Systems Administrator

Systems Administrator

Clearance Level: Must have an Active Secret Clearance or higher to be considered for this role. Must be US Citizen

At Aquila Technology, you will see our team’s passion every day, whether we are building a robust, policy-compliant IT system or stress-testing a system to identify gaps and security vulnerabilities. To own the advantage, we ensure our team owns results and gets the work done right the first time by deploying smart, purposeful solutions that work. Aquila is the right people with the right skills driving the right outcomes. We call this the Aquila Advantage.

Aquila Technology is looking for a highly skilled System Administrator to support one of the nation’s leading defense research organizations. A skilled systems administrator with collateral experience is critical to ensuring secure, reliable operations across interconnected environments, particularly where systems must meet strict compliance and security requirements. This blend of expertise enables effective management of infrastructure while safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining operational continuity.

Responsibilities to included but not limited: 
The Systems Administrator will support IT activities for end-users, high-performance computer environments as well as both classified and unclassified processing systems. As a Systems Administrator you will administer Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Macintosh desktop environments (including Windows 11 and macOS/iOS 26 or later). You will be responsible for the support, installation, maintenance, repair and upgrade of computer and network equipment; reviewing and testing new hardware and software applications; as well as make purchase recommendations. You will design and implement scripts and automation tools (such as ansible) to perform configuration management and monitoring of systems and networks; collect and processes capability requirements from technical research staff to inform and provide IT support to new and ongoing research by improving data storage, backup and recovery, network bandwidth throughput, and service application installation and management. The role requires regular collaboration with enterprise-level IT and security personnel and resources to enhance technology support practices in addition to maintain regular contact with enterprise-level teams to rapidly reconfigure systems, report, and remediate performance and security issues.

Must Have 3 years of experience with the following:

• Degree Level:Bachelor's Degree
• Ansible Automation Platform to Support Linux systems
• LDAP
• Software Configuration Management (Puppet or Ansible)
• Configuration of Distributed Environments, including NFS for Storage
• Configure and Manage Centralized Logging and Audit Capabilities
• Hardware: Intel/AMD, Cisco, Sun/Oracle, Dell, Apple, EMC, NetApp
• Linux system administration (RedHat + Ubuntu)
• MS Active Directory, LDAP
• Systems Administration
• Technologies including DNS, DHCP, Proxy and Load Balancing
• UNIX platform, OSX, Cisco IOS
• Windows Patch Management

Nice to Have

• Enterprise Backup Solutions
• Macintosh and iOS platform(s)
• Virtualization Technologies (VMware, including ESXi and VCenter configuration)
• Virtualization Technologies to include VM management, Snapshots, SANs and iSCSI Storage Systems
• VM Ware ESXi and Associated Management Systems

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Install, configure, maintain and upgrade Linux (Red Hat and Ubuntu) workstations/servers, Windows 11 PCs, and macOS devices.
• Provide troubleshooting to a group of 50 staff for hardware, OS, and application issues; manage user accounts, group policy, and permissions via ActiveDirectory/LDAP
• Design, develop, and maintain automation scripts and tooling; contribute to configuration-management frameworks (Ansible, Puppet, etc.)
• Administer data-storage solutions, backup schedules, and disaster-recovery procedures; validate backup integrity and perform restoration testing
• Evaluate new hardware/software, conduct proof-of-concept testing, and generate purchase recommendations
• Participate in efforts that enhance research compute capacity, storage scalability, and network performance; utilize system-monitoring systems
• Produce documentation and knowledge-base articles for technical staff and end-users on systems

Benefits and Perks:
Aquila team members experience the opportunity to be part of a fast-paced, customer-focused, and technically innovative work environment. Aquila strives to deliver the best of the best in technical services to our customers. Candidates that possess a love for technical challenges, a desire to constantly learn, and the desire to establish themselves as critical players within a team will enjoy calling Aquila Technology home.

Our Perks Include:

PTO - 15 days (vacation/sick) 10 paid holidays - 6 standard (New Year’s, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) - 4 floating holidays prorated based on your day of hire:

• 1.5 paid days, or 12 hours, for approved volunteer work
• 1 week of paid maternity/paternity LOA after 1 year of Full-time employment

Tuition & Training Reimbursement - 5K annually for pre-approved, Eligible full-time team members who have completed a minimum of six (6) months of employment may apply for tuition reimbursement for approved, job-related courses taken through an accredited college or university. Team members must achieve a grade of “B” or better to qualify for reimbursement.Aquila will reimburse up to $5,000 per fiscal year for tuition expenses only. Expenses related to training programs, certifications, books, materials, meals, transportation, or other non-tuition costs are not eligible under the Tuition Reimbursement Program. All tuition reimbursement requests must be submitted to and approved by the team member’s Manager prior to course registration. Reimbursement will be issued upon successful course completion and submission of final grades and proof of payment.

401K with Fidelity - Eligible to participate following 90 days of employment. Company match on employee contribution:

• $1/$1 up to 3%, then .50 cents / $1 for 4th and 5th %s
• Fully vested from day one
• Company match does not apply to catch-up contribution

Cell Phone & Internet Reimbursed up to $150 monthly to cover cell phone, data, and home internet expenses. Aquila Technology will reimburse team members who work from home ONLY for cell phone/mobile device fees for work-related communications and/or operations each month. Employees eligible for this benefit must work remote 2 days a week or more to qualify.

Buy Your Own Device (BYOD) - Team members are eligible for reimbursement of up to $1,500 every three (3) years for the purchase of electronic equipment used to access corporate services. To qualify for this benefit, employees must have completed a minimum of six (6) months of employment and must agree to and sign the Device Minimum Configuration Form prior to reimbursement. Electronic devices eligible under the Buy Your Own Device (BYOD) program are limited to cell phones, laptops, and tablets.

Work Location: Onsite. Candidates should expect to be onsite 80% of the time.

Clearance Level: Eligible to obtain and maintain a SECRET level DoD security clearance (if not already). Willingness to obtain TS/SCI clearance.

Travel: Domestic travel to field sites (10% per year) may be required.

Interview Process: Initial interview (via Zoom) with the hiring manager. If the candidate advances to the next round, they will participate in a larger group interview with additional team members. There is a strong preference for the final interview to be conducted in person; therefore, local candidates are preferred.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.