Linux System Administrator, Denver with Security Clearance

Summary: Seeking an experienced, customer-facing Linux System Administrator to support efforts in a US Government Lab. All work will be on-site, in secure environment. Non-negotiable requirements: 1. TS/SCI clearance with CI Poly or better 2. college degree from an accredited university, or 5+ years of relevant experience 3. active CompTIA Security+ certification (or equivalent) This is a quick-turnaround requirement. Applicants must be identified by 22Apr26. Key Responsibilities
• Design, implement, and maintain enterprise Linux environments with primary focus on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• Develop and maintain infrastructure automation using Puppet, Ansible, or similar configuration management tools
• Manage physical and virtual server infrastructure across data center environments
• Lead infrastructure projects from planning through implementation
• Mentor junior administrators and provide technical guidance to team members
• Perform hardware installations, upgrades, and troubleshooting in data center facilities
• Implement security best practices, patch management, and compliance requirements
• Monitor system performance, capacity planning, and optimization
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on infrastructure initiatives Required Qualifications
• 8+ years of Linux system administration experience with strong Red Hat focus
• Proven experience with automation tools (Puppet, Ansible, Chef, or SaltStack)
• Hands-on data center experience including hardware installation and troubleshooting
• 2+ years in a leadership or mentoring capacity (team lead, senior admin, or management)
• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) preferred
• Strong scripting skills (Bash, Python, or similar)
• Experience with virtualization platforms (VMware, KVM, or similar)
• Understanding of networking fundamentals, storage systems, and backup solutions
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills Preferred Qualifications • Experience with containerization (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes)
• Knowledge of Cl/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Familiarity with monitoring tools (Nagios, Zabbix, Prometheus, etc.)
• Experience with cloud platforms (A WS, Azure, GCP)