Senior Systems Administrator – Scientific IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the ALS Information Technology (ALS-IT) team, providing coaching, performance management, hiring, employee development, and oversight in accordance with Laboratory policies.
• Set strategic and technical direction for the IT infrastructure supporting the Advanced Light Source, including systems, servers, storage, networking, virtualization, identity management, and cybersecurity.
• Develop and execute the ALS-IT technology roadmap, establish priorities, manage resources, contribute to budget planning, and lead infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Serve as the primary technical advisor and cybersecurity expert for the ALS beamline and controls computing environment, ensuring the reliability, security, and availability of mission-critical research systems.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and administration of enterprise Windows and Linux environments, Active Directory, virtualization platforms, Kubernetes-based services, identity and access management, and infrastructure automation.
• Oversee system monitoring, incident response, patch management, disaster recovery, and operational support to maintain high availability for scientific operations.
• Direct disaster recovery and business continuity planning, testing, and drills tailored to scientific data storage, control room systems, and other mission-critical user facility operations.
• Partner with ALS leadership, beamline scientists, and Berkeley Lab IT to develop technology solutions, establish best practices, and support complex scientific computing initiatives.
• Drive network security and infrastructure modernization initiatives, including the implementation of Zero Trust principles for edge devices and systems within the ALS beamline and controls computing environment.
• Establish and maintain Service Level Agreements, support procedures, and ticketing workflows that provide responsive and consistent IT services to ALS staff, scientific personnel, and visiting facility users.
• Support accelerator operations and scientific user programs by ensuring reliable IT services for the ALS Control Room, beamlines, and research operations, including occasional after-hours support during critical operational periods in support of ALS’s 24/7 operations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience in a professional IT environment or 8 years with a Master’s degree.
• Demonstrated people-management experience supervising technical staff, including assigning and reviewing work, setting priorities, coaching and developing employees, providing performance feedback, and addressing performance concerns.
• Prominent experience leading cybersecurity initiatives and complex technical projects in enterprise or similarly complex IT environments, preferably within a research or academic setting.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, exercise sound technical judgment, and lead complex initiatives from planning through implementation.
• In-depth knowledge of Windows and Linux systems and strong working knowledge of macOS, including experience administering and troubleshooting cross-platform computing environments.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, containerized application deployments, infrastructure automation, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Advanced knowledge of computer hardware, including PC and Mac workstations, rack-mounted server hardware, and networking and security devices.
• Experience administering enterprise storage systems, such as NetApp, with a strong understanding of RAID concepts, configurations, and levels.
• Advanced knowledge of enterprise networking and network security, including TCP/IP, routing and switching, subnetted environments, remote-access technologies, and network troubleshooting using packet-analysis tools.
• Experience managing data center and server-room infrastructure, including rack layout, power distribution and management, cooling requirements, server hardware, and storage systems.
• Broad knowledge of cybersecurity concepts, tools, methods, frameworks, and evolving threats, supported by hands-on experience or formal training in network and cybersecurity practices.
• Experience implementing defense-in-depth cybersecurity controls, including system hardening, firewalls, endpoint protection, vulnerability mitigation, intrusion detection/prevention, and other technical safeguards.
• Demonstrated familiarity with NIST SP 800-53 security controls, the DOE Risk Management Framework, or comparable federal cybersecurity standards and frameworks.
• Experience managing IT budgets, technology procurement, vendor contracts, and lifecycle replacement schedules for enterprise hardware and infrastructure.
• Broad and specialized expertise in enterprise systems administration and cybersecurity sufficient to serve as a trusted technical advisor and recognized subject-matter expert.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with a wide variety of colleagues, explain complex technical information clearly and concisely, and produce well-crafted technical documentation.
• Strong commitment to promoting, implementing, and modeling effective cybersecurity practices while maintaining reliable, secure, and highly available IT services.

Desired Skills/Knowledge

• Relevant cybersecurity certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, Security+, CASP+, SSCP, or comparable credentials.
• Experience supporting scientific research, laboratory, academic, accelerator, industrial controls, or other complex 24/7 operational environments.
• Experience implementing Zero Trust principles in environments that include specialized, legacy, or operational technology systems.
• Experience leading disaster recovery, business continuity, or cybersecurity tabletop exercises for mission-critical infrastructure.
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code, configuration management, observability, or enterprise automation technologies.