Sr. Principal System Administrators Lead

Date Posted: 2026-10-01 Country: United States of America Location: US-TX-MCKINNEY-513WC ~ 2501 W University Dr ~ WING C BLDG Position Role Type: Onsite U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements: Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance Security Clearance Type: DoD Clearance: Secret Security Clearance Status: Active and existing security clearance required on day 1

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world. Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. We deliver solutions that help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression, creating a safer, more secure world. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

What You Will Do:

Serve as a senior technical authority for IT systems administration across heterogeneous Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Microsoft Windows, Virtualization, storage, and network-connected environments supporting classified programs. Lead the architecture, installation, configuration, integration, and lifecycle management of complex Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Windows infrastructure. Provide technical leadership across all phases of system implementation, including requirements analysis, architecture and design, installation, integration, testing, documentation, accreditation support, deployment, sustainment, and technology refresh. Lead complex troubleshooting and root-cause analysis efforts involving operating systems, virtualization, storage, authentication, networking, applications, and infrastructure dependencies. Develop and coordinate corrective actions for issues that span multiple technical disciplines. Serve as a technical lead for major infrastructure upgrades, migrations, system deployments, and modernization efforts. Develop implementation strategies that minimize operational risk and disruption to mission systems. Develop technical solutions for highly complex and unique infrastructure problems where established procedures or existing solutions may not be sufficient. Provide advanced technical expertise in Linux and Windows environments, including DNS, DHCP, Active Directory, Group Policy, authentication, server replication, patch management, storage, virtualization, and enterprise backup and recovery. Lead Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation, configuration, hardening, patching, troubleshooting, and sustainment activities across enterprise and classified environments. Develop and implement automation using PowerShell, Bash, Python, Ansible, or similar technologies to improve system provisioning, configuration management, compliance monitoring, and sustainment. Lead technical meetings, design reviews, troubleshooting sessions, and implementation planning with Engineering, Cybersecurity, Networking, Security, program leadership, and other stakeholders. Provide technical recommendations to program leadership regarding infrastructure architecture, system performance, cybersecurity compliance, technology refresh, capacity planning, and lifecycle management. Serve as a mentor and technical escalation point for System Administrators and Principal System Administrators. Provide technical direction, knowledge transfer, training, and development of less-experienced team members. Establish and improve standardized system administration processes, technical procedures, configuration baselines, troubleshooting guides, and operational documentation. Identify opportunities to improve system reliability, availability, security, scalability, and administrative efficiency across supported environments. Lead provisioning, installation, configuration, operation, and maintenance of hardware and software supporting Linux and Windows infrastructure for classified programs. Responsibilities include server management, virtualization, storage management, cross-platform authentication, access management, backup and restoration, software and license management, workstation support, and infrastructure monitoring. Partner with Cybersecurity professionals to develop and maintain secure system configurations, remediate vulnerabilities, implement security controls, and maintain compliance with applicable classified computing requirements. Evaluate vulnerability findings, system risks, and technical dependencies and develop remediation strategies that balance cybersecurity requirements with mission and operational needs. Provide technical leadership during system outages and other critical incidents, coordinating troubleshooting across multiple functional teams and driving issues through resolution and root-cause analysis. Support systems operating in 24x7 mission environments and provide technical leadership outside normal business hours when required to resolve critical system issues. Maintain Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 8140/8570 certification requirements applicable to the position. Full-time, 100% onsite position.

Qualifications You Must Have:

Typically requires a University degree or equivalent experience and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field and a minimum of 5 years experience. Active U.S. Secret security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for the required security clearance. Advanced experience administering and troubleshooting Red Hat Enterprise Linux and/or Microsoft Windows Server environments. Experience serving as a technical lead for complex infrastructure implementations, migrations, upgrades, or sustainment efforts. Experience with some but not all of the following technologies: Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, WSUS, VMware vCenter/vSphere/ESXi, enterprise backup and recovery solutions, Splunk, NAS/SAN storage, and Windows 10/11.

Qualifications We Prefer:

Experience troubleshooting complex technical issues involving multiple infrastructure components and develop solutions with limited technical direction. Experience designing, implementing, or maintaining highly available and resilient enterprise infrastructure. Experience developing technical implementation plans, system architecture documentation, standard operating procedures, configuration documentation, and troubleshooting procedures. Experience scripting and automation experience using PowerShell, Bash, Python, Ansible, or similar technologies. Experience mentoring System Administrators and providing technical leadership to senior technical personnel. Experience collaborating across Engineering, Networking, Cybersecurity, Security, and program organizations to resolve complex technical and operational issues. Evaluate technical risks, develop courses of action, and provide recommendations to technical and program leadership. Current DoD 8140/8570 compliant certification, such as Security+ CE or equivalent, and applicable operating system certification. Experience with NISPOM, JAFAN, JSIG, DFARS, NIST, and/or DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements. Experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration, troubleshooting, hardening, and lifecycle management. Experience architecting or administering VMware-based virtual infrastructure at enterprise scale. Experience with enterprise storage technologies, including NAS, SAN, RAID, storage provisioning, performance management, and disaster recovery. Experience designing and supporting infrastructure for engineering development environments, software development, modeling and simulation, and hardware integration. Experience with Microsoft WSUS, SCCM, Exchange, Active Directory, and Group Policy administration. High Performance Computing (HPC) experience within Linux environments. Experience leading infrastructure modernization, technology refresh, operating system migration, virtualization, or data center consolidation efforts.

What We Offer:

Our values drive our actions, behaviors, and performance with a vision for a safer, more connected world. At RTX we value: Trust, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation. As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in–person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote. The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills. Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective–bargaining agreement. Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective–bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance. This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply. RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window. RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

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RTX is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. It comprises three industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Its 195,000 employees enable the company to operate at the edge of known science as they imagine and deliver solutions that push the boundaries in quantum physics, electric propulsion, directed energy, hypersonics, avionics and cybersecurity. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.