Systems Administrator II

Clearance Requirement: Public Trust clearance (Must currently hold or have the ability to obtain and maintain)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Systems Administrator

Location: Washington, DC (On-site, 5 days per week)

Employment Type: 6 Month Contract, Potential for Extension or Conversion

Pay: Available on W2

Job Summary

The RHEL Systems Administrator is responsible for administering, supporting, and maintaining Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) server environments. This role focuses on enterprise-scale Linux operations, automation, containerized platforms, cloud integration, monitoring, and system reliability. The ideal candidate has strong scripting skills, experience supporting containerized workloads, and the ability to troubleshoot, stabilize, and optimize systems in a secure, fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full lifecycle of RHEL servers, including deployment, configuration, patching, reboot coordination, and ongoing maintenance in virtualized environments (VMware).
• Administer enterprise RHEL environments using Red Hat Satellite, including repository management, content views, lifecycle environments, and patch orchestration.
• Serve as the primary owner for implementing system and software updates across the RHEL platform.
• Develop, test, and maintain automation using Bash and Python scripting to streamline administrative tasks and reduce manual intervention.
• Support and maintain containerized environments, including Docker and Kubernetes, in coordination with application and platform teams.
• Perform advanced system monitoring, performance tuning, and root cause analysis to ensure system stability and optimal performance.
• Design, implement, and maintain backup and recovery strategies to ensure data integrity and system resiliency.
• Perform daily operational support, including troubleshooting platform and application issues and responding to escalations.
• Collaborate closely with IT security teams to ensure systems are fully patched, rebooted as necessary, and compliant with security standards.
• Provide regular status updates and reporting on system health, patching, backups, and operational activities.
• Create and maintain system documentation, operational procedures, and knowledge base articles.
• Work cross-functionally with infrastructure, cloud, security, and application teams to support deployments and resolve issues efficiently.

Required Qualifications (Must Haves)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Administration, or a related field.
• 4-8 years of hands-on experience administering Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in enterprise environments.
• Strong scripting experience using Bash and Python.
• Experience supporting containerization technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes.
• Hands-on experience working with cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure).
• Proven experience with system monitoring, performance tuning, and troubleshooting, including log analysis.
• Experience implementing and maintaining backup strategies and recovery procedures.
• Experience managing reboot cycles and system recovery as part of troubleshooting and maintenance.
• Experience with user/group management, access controls, and general Linux security best practices.
• Ability to document processes clearly and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Red Hat certifications such as RHCSA, RHCE, or other advanced Red Hat Specialist certifications.
• Experience automating configuration management and compliance (e.g., STIGs) using Ansible and scripting.
• Experience with infrastructure automation and hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience supporting systems in regulated enterprise or government environments.