Watch Desk Operations Analyst (Tier 1) with Security Clearance

The EmergeATS National Security Team is seeking two Watch Desk Operations Analysts (Tier 1) to support 24/7 mission-critical operations in San Antonio, Texas. The selected candidates will monitor system health, troubleshoot technical issues, manage incidents, and coordinate escalations to maintain operational continuity. Ideal candidates will have hands-on experience with Linux environments, system monitoring, network troubleshooting, and incident management, along with strong communication skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced operational environment.

Required Qualifications Experience troubleshooting hardware, software, operating systems, and applications. Working knowledge of Linux operating systems and command-line tools. Understanding of network fundamentals and basic network troubleshooting. Experience monitoring system health, availability, performance, and application services. Ability to analyze logs, alerts, dashboards, and performance metrics to identify technical issues. Experience creating, updating, and documenting incident tickets and troubleshooting activities.

Ability to follow established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), perform authorized recovery actions, and escalate incidents appropriately. Experience developing, maintaining, or updating technical documentation and SOPs. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including providing accurate technical and operational status updates. Ability to prioritize multiple incidents based on severity and mission impact. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision in a 24/7 operational environment.

CompTIA Security+ certification or willingness to obtain certification within six months of employment. Ability to meet applicable U.S. government security clearance requirements. Preferred Technical Experience Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, Docker, Kubernetes, Rancher, Elasticsearch, Redis, Apache NiFi, AWS, virtualization technologies, and monitoring tools such as Nagios, Grafana, and Prometheus.

Key Responsibilities Monitor infrastructure, applications, data-processing pipelines, and system performance. Perform Tier 1 troubleshooting and escalate unresolved incidents to engineering and management teams. Review logs, dashboards, alerts, and operational metrics to identify abnormal system behavior. Support incident response, service restoration, and authorized recovery procedures. Maintain incident tickets, shift logs, SOPs, and operational documentation. Generate customer-facing technical status reports and operational metrics.

Conduct effective shift turnovers and communicate operational issues to technical teams, leadership, and customers. Schedules (Central time zone)
· Days (2-week schedule) o Sunday - Tuesday 12-hour shifts from 0500 - 1700L o Off - Wednesday - Saturday o Sunday - Wednesday 12 hours shifts from 0500 - 1700L o Off - Thursday - Saturday
· Mids (2-week schedule) o Off - Sunday - Tuesday o Wednesday - Friday 12-hour shifts 1700 - 0500L o Off - Sunday - Tuesday o Wednesday - Saturday 12-hour shifts 1700 - 0500L Security Plus Certification (or willingness to attain within 6 months)