Senior Systems Administrator - RHEL

Job ID: 2618435
Location: Springfield, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-10-26
Category: Information Technology
Subcategory: IT Systems Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: No
Minimum Clearance Required: TS.SCI
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI with Poly
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
SAIC is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Systems Administrator - RHEL to join our MAJESTIC Joint Program Office (JPO) Team in Springfield, VA. This individual will play an integral role in managing and optimizing mission-critical Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems in a hybrid IT enterprise environment.
The ideal candidate will have in-depth expertise in RHEL system administration, including configuration, maintenance, and performance optimization. Additionally, experience with virtualized environments and enterprise systems, including Windows Server and HCI solutions, is critical. The candidate will ensure system security, reliability, and efficiency while collaborating with cross-functional teams to support operations. This position requires on-site support in a high-security, fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities:

• Administer, configure, and maintain Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems, including patching, upgrades, tuning, and troubleshooting.
• Perform advanced system administration for virtualized environments, such as VMware vSphere or Nutanix AHV.
• Implement and enforce system hardening procedures for RHEL platforms to align with security and compliance requirements, including STIGs and NIST 800-53 guidelines.
• Automate regular administrative tasks using Bash, Python, or tools like Ansible.
• Monitor and optimize system performance, storage, and network interfaces using tools like Splunk, Nagios, SolarWinds, or Grafana.
• Perform disaster recovery (DR) and high availability (HA) operations on Linux-based and hybrid enterprise systems.
• Manage centralized logging and monitoring for Linux systems to ensure audit compliance and detect vulnerabilities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth integration of RHEL systems with Windows Server, HCI technologies, and other enterprise IT environments.
• Document standard operating procedures (SOPs), configuration changes, topology maps, and troubleshooting guides.
• Support the evaluation of emerging RHEL and infrastructure technologies and recommend new solutions to enhance infrastructure performance and security.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Education:

• High School Diploma/GED

Certifications (CWF Requirements):

• Candidates must satisfy Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (CWF) ID 451 (System Administrator - Intermediate Level) requirements, as outlined by Navy COOL .
  This requirement can be met by possessing one or more of the following qualifying certifications:
• CompTIA Cloud+
• CompTIA Security+
• GIAC Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP)
• GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

OR This requirement can be met through:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, IT, or a related field.

Experience:

• 1-3 years of professional experience managing and supporting enterprise-level IT environments.

Technical Skills:

• Expert in managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems, including provisioning, upgrades, system tuning, patching, and performance optimization.
• Strong experience in system automation with tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef as well as scripting in Bash, Python, or PowerShell.
• Familiarity with high availability (HA) concepts, including clustering for Linux environments.
• Proficiency in monitoring and diagnostics tools (e.g., Splunk, SolarWinds, Grafana, or Nagios).
• Strong understanding of virtualization platforms, including VMware vSphere, Nutanix AHV, or Hyper-V.
• Knowledge of networking technologies and protocols, including TCP/IP, DNS, VLANs, and load balancing configurations for Linux systems.
• Experience supporting compliance with industry standards like RMF, NIST 800-53, and DoD cybersecurity guidelines.

Preferred Certifications (In Addition to CWF Requirements):

• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification (strongly preferred).
• Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP) certification or VMware Certified Professional (VCP).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure, AWS) and hybrid cloud/hybrid IT implementations.
• Knowledge of storage technologies and backup solutions.
• ITIL v4 certifications for service management processes.

Clearance Requirement:

• Active TS/SCI clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI with Poly.

Work Environment and Notes:

• On-Site Work: All work must be conducted on-site in Springfield, VA.
• Program Scope: Supports on-premises enterprise IT environments, including virtualized Windows servers, MS SQL Server databases, and networking layers.
• Subcontractor Role: Responsibilities and compensation vary based on the subcontract agreement, with a competitive salary aligned to market rates and role-specific requirements.

Target salary range: $80,001 - $120,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's approximately 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see .