Senior Systems Administrator / Help Desk Engineer

Location: Gaithersburg, MD (Primary); Alexandria, VA; Chantilly, VA; Englewood, CO; St. Louis, MO; Tucson, AZ

Required Clearance: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph Eligibility

Employment Type: Full-Time Regular

Shift: Day (Candidate must support either a 6:00 AM EST start or coverage until 10:00 PM EST as required)

Travel: No

Relocation Assistance: Yes

Company Overview

We are Ennoble First. The people supporting and securing some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. Our work has meaning and impact on the world around us, but also on us, and that's important. Ennoble First is your place. You make it your own by embracing autonomy, seizing opportunity, and being trusted to deliver your best every day. We think. We act. We deliver. There is no challenge we can't turn into an opportunity.

Position Overview

Ennoble First is seeking a Senior Systems Administrator / Help Desk Engineer to support the Chinook program for an Intelligence Community customer. In this role, you will ensure the stability, security, and performance of mission-critical environments supporting Agile software development, geospatial analytics, and enterprise data services.

As a trusted technical expert, you will support both cloud and on-premises environments, provide advanced systems administration and end-user support, and collaborate with software engineers, DevSecOps specialists, cybersecurity professionals, and customer stakeholders to maintain reliable operations and continuously improve the user experience.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead system administration for Linux and Windows-based systems in secure, mission-critical environments.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and end-user technical issues while serving as a primary IT support contact, managing support tickets through resolution, and delivering responsive customer service.
• Architect and manage complex server, storage, and virtualization infrastructure (VMware, KVM).
• Perform operating system installation, configuration, hardening, and patching in compliance with DoD STIGs and agency policies.
• Monitor and tune system performance, conduct root cause analysis, and resolve complex issues quickly and efficiently.
• Support backup and recovery strategies, disaster recovery plans, and continuity of operations.
• Oversee and maintain automation scripts and Infrastructure as Code (Ansible, PowerShell, Bash, etc.).
• Maintain system documentation, configuration baselines, and support configuration management (CM) and risk management (RM) activities.
• Lead and support deployment of system enhancements and modernization initiatives for the Chinook program.
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, network engineering, and software development teams to ensure system compliance and performance.
• Participate in security audits, incident response, and operational readiness activities.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship is required per contract.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related discipline and 8–12 years of prior relevant experience, or Master's degree with 6–10 years of prior relevant experience.
• DoD 8570 Information Assurance Technician (IAT) Level II or III certification (e.g., Security CE, CASP , CISSP).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government) and hybrid cloud environments.
• Experience with Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux or CentOS) and Windows Server platform system administration.
• Proficiency with virtualization platforms (VMware, KVM) and management tools.
• Experience with automation and scripting (Ansible, Bash, PowerShell, Python).
• Familiarity with STIG compliance, system hardening, ACAS scans, and RMF processes.
• Strong understanding of enterprise networking, identity and access management, and storage concepts.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot, document, and lead systems-related projects independently.
• Experience supporting Intelligence Community or Department of Defense classified environments.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with the ability to successfully pass a Polygraph examination.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting GEOINT missions.
• Familiarity with DevOps tools and pipelines (Git, Jenkins, Docker, etc.).
• Knowledge of enterprise backup solutions, DNS, DHCP, Active Directory, and PKI.
  
  

Pay Range

$120,000–$140,000

The Ennoble First pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Ennoble First is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

E-Verify Participation

Ennoble First participates in E-Verify. Learn more at www.dhs.gov/E-Verify .

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.