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Systems Administrator Jobs in Rio Rancho, NM (NOW HIRING)

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Systems Administrator information

See Rio Rancho, NM salary details

$38.6K

$83.6K

$129.3K

How much do systems administrator jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for systems administrator in Rio Rancho, NM is $83,645.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $65,800.00 and $97,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Is the Job Description of a Systems Administrator?

The primary duties of a system administrator are to install, update, and maintain computer systems while managing user access regimes. As a systems administrator, you have administrative privileges to change settings, install or remove software, and access security functions unavailable to normal users. A systems administrator might oversee multiple machines at once, or even an entire network. You provide technical support to users who are experiencing problems and collaborate with network administrators to ensure the continued performance of the network. As a systems administrator, you determine the level of access a user has to network information and what operations they can perform, limiting users to only what they need to perform their job.

What are some typical challenges a Systems Administrator faces when managing both on-premises and cloud infrastructure?

Systems Administrators often juggle responsibilities across on-premises servers and cloud-based platforms, which can introduce challenges such as ensuring seamless integration, maintaining consistent security policies, and managing access controls. Balancing updates, backups, and monitoring tools across different environments requires strong organizational skills and up-to-date technical knowledge. Effective communication with other IT team members and end users is also crucial for troubleshooting and minimizing downtime.

What are Systems Administrators?

Systems Administrators, often called SysAdmins, are IT professionals responsible for managing, maintaining, and supporting computer systems and networks within an organization. Their duties include installing hardware and software, monitoring system performance, troubleshooting technical issues, and ensuring system security and data integrity. They play a key role in minimizing downtime, performing regular backups, and updating systems to keep an organization's IT infrastructure running smoothly.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Systems Administrator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Systems Administrator, you need a solid understanding of operating systems, network management, and security protocols, typically supported by a relevant degree or certifications like CompTIA Network+, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), or Linux+. Familiarity with tools such as Active Directory, virtualization platforms, and configuration management systems is essential. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you respond quickly to issues and work collaboratively with IT teams. These skills and qualifications are crucial for maintaining system reliability, minimizing downtime, and ensuring secure, efficient IT operations.

What is the difference between Systems Administrator vs Network Administrator?

AspectSystems AdministratorNetwork Administrator
CertificationsCompTIA Server+, Microsoft Certified: Windows Server FundamentalsCompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA
Work EnvironmentManage servers, operating systems, and enterprise applicationsFocus on network infrastructure, routers, switches, and connectivity
Employer & Industry UsageIT departments across various industries, supporting internal systemsOrganizations with complex networks, telecom, and internet service providers

While both roles support IT infrastructure, Systems Administrators primarily manage servers and software systems, whereas Network Administrators focus on network hardware and connectivity. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job focus within IT.

What are the most commonly searched types of Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM? The most popular types of Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM are:
What are popular job titles related to Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM? For Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM look for? The top searched job categories for Systems Administrator jobs in Rio Rancho, NM are:
What cities near Rio Rancho, NM are hiring for Systems Administrator jobs? Cities near Rio Rancho, NM with the most Systems Administrator job openings:
Infographic showing various Systems Administrator job openings in Rio Rancho, NM as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 2% Temporary, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 91% In-person, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $83,645 per year, or $40.2 per hour.
Systems Administrator III-IV - UPDATED

Systems Administrator III-IV - UPDATED

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Albuquerque, NM

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 15 days ago


Job description

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Title: Systems Administrator III-IV - UPDATED
Location: 1011 Lopezville Rd, Socorro, NM 87801, USA• 800 Bradbury Dr SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA• 155 Observatory Rd, Green Bank, WV 24944, USA
Requisition Number: 139
Job Family: Systems Administration
Pay Type: Salary
Required Education: CPP

Position Description:

Position Summary

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a

prestigious research and development organization that plays a vital role in the study of the universe. The Observatory is a

hub for technological and scientific collaboration, operating state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. The NRAO also host conferences and workshops, providing opportunities to exchange ideas and expertise as well as build partnerships.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory seeks an experienced Systems Administrator (Level III or IV, based on qualifications) to maintain the Red Hat Enterprise Linux infrastructure supporting the end-to-end science data pipeline for NRAO's flagship observatories. This senior role combines deep systems expertise with operational ownership, mentoring, and direct contribution to mission-critical science delivery.

