Senior Linux Systems Administrator

The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on Linux administration experience and is comfortable supporting mission-critical Development, Test, and Production environments using command-line tools, system logs, automation, and established change-management processes. The Linux Systems Administrator will serve as a senior technical resource responsible for system configuration, automation, security hardening, vulnerability remediation, monitoring, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of Linux-based infrastructure and operational practices.

Primary Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, secure, monitor, and troubleshoot RHEL/Linux systems across Development, Test, and Production environments supporting mission-critical workloads.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across operating systems, applications, storage, authentication, performance, and network connectivity using Linux command-line tools, system logs, and monitoring platforms.
• Manage Linux system lifecycle activities including account and permission administration, patching, package management, software installation, service configuration, upgrades, and ongoing system maintenance.
• Implement and maintain Linux security controls, hardening standards, vulnerability remediation, configuration baselines, and compliance requirements.
• Develop and maintain automation and configuration-management solutions using Ansible, Bash, Python, or comparable technologies to improve consistency, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Independently research and resolve complex technical issues while collaborating with SAs, DBAs, SWEs, SEs, testers, and other team members to develop sustainable solutions and promote knowledge sharing across the team.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, SOPs, operational runbooks, system configurations, and change records, and participate in rotational on-call support for the mission environment.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline from an accredited college or university and ten (10) years of related experience. Five (5) years of additional related experience may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
• Extensive hands-on Linux systems administration experience, including RHEL or comparable enterprise Linux distributions, supporting complex production environments.
• Experience administering Linux systems including accounts and permissions, package management, patching, system services, storage, authentication, system configuration, and performance monitoring.
• Hands-on experience with automation or configuration management using Ansible or comparable technologies, along with Bash and/or Python scripting.
• Strong Linux troubleshooting skills and knowledge of networking fundamentals including DNS, TCP/IP, IP addressing, ports, routing, and firewalls.
• Experience with Linux security hardening, vulnerability remediation, configuration management, and formal change-control processes.
• Active TS/SCI with polygraph.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced experience with Ansible and RHEL 9, including automated configuration, provisioning, and repeatable system administration.
• Experience with AWS, including EC2, Systems Manager (SSM), CloudFormation, and associated monitoring and operational services.
• Experience with FIPS, SELinux, fapolicy, STIG requirements, vulnerability remediation, and Linux security controls.
• Experience with PKI, including certificates, keys, trusted authorities, and certificate revocation lists.
• Experience with Git-based workflows, Terraform/CloudFormation, Salt, or other infrastructure/configuration automation technologies.
• Experience supporting Kubernetes/container platforms and monitoring, logging, or security technologies such as Splunk, Elastic, CloudWatch, SIEM solutions, or Nessus.
• Experience with Jira and Confluence and supporting Linux infrastructure within secure government, Intelligence Community, DoD, or similarly regulated environments.

CSSRC

conmd

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.