Systems Administrator

Systems Administrator (NAUT)

Bowhead seeks a Systems Administrator to support our customer on the Nautical contract in the Arlington, VA area. The successful candidate will be responsible for the administration, maintenance, and optimization of cloud infrastructure supporting the migration of legacy DoD applications to secure cloud environments across multiple classification levels. This position is located near a metro station and a travel stipend may be provided if necessary.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain cloud infrastructure across multiple classification levels including DoD IL4/IL5 environments
• Implement and manage Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools such as Terraform, or ARM templates
• Monitor cloud system performance, availability, and security posture using enterprise monitoring tools
• Configure and manage virtual machines, containers, storage systems, and networking components in secure cloud environments
• Implement and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity procedures for mission-critical systems
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure compliance with DoD cybersecurity frameworks (RMF, NIST, STIG, DoD 8140)
• Troubleshoot complex cloud infrastructure issues and implement innovative solutions
• Manage cloud cost optimization and resource allocation to maximize operational efficiency
• Maintain detailed documentation of configurations, procedures, and compliance measures
• Participate in security assessments, vulnerability remediation efforts, and accreditation processes
• Support 24/7 operations and participate in on-call rotation as required for mission-critical systems
• Interface with government stakeholders, vendors, and external partners in technical forums and working groups
• Lead cloud migration initiatives and provide technical guidance to junior staff
• Develop and implement cloud governance policies and procedures
• Coordinate with DevSecOps teams to integrate security practices
• Manage privileged access controls and implement zero-trust architecture principles
• Conduct performance tuning and capacity planning for cloud resources
• Provide training and mentorship to junior team members
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related field from an ABET accredited institution. A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience may be substituted in lieu of degree requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in systems administration
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing cloud infrastructure in DoD or federal environments
• Proven experience with DoD IL4/IL5 cloud environment administration and compliance

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in Linux/Unix and Windows server administration in cloud environments
• Strong experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift)
• Advanced knowledge of networking protocols, firewalls, VPNs, and cloud security best practices
• Experience with monitoring and logging tools (CloudWatch, Splunk, ELK stack, Nagios)
• Strong scripting and automation skills (PowerShell, Python, Bash, Ansible)
• Experience with configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef)
• Knowledge of DevOps practices and CI/CD pipeline implementation
• Familiarity with DoD Enterprise DevSecOps platforms and methodologies

Certification Requirements

Required:

• DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (Security+ CE or equivalent)
• One major cloud platform certification (AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect)

Desired:

• DoD 8570 IAM Level III certification
• Multiple cloud platform certifications
• CISSP, CISM, or equivalent advanced security certification
• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
• Kubernetes certifications (CKA, CKAD)

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift 25 pounds on occasion.
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged period amounts of time.
• Must be able to twist, bend, and squat periodically.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to maintain a security clearance at the Top Secret level with SCI eligibility and maintain SAP eligibility. Due to work requirements, this position will not entertain work from home capabilities. US Citizenship is a requirement for this contract.