Systems Administrator

Overview

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter. Come work with the best! We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. Objective. Responsive. Trusted.

The Space and Intelligence Division provides professional services to the US Space Force, Combatant Commands, Intelligence Community, and NASA. Our work includes enterprise architectural assessments, systems engineering and integration, test, planning and execution, cost estimating and analysis, acquisition support, and cybersecurity. We are trusted partners developing approaches and concepts to meet emerging high priority needs, assessing cutting-edge technologies, and supporting capabilities for our National Defense. Come join the fastest growing Division at Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc.!

The Space Systems Group, part of SPA's Space and Intelligence Division, provides timely and objective assessments and recommendations integrating technical, operational, programmatic, policy and business analysis. We focus on our key clients in the Space community including the US Space Force's Space Systems Command (USSF/SSC), one of the three designated Field Commands under USSF. We work tirelessly to provide integrated solutions based on information and communications throughout the chain of command. We provide clear and consistent analysis and recommendations which are aligned to strategic and leadership goals while balancing the ability to execute on time and on budget within the technical communities. Come join an organization responsible for being a key enabler of Spacepower!

SPA has a near-term need for a Systems Administrator.

Responsibilities

As a Systems Administrator at SPA, you will be assigned to support the Space Systems Command Program Office developing software solutions to perform cyber operations in defense of the US Space Force's mission systems. Using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to implement a DevSecOps approach, you will enable the rapid development and shipment of software solutions to protect, defend, and respond to both ground- and space-based cyber adversarial threats. You will be expected to understand and apply the best practices and standards for secure software development and deployment as set forth by Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), and Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 policies and procedures. You will be expected to design, develop, test, integrate, and deploy software in accordance with the concepts and techniques defined by the 12 Factor App development practices (12factor.net), cloud native (cncf.io), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Risk Management Framework (RMF).

As Systems Administrator your responsibilities will include:

• Performing system log filtering and analysis.

• Supporting the activities with the integration and configuration teams to ensure the automatic build and deployment process works effectively across all environments.

• Installing, supporting, and maintaining servers and applications, as well as planning for and responding to service outages and other problems.

• Providing system and application diagnostics using software tools to ensure availability and providing notification of problems to the appropriate stakeholder(s).

• Maintaining the integrity of system baselines and provide health checks for all hardware, Operating Systems (OS), backups, application databases, and fielded software releases.

• Implementing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications including scripts, tools, software patches, system updates, firmware updates, and related tasks.

• Providing technical support (tier two) and assistance that corrects all system malfunctions and maintains new and modified systems and software applications to ensure operability, efficiency, and compliance.

• Diagnosing software and hardware failures to resolution to maintain high levels of availability.

• Ensuring all intrusion detection or other information assurance and cybersecurity systems are fully functioning within OS and are running the currently approved baseline, for both Microsoft (MS) Windows and Linux-based OS.

• Installing, supporting, and maintaining a stable, redundant, efficient, and productive computer system and computing environment. These activities include performing system software maintenance and updates, ensuring compliance with security requirements, providing user account management and configuration management, performing system upgrades and improvements, performing computing operations, maintaining systems documentation and procedures, and performing contingency planning.

• Maintaining daily, weekly, and monthly scheduled system backups; test and restore data to support systems and data recovery due to hardware, software, or user error; verify and validate the integrity of the backups; and perform recovery test or drills quarterly.

• Maintaining a log identifying media, date of backup, data contained within backup, and location of media.

• Testing backups quarterly to verify the most recent backup can be properly restored.

• Ensuring that current backups are conducted daily (incremental), with full system backups performed on weekends.

• Performing standard system operation functions and system console operations using organization-established processes and procedures. These include: 1. System reboots. 2. System stop/start/resets. 3. Initial system load using the most current OS image (jumpstart/kick-start). 4. Load/unload of configuration media. 5. All functions requiring root-level authority.

• Tracking all incidents from problem identification through problem resolution in the organization's ticket management system with the primary focus on immediate service restoration to minimize impact to the user community.

• Ensuring current software version and release levels are installed and changes follow organizational change management processes.

At SPA, we strive to deliver a robust total compensation package that will attract and retain the top talent. Elements of the compensation package include competitive base pay and variable compensation opportunities.

SPA provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work.

The specific programs and options available to any given employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, etc.

Please note that the salary information shown below is a general guideline only. Salaries are commensurate with experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations. Salary pay range: 120k - 150k

Qualifications

About the Must Haves

• US Citizenship and a current TOP SECRET clearance

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience performing systems administration

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or relevant STEM from an accredited institution

• Certified IAT Level II

• Your resume must demonstrate experience:

• Managing and administering various operating system (e.g., Windows Server, Linux distributions, Unix systems)

• Proficiency in virtualization technologies to provision, manage, and troubleshoot virtualized environments

• Apply network concepts and protocols

• Executing storage provisioning, performance tuning, data backup, and recovery

• Managing user accounts, permissions, ad access controls

• Implementing and managing monitoring solutions

• Implementing security controls, patch management, vulnerability scans, and incident response

• Proficiency in scripting languages such as PowerShell, Bash, or Python

Options