Demo

Principal Systems Administrator (TS/SCI with Polygraph required)

Red Alpha
Annapolis, MD Full Time
POSTED ON 5/21/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/20/2026

A day in the life:

As a Principal Systems Administrator, you will develop software Tools and Services in a SaaS/PaaS environment. Building an ‘on prem’ cloud offering with open source software using Kubernetes, Docker, Istio, Rook and other cutting edge tools. Expertise and desire to work in a containerized landlord/tenant environment is essential. The contractor shall support the development of Tools and Services that increase the efficiency of software to market, within a DEVOPs culture.        

What you bring to the table:

  • Fifteen (15) years' experience as a SA in programs and contracts of similar scope, type, and complexity is required.
  • Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline from an accredited college or university is required.
  • Five (5) years of additional SA experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree.
  • 5 years experience performing Unix System Administration including installation, configuration, and support of COTS/GOTS software in a large scale Unix cluster environment
  • 5 years experience writing scripts using Bash/Python
  • Experience with IaC (Infrastructure as Code) principles and automation tools such as Puppet, SaltStack, and Ansible
  • Demonstrated experience with the sustainment and support of large Unix Clusters including day-to-day operations, monitoring and problem resolution
  • Familiar with compliance issues such as STE/STN and PURGE2
  • Demonstrated experience using system monitoring tools such as Nagios
  • An active US Government TS/SCI security clearance with Polygraph

Bonus Skills:      

  • Experience with the Atlassian Tool Suite (JIRA, Confluence)
  • Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker
  • Experience with container orchestration technologies such as Kubernetes   

The total package:

 
Our total compensation package was strategically designed with our members in mind with the intention to: reward our members for their hard work and commitment to our customers' missions; allow members to share in Red Alpha's success as we continue to grow and expand our footprint; provide long-term career opportunities through stability and internal mobility; and provide the resources our members need to support themselves and their dependents in the form of a robust benefits package.  Our total compensation package includes a competitive base salary and benefits such as health, life/disability, 401k, paid time off, professional development, and generous bonus programs.  Please visit our benefits tab for additional information. 
 
Salary Range:   
  • Disclosed pay ranges are a general guideline, and are not a guarantee of a final salary or compensation.  Our approach in determining final salaries takes into consideration a number of factors such as education, certifications, total years of relevant professional experience, actual level of expertise, and the responsibilities of the role itself. 
  • Based on the outlined roles, responsibilities, and requirements, the  projected pay range for this position is $155,000 - $225,000.    
Some of our additional perks and benefits include:                 
  • Retire sooner than planned: Get closer to retirement with up to 12% in 401k contributions, no match required and immediate vesting. 
  • Have a career AND a life: Enjoy up to 5 weeks of leave (25 days of personal time off) and 11 paid floating holidays.
  • Stay at your best: As a member, we'll pay 100% of your premiums for comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance. We'll also pay the majority of the premiums for your family.  Let's not forge free access to a fully equipped state of the art gym!
  • Keep current on new technologies and technological advancements:  $5250 per year towards ongoing education, trainings, certifications, and maintaining professional memberships. 
  • Dress in style:  Spend up to $300 per year on company branded merchandise featuring top quality brands such as Under Armour, Nike, Carhartt, YETI, etc.
  • Enjoy the culture:  Attend fun company events throughout the year such as our Oktoberfest, summer picnic, and annual holiday party!  These are all in additon to your team events which may include happy hours, baseball games, snowboarding, RenFest, and more!
Every day, our elite customers are pushing through "the grind" to defeat the enemy, even putting their lives on the line for our freedom. Rise to the occasion with us to deliver engineering excellence, to match their dedication to this nation. Join us as we bring digital transformation to the fight! 

Salary.com Estimation for Principal Systems Administrator (TS/SCI with Polygraph required) in Annapolis, MD
$135,774 to $163,675
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Principal Systems Administrator (TS/SCI with Polygraph required).

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Backup/Recovery Skill

    • Income Estimation: $71,493 - $96,419
    • Income Estimation: $71,693 - $93,985
  • Email Administration Skill

    • Income Estimation: $83,502 - $107,152
    • Income Estimation: $90,936 - $120,778
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Red Alpha

  • Red Alpha Columbia, MD
  • A little about us: The Red Alpha Data Science practice grew out of Red Alpha's reputation in Software and System Engineering with our Department of Defense... more
  • 7 Days Ago

  • Red Alpha Columbia, MD
  • A day in the life: As an OCO Product Manager SME, you bring deep technical expertise in vulnerability exploitation, advanced persistent threats (APT), and ... more
  • 8 Days Ago

  • Red Alpha Columbia, MD
  • A day in the life: As an IT System Adminstrator, you will support our mission critical prime program by assissting with the installation, configuration, an... more
  • 8 Days Ago

  • Red Alpha Annapolis, MD
  • A day in the life: As a Full-Stack Software Engineer, you'll support a large mission focused team of software, systems and security engineers in the develo... more
  • 10 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Principal Systems Administrator (TS/SCI with Polygraph required) jobs in the Annapolis, MD area that may be a better fit.

  • Envision Innovative Solutions Annapolis, MD
  • Riverstone Enterprise Solutions, an Envision Innovative Solutions Company , delivers mission-focused technology solutions to the Intelligence Community. Si... more
  • 16 Days Ago

  • Leidos Annapolis, MD
  • Description Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Principal Linux Systems Administrator in our Intelligence Sector, Cyber & Analytics Business Ar... more
  • 18 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!