COTS System Administrator

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The work:

The COTS System Administrator supports the implementation and operational sustainment of a Commercial‑off‑the‑Shelf (COTS) physical access system. This role partners closely with the government Product Manager to provide technical direction, strategic solutions, operations and maintenance (O&M) support, and vendor coordination. The COTS Sys Admin will operate within Agile methodologies, participating in Kanban and Scrum ceremonies, and must demonstrate strong communication skills, self‑organization, and initiative.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide development and O&M support for a production system during core and non‑core hours to meet mission requirements.
• Assist with installation, configuration, and validation of the COTS application in both test and production environments.
• Coordinate and collaborate with cross‑functional teams including networking, server/VM operations, identity and access management, and application owners.
• Evaluate system requirements, dependencies, and integration points to confirm compatibility and operational readiness.
• Support essential infrastructure activities such as:
  • Networking: ports, protocols, firewalls, load balancers.
  • Compute: server/VM provisioning, configuration, and tuning.
  • Database: work with database teams to configure, query, and troubleshoot Microsoft SQL Server instances.
  • Identity & Access: authentication/authorization, single sign‑on, and knowledge of Microsoft Entra .
  • Integration: API frameworks including Microsoft Graph for data exchange and interoperability.
• Prepare documentation required for accreditation, compliance, and security assessments.
• Develop and maintain detailed system documentation (installation guides, baselines, operational procedures).
• Provide hands‑on troubleshooting and issue resolution during testing and deployment.
• Clearly communicate project status, risks, and technical considerations to leadership and stakeholders.

Here’s what you need:

• Broad technical experience across networking, servers, virtualization, identity management, and system integration.
• Solid understanding of relational database concepts and hands‑on experience with Microsoft SQL Server.
• 5+ years working experience with the following:
  • Ports, protocols, firewalls, and network connectivity troubleshooting.
  • Operating Windows and/or Linux servers, including VMware or Hyper‑V virtual machine platforms.
  • Supporting COTS software deployments in government environments.
  • Scripting experience (Power Shell, Python, or similar) for automation/integration.
• Working knowledge of identity services including Microsoft Entra .
• Strong understanding of accreditation, compliance, and security assessment processes.
• Ability to interpret technical requirements, identify gaps, and coordinate resolution with specialized teams.
• Active Top Secret clearance and willingness to work onsite in DC.

Bonus points:

• Experience working with Certipath Trust Visitor or similar identity‑validation platforms.
• Experience with Agile, Scrum, and…