System Administrator

System Administrator

A Global Media and Technology company is seeking a System Administrator to join their team in Ashburn, VA. This multifaceted role combines systems engineering, systems administration, and performance testing to design, deploy, and optimize large-scale virtualized and distributed platforms, including VPIM, and VCEM.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Engineering & Administration

• Configure, monitor, and maintain complex Linux-based platforms and infrastructure.
• Design, deploy, and support distributed architectures in Kubernetes, Docker, and Red Hat environments.
• Manage and optimize infrastructure including Cisco switches, F5 load balancers.
• Develop, document, and maintain Methods of Procedure (MOPs) and system configuration standards.

Performance & Integration-Device Testing

• Perform performance, functional, regression, scalability, and security testing for each release for environments and devices.
• Develop automated test frameworks using Python, Ansible, and Terraform.
• Validate DHCP, DNS, IPsec, IPv4/IPv6, and address management features.
• Execute system integration testing across VPIM, VCEM, and Eview platforms to ensure stability and interoperability.
• Utilize Wireshark, Ixia IxLoad, Spirent, and CDrouter for packet-level network analysis and load testing.
• Create detailed test plans, scripts, and validation reports to support release readiness.
• Conduct root cause analysis on failed test cases and collaborate with engineering teams to resolve issues.

Automation & DevOps

• Automate system deployment, testing, and monitoring using Python, Ansible, and Terraform.
• Integrate automation pipelines within Jenkins or similar CI/CD environments.
• Maintain lab automation frameworks for rapid provisioning and teardown of test environments.

Operations & Support

• Support production and staging environments, providing expert-level troubleshooting.
• Coordinate with development, QA, and operations teams to ensure system uptime and reliability.
• Maintain detailed system documentation and architecture diagrams in Confluence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering, systems administration, or performance testing.
• Expertise in Linux server administration, configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in Python (preferred coding language) and Linux shell scripting.
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, Cisco networking, and F5 load balancers.
• Strong understanding of DHCP, DNS, IPsec, IPv6, and network troubleshooting.
• Experience in load, performance, and regression testing of distributed or virtualized systems.
• Familiarity with Wireshark, Ixia IxLoad, Spirent, CDrouter, or other performance analysis tools.
• Experience with CI/CD, Jenkins, Ansible, Terraform, and Jira.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong documentation discipline.

Preferred Certifications / Nice-to-Haves

• Linux System Administration (RHCSA/RHCE) or equivalent certification.
• Cisco (CCNA, CCNP/CCIE), Juniper (JNCIA, JNCIP/JNCIE), or Arista Certified Engineering (ACE) certifications.
• Certifications in Network Virtualization or Automation.
• Experience with secure coding, vulnerability scanning, and automated monitoring.
• Demonstrated expertise in automated test development, network performance analysis, and reliability engineering.