Linux Systems Administrator; Computing Systems Professional

What You Will Do

Come join the best and brightest minds in the world at one of the most innovative and creative multidisciplinary research institutions engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. As part of the Associate Lab Directorate of Weapons Production (ALDWP), the work we do in Production Support Services Division (PSS) directly affects mission success across Los Alamos National Laboratory. As a Computing Systems Professional 2 (CSP2) on the Online Collaboration and Infrastructure Team, you will serve as a systems administrator supporting multiple Linux server environments managed using Ansible configuration management.

You will help ensure the performance, reliability, and security of enterprise Linux platforms in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. This role involves close collaboration with software developers, system administrators, network and database administrators, customers, and cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, secure, and highly available systems supporting both unclassified and classified ALDWP environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Infrastructure & Core Systems Administration

• Install, configure, patch, and troubleshoot Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL9) virtual servers hosted on a VMware infrastructure.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance Ansible playbooks to automate system configuration, patching, and operational tasks.
• Monitor system health, performance, and availability using enterprise monitoring tools such as Dynatrace, and assist with alert tuning and root cause analysis.
• Enforce security controls including password policies, data integrity, and file system protections.
• Test and evaluate commercial and custom developed software for quality, performance and operational readiness.
• Support system migrations across Development, Staging, and Production environments.
• Optimize infrastructure performance, reliability, availability, and security.
• Research emerging technologies, industry trends, hardware, software tools, and solutions, including participation in early planning efforts for a future GPU-enabled compute environment.
• Provide limited support for Windows Server virtual machines in collaboration with Windows-focused team members, with opportunities for cross-training.

Team Contribution & Procedures

• Contribute to server and Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) software projects to meet customer technical requirements.
• Assist in planning, documenting, and implementing server and COTS solutions.
• Work collaboratively with team members while developing skills and knowledge in system administration tasks.
• Assist in developing and maintaining procedures for installing, configuring, hardening, and troubleshooting RHEL servers and COTS software.

Customer Service & Communication

• Provide technical support to customers in both unclassified and classified environments.
• Track, prioritize, and resolve support issues and service requests using the PSS-1 ticketing system and Kanban boards in alignment with SLA requirements.
• Deliver high-quality customer service through clear communication and effective issue resolution, including in high-visibility or time-sensitive situations.
• Communicate technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical personnel.

What You Need

Minimum

Job Requirements:

• Experience testing, troubleshooting, patching, and remediating vulnerabilities in heterogeneous computing environments, with working knowledge of computer security principles and networking protocols.
• Experience installing, configuring, and deploying COTS software in enterprise environments.
• Working knowledge of Linux system administration, including configuration management, scripting, and management of users, groups, file systems, services, and access controls.
• Experience installing, configuring, and deploying COTS software in enterprise environments.
• Skilled in using VMware for server and resource management.
• Ability to follow established procedures related to security, change management, and compliance.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Education/

Experience:

Position requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field and a minimum of four years related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired

Qualifications:

• Active DOE "Q" clearance.
• Experience with authentication methods, certificates, and Single Sign-On (SSO).
• Vendor certifications (e.g., Red Hat, Windows Server, VMware, AWS)
• Experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux or other Linux distributions.
• Experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Experience hardening systems in accordance with NIST and STIG frameworks.
• Experience working in an Agile/Kanban environment.

Work Location:

The work location for this position is hybrid and is located in Los Alamos, NM. Hybrid is defined as working partially onsite/partially offsite but within 2 hours ground commute of this location. All work locations are at the discretion of management and can change at any time with…