Systems Administrator

Systems Engineer / Systems Administrator - FAA Mission Support

Position Summary

The Systems Engineer / Systems Administrator is responsible for the administration, maintenance, monitoring, and support of mission-critical Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) systems and infrastructure. This position provides technical expertise in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, network troubleshooting, system integration, and operational support of FAA Mission Support programs. The role ensures the availability, security, performance, and compliance of systems supporting National Airspace System (NAS) operations and FAA data exchange services.

The Systems Engineer works closely with engineering, cybersecurity, networking, and operations teams to support FAA systems and services, troubleshoot complex technical issues, implement system enhancements, and maintain operational readiness in accordance with FAA standards and requirements.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, maintain, and monitor Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8.x servers supporting FAA Mission Support applications and services.
• Perform system maintenance, patch management, security updates, backups, and operating system upgrades while ensuring maximum system availability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex Red Hat Linux operating system, middleware, storage, and performance issues.
• Analyze system logs, diagnostic data, and application performance metrics to identify and resolve operational problems.
• Configure, monitor, and maintain system services utilizing communication protocols including AMQP and TCP/IP.
• Support deployment, integration, and maintenance of FAA mission support applications and associated infrastructure.
• Troubleshoot network connectivity, routing, firewall, and communication issues utilizing Cisco networking technologies and Wireshark packet analysis tools.
• Assist in diagnosing end-to-end system communications across enterprise and cloud-hosted environments.
• Support FAA data exchange initiatives and service-oriented architectures, including integration with FAA SWIM (System Wide Information Management) services.
• Assist with system engineering activities involving NAS Architecture, ERAM/ERA, STARS, and other FAA operational systems.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, operational procedures, system configurations, and troubleshooting guides.
• Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and problem management activities to support operational continuity.
• Monitor system health, availability, and performance using enterprise monitoring and management tools.
• Support cybersecurity compliance initiatives, including vulnerability remediation, system hardening, and audit activities.
• Collaborate with government customers, developers, network engineers, and cybersecurity personnel to support mission objectives.
• Assist with cloud-hosted solutions and infrastructure, including AWS-hosted environments and services where applicable.
• Participate in system upgrades, technology refreshes, testing activities, and deployment planning.
• Provide on-call support, maintenance support, and operational assistance during scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events.

Competencies and Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience administering enterprise Linux environments.
• Experience supporting mission-critical systems in government, aviation, defense, or other highly regulated environments preferred.
• Experience supporting FAA automation programs and knowledge of National Airspace System (NAS) systems preferred.

Required Technical Knowledge and Experience

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (Medium to High Proficiency)

• Administration and maintenance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.x systems.
• Linux user management, security, file systems, networking, storage, and performance tuning.
• Installation, configuration, patching, and troubleshooting of RHEL environments.
• Shell scripting and automation experience preferred.

Linux Troubleshooting (Medium to High Proficiency)

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience diagnosing operating system, application, middleware, storage, and performance issues.
• Ability to interpret logs, system metrics, and diagnostic information to resolve complex technical problems.

Network Troubleshooting (Basic to Medium Proficiency)

• Understanding of Cisco networking concepts and infrastructure.
• Experience troubleshooting TCP/IP communications.
• Familiarity with packet capture and analysis using Wireshark.
• Knowledge of routing, switching, DNS, firewalls, and network troubleshooting methodologies.

Communication Protocols (Medium to High Proficiency)

• Working knowledge of TCP/IP networking protocols.
• Experience supporting message-oriented middleware technologies and AMQP communications.
• Understanding of secure data transmission and enterprise messaging architectures.

Cloud Technologies (Basic to Medium Proficiency)

• Experience supporting cloud-based systems and services.
• Familiarity with Amazon Web Services (AWS) concepts and infrastructure.
• Understanding of hybrid cloud and on-premises system integration.

FAA Knowledge and Experience (Desired)

• Knowledge of FAA operational environments and systems.
• Familiarity with:
  • SWIM (System Wide Information Management)
  • NAS Architecture
  • ERAM
  • STARS
  • ATOP
• Understanding of FAA system lifecycle processes and operational requirements is desirable.

Additional Competencies

• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple concurrent tasks.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary technical team.
• Experience creating and maintaining technical documentation.
• Commitment to operational excellence, system reliability, and customer service.
• Ability to obtain and maintain any required FAA credentials, background investigations, or security clearances.
• Flexibility to support occasional after-hours maintenance and operational requirements.
• Willingness to do domestic (~ 25%) and/or international (~ 10%) travel.

Indra is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Indra participates in eVerify.