The position is based in Charlottesville, VA; Greenbank, WV; Albuquerque or Socorro, NM.

What You Will be Doing:

  • Contribute to the design, implementation, and lifecycle management of RHEL-based systems supporting processing and archival science data flows across global observatories.

  • Lead the transition to GitOps-driven infrastructure and application deployment, striving for consistency, auditability, and reproducibility.

  • Migrate legacy science services from Docker Swarm to future environments based in kubernetes.

  • Develop and maintain automation tools in Python and SQL to monitor data pipeline health, generate operational metrics, and trigger reliable alerts.

  • Serve as Level-3 escalation for production incidents; conduct root-cause analysis, author post-mortem reports, and implement preventive measures.

  • Triage and resolve escalated support tickets, providing timely, astronomer-facing status communications during incidents.

  • Participate in agile development cycles (2-week sprints, daily stand-ups, Jira/Confluence) to deliver measurable improvements in stakeholder projects.

  • Validate software releases, prepare deployment packages, and produce comprehensive user documentation and training materials.

  • Contribute to the NRAO Common Computing Environment (CCE) initiative for cross-site standardization and knowledge transfer.

  • Mentor junior and peer administrators in infrastructure-as-code, automation, and operational best practices.

  • Travel occasionally to NRAO sites, including the Very Large Array (VLA), Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, and international operations centers.

Work Environment

Work is typically performed in an office environment. The successful candidate Must be able to lift 25 lbs, climb stairs, and occasionally work at moderate altitudes (up to 7,000 ft / 2,134 m at the VLA site).

Who You Are:

  • You have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Astronomy, Physics, or equivalent professional experience.

  • You are a seasoned Linux systems administrator with at least four years of progressive responsibility in mission-critical or scientific computing environments

  • While not required you may have; Direct experience with high-data-rate scientific pipelines (radio astronomy, genomics, earth observation, or similar). Working knowledge of VictoriaMetrics, Ceph, SLURM, Prometheus/Grafana/Loki stacks. Familiarity with both agile (Scrum/Kanban) and traditional waterfall project methodologies.

Competency Summary

  • strong communication skills (written and verbal); ability to remain calm while supporting demanding clients; analytical thinker; ability to learn new systems quickly.

  • Expert in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8/9; RHCE or RHCA certification strongly preferred.

    • Proficient in modern infrastructure automation and orchestration:

    • Ansible Automation Platform (playbooks, collections, Execution Environments)

    • GitOps workflows using ArgoCD or Flux

    • Production container platforms (Kubernetes/OpenShift and Docker Swarm)

    • Skilled in Python 3 automation and SQL (PostgreSQL, Oracle, MySQL) for monitoring, reporting, and system health.

  • Experienced with Telegraf, Prometheus, and alerting systems in operational settings.

  • A clear communicator capable of translating complex technical conditions into concise updates for astronomers, project leads, and senior management.

Observatory employees must be authorized to work in the United States. The Observatory presently cannot sponsor H-1B Visas for this position

Total Rewards:

Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) offers a comprehensive total rewards package for this position, subject to eligibility requirements. We are committed to serving our employees and their families with an extensive and competitive compensation and benefits package that supports our employees' overall well-being and career growth.

Compensation

AUI strives to attract and retain dedicated, highly qualified, competent, and motivated employees by offering competitive compensation and recognition for performance.

Salary range $74,000-$106,000 per year.

Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include; education, experience, skills, competencies, other qualifications of the successful candidate, as well as internal equity and labor market conditions.

Benefits:

AUI's benefits package addresses the needs of employees and their families with most benefits beginning on the first day of employment. AUI provides excellent paid time off (13 holidays, annual accrual of up to 24 vacation days and 15 sick days, additional time off for doctor/dentist visits, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave). Medical, dental and vision plans are

effective on the first

day of employment. AUI's retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participant's base pay with no required employee contribution; we also offer an optional supplemental, tax-deferred plan for employee retirement contributions.

Application Instructions:

Select the "Apply Now" button. Please be prepared to upload your current CV/Resume and a cover letter describing interest and suitability for the position

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

AUI is an equal opportunity employer. To view our complete statement, please visit

https://public.nrao.edu/careers/

. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, you may submit your request by sending an email to

resumes@nrao.edu

PM20


Compensation details: 74000-106000 Yearly Salary


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