Linux and OpenShift Administrator, Senior

Overview

Bowhead is seeking a Senior Linux and Open Shift Administrator to provide senior-level administration, engineering, and operational support for Linux-based enterprise systems and container platforms, including Red Hat Open Shift, supporting mission-critical government and DoD programs. Serve as a technical authority for Linux infrastructure, container orchestration, automation, and secure system operations in classified and unclassified environments.

This position is 100% onsite.

• Install, configure, administer, and maintain Linux operating systems (RHEL, CentOS, Rocky, or equivalent) across physical, virtual, and containerized platforms.
• Deploy, configure, administer, and sustain Red Hat Open Shift clusters, including control plane and worker nodes, storage integration, networking, and platform upgrades.
• Support containerized workloads using Kubernetes and Open Shift, including image lifecycle management, registry integration, role-based access control (RBAC), and namespace management.
• Perform system hardening, patching, and vulnerability remediation in accordance with DoD STIGs, RMF, and cybersecurity requirements, including container security best practices.
• Support and maintain virtualized and hyper-converged infrastructure (VMware ESXi) hosting Linux and Open Shift environments.
• Develop and maintain automation and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solutions using Ansible, Bash, Python, and CI/CD integrations to accelerate platform provisioning and consistency.
• Monitor system, cluster, and application performance; troubleshoot complex Linux, Kubernetes, and Open Shift-related issues across development, test, and production environments.
• Implement and maintain logging, monitoring, and alerting solutions for Linux systems and Open Shift clusters.
• Support backup, recovery, and disaster recovery solutions for Linux systems, container platforms, and persistent storage.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, networking, Dev Sec Ops , SOC/NOC, and application teams to ensure secure, resilient, and compliant operations.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation including build guides, SOPs, platform architecture diagrams, and configuration baselines.
• Participate in security assessments, audits, inspections, and Authority to Operate (ATO) activities.
• Provide mentorship and technical leadership to junior Linux and container platform administrators.
• Provide technical briefings and system status updates to program leadership and government stakeholders as required.
• The Senior Linux & Open Shift Systems Administrator reports to the Program Manager or IT Lead.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field.
• Seven plus (7+) years of experience as a System Administrator with a strong focus on Linux systems.
• Senior-level administration of Linux enterprise environments
• Hands-on experience with Red Hat Open Shift and Kubernetes
• Container platform security, RBAC, and compliance implementation
• Scripting and automation (Ansible, Bash, Python)
• Virtualization and enterprise infrastructure support
• Experience supporting mission‑critical or classified systems
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and lead technical efforts

Certifications:

• Comp Tia Sec+
• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
• Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in DoD, classified, or SAP environments
• Dev Sec Ops  and CI/CD pipeline integration experience
• LPIC-2 & LPIC-3 (Linux Professional Institute)
• Linux Foundation Certified Engineer (LFCE)
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• GIAC Certified UNIX Security Administrator (GCUX)

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Must currently hold a security clearance at the minimum Secret level.

• Ability to work in data centers, secure facilities, and operational environments
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time
• Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically

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