Southwest Research Institute

LEAD IT SPECIALIST - SR. IT SPECIALIST - Linux System Administrator - Boulder, Colorado

About the Employer

Job Description

Who We Are: Our team, the Space Mission Directorate within Division 19, is looking for Linux IT Systems Administrator with an enthusiasm for spacecraft operations. Objectives of this Role: Formal knowledge of Linux required, with RedHat Enterprise Linux/CentOS specific experience a plus. Experience with servers and networking. Experience with Apache HTTP, LVM, clustered filesystems, DRBD, high availability computing. Network and server management in a US Government regulated environment (e.g. NIST SP 800-171 or NIST 800-53). Hands on experience with SQL database servers and virtualization environments. Additional Linux certifications (e.g. RHCE) will be considered an advantage. Solid knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols such as NFS, CIFS, NTP, HTTP, LDAP, and SMTP. Proficiency in Python or Perl and shell scripting. Experience with managing containerized networking (TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, firewalls) through Ansible. Daily and Monthly Responsibilities: Be part of an on-site team that proactively maintains and develops Linux infrastructure to support a 24x7x365 uptime service that includes research scientists and science and mission operations for various NASA spacecraft missions. Engineering of systems administration-related solutions for operational needs. Maintain best practices on managing systems and services across all environments. Continuous fault finding and analysis of logging information for reporting for audit requirements. Proactively monitoring system performance and capacity. Manage, coordinate, and implement software upgrades, patches, and hot fixes on servers in production and dev/test environments. Create and modify Ansible and shell scripts to perform tasks. Provide input on ways to improve the stability, security, efficiency, and scalability of the computing environment. Collaborate with other teams and team members to develop automation strategies and deployment processes. Troubleshoot issues for local and remote users. Maintain/patch systems and resolve security issues within a federal research environment. Support and actively participate in audits. Utilize ticketing system to log system administration actions and collaborate with other IT staff in resolving issues. Requirements: Requires a high school diploma or equivalent or a Bachelors degree in Information Technology or directly related degree field. 6 years: Those with a Bachelors degree in an IT related field require experience as a Linux administrator; Expert level knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols related to user access rights, high-availability storage networks, virtualization and system automation through Ansible. 10 years: Those with a HS diploma require professional level experience as a Linux administrator. Knowledge of enterprise Linux services and protocols related to user access rights, high-availability storage networks, virtualization and system automation through Ansible. Strong analytic and problem-solving skills, as well as accuracy and attention to detail. Proven ability to diagnose an issue effectively (via monitoring tools and logs) and implement a solution in real-time. Ability to deliver auditable technical documentation on schedule. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to achieve the desired outcome in a positive and constructive manner. Solid delivery track record, both long-term projects and under short-term deadline pressure. Strong problem solving and written and verbal communication skills.