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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Systems Administrator SME - **Company:** Cornerstone Defense - **Location:** Herndon, VA, United States - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Active Directory, Agile Methodology, Amazon Web Services, Automation of Tests, Microsoft Azure, Software Documentation, DevOps, Domain Name System (DNS), Identity and Access Management, Windows Servers, Zero Trust Network Access, Smoke Testing, Virtualization Technology, Enterprise Software Applications, Cloud Platform System, System Availability, Test Scripts, HybridCloud, Build Management, Servicenow - **Published:** August 10, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.clearancejobs.com/jobs/8772859/systems-administrator-sme ## About the Role Ability to work effectively within Agile teams including Developers, Technical Managers, Business Analysts, and Product Owners. * Strong analytical ability, communication skills, and problem-solving capabilities. * Ability to work independently and collaboratively. * Experience mentoring or providing technical knowledge transfer. ## Description Cornerstone Defense offers a very comprehensive benefits package including, but not limited to: Medical, Dental and Vision Plans * Generous PTO Policy * 401(k) * HSA and FSA options * Life and Disability Insurance * Tuition Reimbursement and Training * Perks at Work Discount Program * Referral Program * Leads Generation Program * CollegeAmerica 529 * Fitness Reimbursement Program * Travel Assistance * Norton Lifelock Benefit Solutions * Life Planning Financial & Legal Services * Required Education, Experience, & Skills: We are actively seeking candidates with a minimum of 16 years' experience, and a range of skill levels from basic to advanced. Bachelor's or Master's Degree are preferred in one or more of the disciplines described below where specific skills may include the following, Systems Administration * Provide Tier I & II support for enterprise systems and escalate advanced issues as needed. * Troubleshoot server, operating system, application, and connectivity issues. * Support daily operations, monitoring, maintenance, and upgrades for on-prem, virtual, and cloud systems. * Document incidents, problems, and service requests using ServiceNow. * Support asset management, inventory, and user onboarding activities. * Maintain system documentation, SOPs, and operational guides. * Deliver hardware within the WMA; limited travel required. * Provide guidance and knowledge transfer to junior team members. Quality Assurance & Testing * Test and validate system builds, patches, and configuration changes across Dev/Test/Prod environments. * Conduct functional, integration, regression, and post-deployment tests. * Develop test documentation including Test Plans, Test Cases, Defect Logs, and Test Reports. * Identify, log, and track defects through closure. * Create test scenarios that include both expected outcomes and failure conditions. * Perform smoke testing and pre/post-deployment validation for production releases. * Identify risks or gaps early in development. * Recommend areas for automated testing improvements. Cloud & DevOps Support * Validate deployments in AWS, Azure, and hybrid cloud environments. * Verify IAM roles, access controls, and Zero Trust security configurations (ACLs, security groups, routing rules, firewall settings). * Validate DNS paths, connectivity, and system availability after updates or builds. * Confirm server build integrity through post-deployment checks (connectivity, logs, performance). * Ensure systems remain available after certificate updates and patching. Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills: * Strong proficiency with: * Windows Server 2016-2021 * Active Directory * AWS and/or Azure * Virtualized infrastructure * ServiceNow or similar ITSM tools ## Related Videos - [Applying Agile Principles to Incident Management ](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/101-applying-agile-principles-to-incident-management) - [Enabling automated 1-click customer deployments with built-in quality and security](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/83-enabling-automated-1-click-customer-deployments-with-built-in-quality-and-security) - [From DevOps to Scaled DevOps: How We’re Rebuilding Continuous Delivery as a Platform](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100018-from-devops-to-scaled-devops-how-we-re-rebuilding-continuous-delivery-as-a-platform) - [Develop enterprise-ready applications for Microsoft Teams with Azure resources on modern web technologies](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/187-develop-enterprise-ready-applications-for-microsoft-teams-with-azure-resources-on-modern-web-technologies) - [AI in Production: applied AI & enterprise use cases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100130-ai-in-production-applied-ai-enterprise-use-cases) - [DevOps Maturity Check – a way to balance autonomy and alignment](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/58-devops-maturity-check-a-way-to-balance-autonomy-and-alignment) ## Related Articles - [What Are The Top Skills Required For Azure Developers?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/77-what-are-the-top-skills-required-for-azure-developers) - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [Events like RSAC Get You CISOs. Developers Decide What Actually Gets Deployed.](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/693-events-like-rsac-get-you-cisos-developers-decide-what-actually-gets-deployed) - [Now is the time for industrialized software development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/601-now-is-the-time-for-industrialized-software-development) - [Everything a Developer Needs to Know About MCP with Neo4j](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/604-everything-a-developer-needs-to-know-about-mcp-with-neo4j) - [The 8 Best Code Testing Tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/402-the-8-best-code-testing-tools)