) systems including operating systems, physical servers/workstations, and applications; administer, install, and troubleshoot a variety of Cloud tooling and applications, perform systems maintenance tasks such as troubleshooting and performance evaluation as well as back-up and recovery; perform configuration changes to address customer needs; schedule, install, and test system software upgrades; monitor and maintain software licensing. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

Responsibilities

• Install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and support systems and software with a focus on Linux (Red Hat), Ansible scripting, and GitLab pipelines
• Develop plans, schedules, and requirements for deployment of systems
• Create or improve existing scripts and tooling to aid in systems management
• Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve server, workstation, and audio-visual (A/V) issues and/or respond to outages during normal working hours
• Resolve service-related issues; determine immediate economic and financial consequences of an incident
• Test and implement upgrades and patches to installed operating systems, software container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes), and modeling & simulation (M&S) applications
• Maintain reliability of systems by monitoring, running tests, and troubleshooting
• Monitor backups and plans for installed systems
• Monitor, maintain, and execute automation processes and CI/CD pipelines
• Evaluate and recommend new or existing system improvements and/or solutions
• Create and maintain system documentation of our processes, procedures, plans, and configurations
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Required Skills & Experience

• Ability to install, configure, maintain, upgrade, and support systems and software, with a strong focus on Linux (Red Hat), Ansible scripting, and GitLab pipelines
• Skilled in diagnosing, troubleshooting, and resolving server, workstation, and audio-visual (A/V) issues, including responding to system outages during normal business hours
• Proficiency in testing and implementing upgrades and patches for operating systems, Kubernetes-based container orchestration platforms, and modeling and simulation (M&S) applications
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required

Qualifications

IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Senior Professional

• Bachelor's Degree
• 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Advanced Professional

• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Pay & Benefits

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $80,100.00 - $152,004.00.

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

Work Location & Schedule

Your working location will be fully onsite, located in Reston, VA. Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location.

Additional Requirements

• Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
• Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors.
• ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.