Linux Systems Administrator

About Us: Blackfoot Communications reliably connects business of all sizes across the nation using the latest telecommunication technology in voice, network, and managed services. With focus on strong connections, we also provide dedicated account management with a goal to get to know our clients so we can help advise on the best solution.

What We Offer: We offer opportunities in the telecommunications and technology sectors with positions in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. Blackfoot is proud to offer a competitive salary and a fantastic benefits package that includes; comprehensive medical benefits plan, LTD, life insurance, an outstanding retirement pension plan plus a 401k plan that includes employer match, along with other employer paid benefits. We are proud to have received awards and recognition that highlight our strong company culture. These include "Employer of Choice" from the Missoula Job Service Employer's Council, "Top Tech Employer" from the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, and the "Heart Award" from the United Way of Missoula County in recognition of our ongoing community efforts. 

Job Summary: This position is responsible for Linux platform governance, design, build, and tier-2/3 support for Linux servers and container platforms supporting business services, including overall accountability for OS patching and maintenance delivered through managed service partners.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide and maintain shared Linux platform services (DNS, LDAP, RADIUS, web/email infrastructure where centrally hosted) and publish standards, reference configurations, and automation.
• Provide tier-2/3 platform support for incidents where root cause is OS/container platform; partner winuxith app owners for app-layer troubleshooting.
• Own the Linux OS patching and maintenance program by overseeing the managed services partnership (scope, schedules, compliance reporting, and escalation), and ensuring patching aligns to security standards and change management.
• Document server configurations, scripts, and all other relevant information in a repository to share information.
• Implement and support containerization for applications and services, including building and maintaining Docker images, managing image registries, and standardizing container build/release processes.
• Administer and troubleshoot Kubernetes environments (on-prem and/or cloud), including deployments, services, ingress, networking, scaling, upgrades, and cluster reliability/availability.
• Apply container security and operational best practices, including least-privilege configuration, secrets management, vulnerability scanning/patching, logging/monitoring, and incident response for containerized workloads.
• Assist in the design, configuration, installation, and maintenance of hardware infrastructure—including clustered and stand-alone servers and storage solutions (RAID and SAN). Support the administration of virtualization and hyperconverged infrastructure platforms, including monitoring cluster health, assisting with upgrades, capacity planning, and performance troubleshooting.

Additional Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required to fulfill job function or as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Linux systems administration (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu/Rocky), including services, package management, system, storage, permissions, and performance tuning.
• TCP/IP networking fundamentals and troubleshooting (DNS, DHCP, routing, VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, load balancing) in ISP/web hosting environments.
• Identity, authentication, and directory services (LDAP, RADIUS) and secure access patterns (SSH, key management, MFA integration where applicable).
• Web and email infrastructure administration (Apache/Nginx, PHP, SMTP/IMAP; e.g., Postfix/Sendmail/Cyrus) including TLS certificates and deliverability basics.
• Automation and configuration management (Puppet and/or Ansible), scripting (Bash/Python), and task scheduling for repeatable operations.
• Monitoring, logging, and observability concepts (metrics, logs, traces), alert tuning, and on-call operational practices.
• Database and data services basics for hosted applications (MySQL administration fundamentals, backups, maintenance, and performance considerations).
• Compute/storage hardware fundamentals (server components, RAID, SAN concepts), plus backup/restore practices and disaster recovery concepts.
• Virtualization and hyperconverged infrastructure administration using Nutanix/AHV, including cluster operations, upgrades, capacity management, and troubleshooting.
• Security hardening and patch management for Linux and containerized workloads (CIS concepts, vulnerability remediation, secrets/certificate management).
• Kubernetes ecosystem tools (e.g., Helm), configuration management, and deployment patterns.
• Source control and release practices (Git workflows) and CI/CD concepts that support container image builds and Kubernetes deployments.

Skill to:

• write original material, edit, proofread and finalize written material.
• gather and report numerical data and produce and interpret statistical reports.
• operate various office equipment such as a computer, copy machine, fax machine and multi-line telephone.

Ability to:

• work independently and as part of a team to solve business and technical problems in varied environments.
• function effectively in a fast-paced high-energy department and successfully balance multiple projects in a collaborative environment. 
• independently problem solve with creativity. 
• handle multiple priorities, work accurately, work under pressure, and respond quickly to tight deadlines.
• speak effectively to individuals and groups of people.
• train and teach others.
• think analytically and be a problem solver while having a good eye for detail.
• communicate effectively, both in writing and in speaking, with customers, co-workers, and various business contacts in a courteous and professional manner.
• work completely and accurately under time constraints and deadlines.
• read, analyze, and interpret reports.
• provide excellent customer service.
• work in a safe and effective manner.
• maintain confidentiality of Cooperative records when required.

Education and Experience: 

Any combination equivalent to the following education and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities would qualify. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be:

Bachelors’ degree in computer science or related field; 3-5 years of demonstrated equivalent work experience. Experience supporting containerized workloads and orchestration platforms (Docker and Kubernetes) is required; familiarity with the telecommunications industry is also desired.

Any noted minimum or maximum years of experience should not be construed as a requirement for consideration; this information is meant to be used as a suggested guideline.