Senior Linux System Engineer Jobs in Elkton, MD (NOW HIRING)

Senior Linux Systems Administrator
• Position: Systems Administrator IV
• Supported Program: U.S. Army Test & Evaluation Command
• Clearance Requirement: DoD Secret
• Location: On-site at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD Role Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Linux Systems Administrator to support a critical government IT services contract. The successful candidate will act as a primary subject matter expert for Linux infrastructure, automation, and high-availability systems. This role requires deep technical expertise in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), enterprise production environments, and network storage. As a senior member of the team, the candidate will also provide technical guidance and mentorship to other IT professionals. Core Responsibilities & Technical Qualifications
• Linux Systems Administration: Install, configure, and manage UNIX variants, with a heavy emphasis on Red Hat Linux server operating systems and associated middleware.
• Technical Mentorship: Act as a senior technical resource, providing mentorship, guidance, or team lead support to junior administrators and technical staff.
• Automation & Deployment: Manage complex production environments using automated installation, automated build and deployment, and automated configuration management frameworks.
• Scripting Proficiency: Write and utilize operating system commands and scripts to automate routine tasks, utilizing one or more of the following: Bash, Python, PowerShell, Ruby, or Perl.
• High-Availability Infrastructure: Build, maintain, and support clustered, scalable, and high-availability systems, including load balancing, web servers, application servers, and server virtualization.
• Networking & Troubleshooting: Apply foundational networking principles (TCP/IP, firewalls, routing, VLANs) to perform general network troubleshooting and resolve complex system issues.
• Performance Monitoring & Optimization: Utilize enterprise monitoring tools for event and performance monitoring. Conduct performance tuning, capacity planning, and bottleneck resolution.
• Security & Compliance: Apply Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) to harden systems, remediate advanced security vulnerabilities, manage identity and access configurations, and ensure overall system security compliance.
• System Lifecycle Management: Plan and execute seamless operating system upgrades and environment migrations with minimal mission impact. Preferred Qualifications
• Vulnerability Scanning (ACAS): Experience utilizing the Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS) for vulnerability scanning, analysis, and compliance reporting.
• Windows Administration: Familiarity or experience with Microsoft server operating systems, Windows event and performance monitoring, and Microsoft middleware.
• Database Technologies: Knowledge of database technologies, including installation and configuration of database management systems and migration of databases. Education and Experience Requirements
Candidates must meet one of the following education and experience combinations. Education must be in a directly related IT discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Information Systems, Computer/Software Engineering, Management Information Systems, or Computer Forensics/Security).
• High School Diploma / GED: Minimum of 11 years of directly related IT experience.
• Associate’s degree: Minimum of 9 years of directly related IT experience.
• Bachelor's Degree: Minimum of 7 years of directly related IT experience.
• Master's Degree: Minimum of 5 years of directly related IT experience. Certifications
• DoD Directive 8570.01 Compliance: Must possess a current Security+ certification (or equivalent IAT Level II baseline certification).
• Computing Environment (CE): Must hold at least one current Computing Environment certification, or be able to obtain one within 6 months of start. Given the technical requirements of this role, a Linux-based certification (e.g., Red Hat Certified System Administrator [RHCSA] or Red Hat Certified Engineer [RHCE]) is strongly preferred.