Senior Systems Administrator

Job Description Job Description Why This Role Matters At Bluestaq, mission success depends on systems that are secure, reliable, and always ready. As a Senior Systems Administrator, you'll keep critical infrastructure running — maintaining, monitoring, and troubleshooting the applications and systems our teams and customers depend on around the clock. Your work directly strengthens the technical backbone behind Bluestaq's most important missions. What You'll Own: Maintain and support the integrity of system networks through technical support and configuration management Perform daily maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting of applications, networking problems, and systems issues across both cloud-hosted and on-premises platforms Serve as a primary escalation point (Tier 2/3) for infrastructure incidents, outages, and performance degradation Administer Active Directory including GPO, role-based access controls, and user/group policy management Support cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools and practices Build and maintain automation workflows using Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes to reduce manual effort and improve reliability Perform software and system installations, upgrades, routine automation, and cybersecurity risk mitigation tasks Provide responsive, solutions-oriented support to system users, ensuring reliable access to tools and systems Maintain accurate, thorough documentation in Confluence — system configurations, change records, runbooks, and SOPs Track and manage work through Jira, communicating scope and status effectively to the team and stakeholders Coordinate with security and compliance teams to ensure systems meet DoD standards and hardening requirements Support 24/7 operations including shift work and on-call rotations as mission requires Contribute to team knowledge sharing and support the mentorship of junior administrators (L1/L2) Proactively identify issues, anticipate roadblocks, and escalate appropriately when needed Take responsibility for personal development and demonstrate a growth mindset You use modern AI tools with judgment: integrating them into workflows where they're impactful, reviewing their outputs, and handling proprietary or sensitive data responsibly What You Bring: What You Bring Must-Have: Willing to support 24/7 operations and shift work. Active DoD Secret or Top Secret security clearance Proficient understanding of Linux systems administration in production environments Hands-on Active Directory administration experience Experience with cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools Working knowledge of system vulnerabilities and security issues Solid networking fundamentals — DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls, and routing Working experience with automation and infrastructure-as-code tools (Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, or Packer) Experience with cloud computing concepts and the AWS component stack Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills — curious and investigative approach to problem-solving Hands-on experience with Atlassian tools — Confluence and Jira Experience with help desk/ITSM systems and ticketing workflows Strong collaboration skills — comfortable working across multiple teams and sharing knowledge Strong written and verbal communication skills — comfortable working directly with customers, end users, and engineering teams Active CompTIA Security+ certification (DoD Directive 8140/8570.01-M) Ownership mindset — you follow through, document your work, and find the right balance between persevering and asking for help Bonus: CISSP or CEH certification Advanced Ansible, Terraform, or Kubernetes usage in classified or production environments Linux certifications (RHCSA, RHCE, LPIC, or equivalent) Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines or DevSecOps practices Required Education: 2+ years of systems administration/information technology experience with a Bachelor's degree OR an Associate degree with 2 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required OR a High School Diploma/GED with 4 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted in lieu of a degree. Salary Range (US) $90,000—$160,000 USD Clearance Requirement: This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance. Current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply. If you don't currently hold one, Bluestaq will sponsor eligible candidates through the clearance process based on program needs. Relocation:  Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions. About Bluestaq At Bluestaq, we build secure data platforms that matter for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. Founded in 2018, we've become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management by staying focused on what counts: modern architecture, operational excellence, and mission impact. We're engineers, problem-solvers, and builders who take the mission seriously, but not ourselves. We automate the repeatable, question the status quo, and design systems that are as reliable as they are scalable. Whether we're supporting space, defense systems, or healthcare advancements, we build with the same principles: cloud-native solutions, security by design, and relentless simplicity. What We Offer: For full-time positions 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision for you and your dependents Up to 6% match to 401(k) contributions with additional discretionary 4% profit share on day one. Roth options available; no vesting period. Every role is eligible for an annual performance bonus $200,000 employer-paid life insurance, plus short- and long-term disability coverage $5,000 annual professional development budget per employee 20 days PTO, plus 8 paid holidays Pet insurance, onsite gym, and flexible schedule Bluestaq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by state or local law. Bluestaq will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities and employees whose work requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to Bluestaq or a direct threat. Employees needing such accommodation are instructed to contact Human Resources immediately at View email address on click.appcast.io. Applications will be accepted for 60 days beyond the posting date, or until the position is filled, whichever comes first.