System Administrator Expeditionary Systems (OpAI) - Secret Clearance Required

Job Description

Job Description

This position requires an ACTIVE DoD security clearance. Applicants who do not currently hold an active clearance will not be considered.

At PMAT, we work on mission critical systems that directly support the warfighter, designing, building, and securing modern digital capabilities across cloud, data, and software environments. Our teams tackle complex, real-world challenges where delivery matters more than theory, and innovation is driven by curiosity, collaboration, and purpose.

In this role, you’ll contribute to Naval Operational Architecture (NOA), working alongside engineers and operators to deliver resilient, forward-leaning solutions in support of national defense.

About the role: PMAT is seeking a highly experienced System Administrator Expeditionary Systems (OpAI) to contribute to the integration of AI capabilities into expeditionary systems, including sensor kits, UxS, C2, and TAK. The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining the capabilities of expeditionary systems running innovative and cutting-edge technologies.  Daily tasks can vary from hands on keyboard to technical discussions, including but not limited to, troubleshooting network connectivity issues, updating software on edge servers, applying Operating System updates to Linux systems, testing machine learning capabilities, and managing delivery of hardware and software to operational forces.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand and address the Navy's operational challenges integrating artificial intelligence into expeditionary systems. 
• Build and maintain tactical systems for exercises, including radios, satellite terminals, and edge servers 
• Test software at field experiments to ensure performant and high-quality data flow between tactical systems, including sensors, UxS, and C2 
• Collaborate with machine learning engineers and domain experts to analyze data and integrate machine learning solutions into existing systems. 
• Collaborate with data engineers to monitor data pipelines and analytics to ensure accuracy, reliability, and robustness. 
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in communications architecture and edge servers 
• Work closely with software engineers to connect data pipelines with operational systems 

About Us: PMAT is an innovative small business founded with a passion for developing forward-leaning solutions from exceptional people that increase the mission's capability. We focus on designing and building impactful digital solutions that utilize modern cloud, data, and software concepts. Our passion is working on complex and progressive challenges such as edge platform computing, containerizing legacy platforms, distributed data platforms, or heterogeneous data analysis.

We recruit, retain, and foster a team motivated to pursue passions, investigate new ways of doing things, and embody an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. We believe in being curious about every element of a problem and experiment relentlessly. We foster continuous learning in an environment that encourages positive collaboration and expands our capabilities. We tap into collective intelligence, acknowledging that the most brilliant people may not be in the room.  Above all else, we believe that delivering and demonstrating is more potent than a sheet of paper.  We are passionate about mission-centric design and delivering effective capabilities to and for the warfighter.

Whether you’re an experienced engineer or just beginning your career, you’ll work alongside experts who are committed to solving mission-critical problems. If you’re passionate about using your skills to make a real difference, apply today and become part of a team that’s shaping the future of defense technology!

Required Skills and Experience:

• At least 3 years of experience working as a business analyst, data analyst, data scientist, data engineer, database administrator, geospatial analyst, geospatial engineer, IT specialist, machine learning engineer, software engineer, or system administrator. 
• Intermediate experience with Linux command line 
• Familiarity with edge servers and embedded GPUs (e.g., Jetson Nano, DGX Spark). 
• Familiarity with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes). 
• Experience with troubleshooting tactical systems 
• Experience deploying, monitoring, and improving tactical data pipelines 
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. 
• Passion for staying updated with the latest advancements in tactical data architecture. 
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment. 
• Previous experience working with government agencies or military organizations. 

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience integrating tactical systems with Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) ecosystem. 
• Experience integrating tactical systems into Maven Smart Systems (MSS) 
• Familiarity with data pipeline frameworks and libraries, e.g., AirByte, Apache Airflow, dbt, Apache Iceberg, Snowflake. 
• Familiarity with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), e.g., ArcGIS, PostGIS. 
• Expertise in Elasticsearch, Redis, S3, PostgreSQL, or other data stores. 
• Experience with Maritime radars and AIS receivers. 
• Understanding of cybersecurity principles in the context of tactical applications. 

Education and Certification Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent Experience

Citizenship and Clearance requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required
• No dual citizenship

• Active DOD Secret security clearance is required
• TS/SCI Eligible security clearance preferred

Location/Address:

• 100% On-site
• San Diego, CA, NAVWAR

Travel & Passport:

• 15%, CONUS and OCONUS

Work Environment: PMAT offices as needed. In some cases, work in a government facility may be required. Travel may be required for customer engagement, team coordination, and potentially for business development.

PMAT is an equal-opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.