The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.
At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.
The Cloud Platforms and Architectures Department goes beyond traditional software systems design and IT application hosting environments to provide our customers with guidance and solutions for developing/deploying/managing highly secure, available, resilient, and scalable software systems using advanced distributed computing technologies, such as cloud technology stacks and cloud native application architectures. The Senior Systems Administrator contributes to delivery of our services by maintaining the computing capabilities in our on-premises labs and in our commercial cloud accounts. If you’re a passionate, driven and detail-oriented individual who is excited about supporting the development of advanced computing solutions that keep our nation at the forefront of space systems capabilities, consider joining our team of passionate engineers.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Maintain and monitor compute servers, storage servers, specialized computing devices, and networking devices across several West and East Coast labs at various levels of classification, either onsite or via remote access
- Manage compute, storage, and networking resources in commercial cloud accounts at various levels of classification
- Maintain and monitor VMware Enterprise vSphere virtualization infrastructure
- Maintain and monitor Kubernetes container orchestration clusters
- Manage storage allocations and define data backup and recovery procedures
- Maintain identity and access management for lab systems
- Automate system maintenance, monitoring, and provisioning functions where possible
- Coordinate with other IT support teams, including enterprise networking and security, as well as vendor teams, when applicable
- Evaluate vendor products and make recommendations for hardware/software purchases
Minimum Requirements
What You Need to be Successful
- 8 or more years of experience with an Associate Degree or equivalent vocational/military training or 10+ years of relevant experience with High School Diploma or equivalent
- Comprehensive experience in Unix/Linux operating system internals and systems administration
- Comprehensive experience in VMware Enterprise vSphere systems administration
- Experience in Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems administration
- Experience in container technologies and Kubernetes systems administration
- Familiarity with electronics or environmental test equipment
- Ability to work independently and be a self-starter as well as motivated contributor
- Ability to establish and maintain effective interpersonal and working relationships with various levels of corporate staff, peers, management, program offices, customers, and contractors
- Outstanding communications skills: interpersonal (demonstrated in working diplomatically across organizations and thoughtfully advising decision makers), presentation (demonstrated in briefings), and written communications skills (demonstrated in design documents, technical reports, or publications)
- A commitment to delivering on organizational goals
- This position requires the ability to obtain a Secret clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.
How You Can Stand Out
It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or other sciences/engineering field
- Experience managing equipment / inventory control / equipment tracking
- Experience maintaining classified systems
- Experience using one or more scripting or programming languages (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Python) to automate system administration functions
- Experience applying Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) technologies (e.g., Ansible, Terraform) to configure and manage VMware vSphere clusters
- Experience in TCP/IP networking and Layer 2/3 network switch configuration
- Technology certifications (e.g., AWS certifications, Certified Kubernetes Administrator)
- Active TS/SCI security clearance
We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.
(Min - Mid - Max)
$116,000.00 - $129,500.00 - $143,000.00
Pay Basis: Hourly
Ways We Reward Our Employees
During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.
Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.
A few highlights include:
- Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
- Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
- Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
- 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
- Flexible spending accounts
- Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
- Relocation assistance
- Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
- Education assistance programs
- An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect
We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.
Equal Opportunity Commitment
The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.