Linux Systems Administrator

About The Company

Bowhead delivers technical, engineering, and professional services in support of complex government and commercial missions. The company is seeking a Linux Systems Administrator to contribute to a research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) environment in Dahlgren, Virginia. In this role, you will work with a collaborative team supporting unclassified network environments, servers, workstations, and clustered systems. Your work will help maintain reliable operations and enable development and testing priorities.

About The Role

The Linux Systems Administrator will provide hands-on system administration and technical problem-solving across interconnected devices and multiple systems. You will help maintain and improve Linux-based environments, support software and application deployments, and troubleshoot issues that affect system performance or scheduled testing. The role involves close coordination with users, software developers, project teams, vendors, and other organizational groups.

This position is suited to an administrator who can adapt to changing priorities, communicate clearly, and take initiative during operational and testing events. Participation in daily Scrum activities and weekly cross-section meetings will support planning, task coordination, and delivery. Travel may be required for installations and testing, with an estimated travel range of 10% to 25%.

Qualifications

Applicants must have at least four to five years of demonstrated experience administering Linux-based servers and workstations, along with well-developed Linux system management skills. A high school diploma is required; a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Experience with HP and Dell hardware is required. Prior development operations or systems engineering experience, familiarity with the development lifecycle, and network administration experience are beneficial.

Candidates must meet DoD 8570/8140 Cyber Workforce (CWF) requirements or hold an Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II certification at the time of hire. Applicants must currently hold an active Secret security clearance and be eligible to receive a Top Secret clearance upon hire. U.S. citizenship is required for this contract.

Successful candidates will be comfortable responding to changing job priorities and communicating effectively in writing and verbally. The position requires the ability to lift approximately 15 to 25 pounds, stand and walk for extended periods, and periodically twist, bend, and squat.

Responsibilities

Provide Linux administration, technical consultation, and in-depth troubleshooting across interconnected systems. Work with the team to administer, develop, and manage servers and clustered systems in unclassified network environments. Analyze, design, and implement system software modifications to improve performance, correct errors, or meet operational needs.

Support application installations, license management, software tracking and distribution, and backup and recovery of system configurations and user data. Assist users with account applications and access approvals. Partner with software developers to deploy and update proprietary software, providing Linux troubleshooting assistance as needed.

Contribute to operational planning, hardware acquisition discussions, policy development, vendor coordination, customer education, and collaboration across projects. Participate in weekly planning meetings, daily Scrums, and scheduled testing events; coordinate Jira tasks, epics, and sprints, and help resolve issues across systems to meet test priorities. Work with relevant teams to draft and update standard operating procedures for development updates and operational environment releases. Travel as needed for installation and testing activities. Perform other duties as assigned.

Relevant tools and technologies may include PTP, iRIG, Kickstart, Bash, UDEV, NMCLI, and GDM.

Benefits

The targeted annual salary range is $100,000 to $115,000, depending on qualifications and experience. Salary information is a general guideline, not a guarantee of an offer. Bowhead considers factors including responsibilities, experience, education and training, skills, internal equity, and market and business considerations when determining compensation. Any additional benefits are subject to the applicable employment terms and eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity

Bowhead is committed to fair and equitable employment practices. Candidates are considered based on job-related qualifications, experience, and business needs, consistent with applicable laws and requirements.