System Administrator

Torch Technologies is a 100% employee-owned, Certified Great Place To Work and named Best Places to Work in Huntsville/Madison County, headquartered in Huntsville, AL. Our team provides superior research, development, and engineering services to the Federal Government and Department of Defense. As one of the nation’s top 100 defense companies, we directly support the men and women who serve our country. Our corporate mission is “Lighting the Pathway of Freedom.” As a Certified Evergreen ESOP, we are committed to growing and sustaining our company for the next 100 years.

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, Entry-level/Junior Systems Administrator to join our team supporting a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) Interoperability Test Facility. In this role, you will work alongside senior systems administrators and engineers to maintain, monitor, and support a complex, multi-platform test environment critical to national defense. This is an excellent opportunity for an entry-level administrator, recent graduate, or anyone looking to launch their career in defense technology and systems engineering. You will gain hands-on experience managing physical lab hardware, enterprise Linux and Windows systems, virtualized environments, and DoD cybersecurity standards.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior administrators in setting up, configuring, racking, and cabling physical servers, workstations, network switches, and specialized test hardware.
• Perform routine maintenance across Linux and Windows systems, including applying operating system updates, updating antivirus definitions, and running local vulnerability/compliance scans.
• Support local Risk Management Framework (RMF) efforts by assisting with DISA STIG implementation, system hardening, and baseline auditing.
• Assist in maintaining virtualized test environments and virtual machines (VMs) that mirror physical rack configurations for testing.
• Help manage user accounts, permissions, and group policies across local and domain-joined systems.
• Learn, utilize, and refine basic automation scripts (Bash, PowerShell, or Python) to streamline day-to-day administrative tasks and lab setup workflows.
• Serve as front-line technical support for lab users, learning structured methodologies to diagnose hardware, OS, and network connectivity issues.
• Assist with pre-test staging, environment provisioning, and post-test data collection during scheduled mission test events.

Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain an Active Secret Security Clearance.
• Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on military/technical training).
• 0–5 years of experience in system administration, IT helpdesk, network support, or technical lab operations.

Qualifications

• OS Basics: Foundational knowledge of both Linux (RHEL, Rocky, or Ubuntu) and Windows Server/Desktop operating systems (CLI navigation, basic system configuration, service management).
• Networking Basics: Understanding of core networking concepts (IP addressing, subnets, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, and basic switch cabling).
• Virtualization Exposure: Conceptual understanding or basic experience with hypervisors (e.g., VMware vSphere/ESXi, KVM, or Hyper-V).
• Scripting Interest: Familiarity with or eagerness to learn scripting languages (Bash, PowerShell, or Python) for task automation.
• CompTIA Security+ CE (or ability to obtain DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II compliance within 60 days of hire).

Skills

We don't expect you to know everything on day one! Candidates will have the opportunity to build hands-on expertise in:

• Applying DISA STIGs (Security Technical Implementation Guides) and using tools to automate or verify compliance.
• Enterprise Linux Administration: Systemd management, package management (YUM/DNF), LVM storage, and SELinux basics.
• Windows Administration: Active Directory, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and WSUS/patch management tools.
• Containerization Basics: Introductory concepts in Docker or Podman for lightweight application deployment.
• Configuration Management: Exposure to tools like Ansible, Puppet, or SaltStack for automated system configuration.

Desired Attributes

• Strong eagerness to learn and develop advanced Linux, Windows, virtualization, and network engineering skills.
• A "tinkerer" mindset: someone who enjoys building, troubleshooting, and experimenting (e.g., running a home lab, building custom PCs, or experimenting with self-hosted services).
• Problem-solving and initiative: a methodical approach to troubleshooting and willingness to ask questions and dig into documentation.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills with a team-first mindset.

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Benefits

• ESOP participation.
• 401(k) match.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Flexible spending accounts, Health Savings Accounts, and Health Reimbursement Accounts.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Education assistance.
• Paid time off and holidays.