Linux Systems Administrator

Computational Physics, Inc. (CPI) is seeking a Senior Linux System Administrator to support our customers at the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) in the deployment and maintenance of its precise timing and astrometry networks.

The USNO is responsible for the production and dissemination of precise parameters concerning time, star positions, and the earth’s rotation to the Department of Defense (DoD) and intelligence community, other U.S. Government (USG) users such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as non-USG civilian and international users. Distribution of these parameters supports GPS navigation, among other applications, an important national and international function. A reliable, secure, maintainable and manageable USNO network is crucial to the production and dissemination of these data products.

The position will be located at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. Partial telework may be permitted in accordance with applicable Navy and Observatory guidance in effect at the time.

• Seven (7) or more years of industry experience
• Five (5) or more years of experience as a Linux System Administrator Experience managing, configuring, and patching
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) systems Experience applying STIGs and remediating vulnerabilities identified by ACAS or similar security tools Experience supporting systems in virtualized environments (e.g., VMware vSphere)
• Experience integrating systems with monitoring and alerting platforms (e.g., SolarWinds, AIDE)
• Experience configuring and managing centralized authentication services (e.g., Active Directory, Centrify, FreeIPA/IdM)
• Experience installing and maintaining endpoint security tools (e.g., Trellix/McAfee, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint)
• Experience configuring and managing centralized logging solutions (e.g., rsyslog, SIEM integrations)
• Experience administering Linux systems using configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet)
• Experience with DoD cybersecurity policies and frameworks is highly desirable, * Bachelor’s degree in IT, CS, or related field
• CompTIA Security+ CE
• Active Top Secret Security clearance, * Strong troubleshooting skills across system, network, and storage layers
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting SELinux
• Experience managing RHEL lifecycle and patching using tools such as Red Hat Satellite or equivalent
• Experience with container technologies (e.g., Podman, Docker)
• Strong understanding of Linux networking (e.g., firewalld/nftables, DNS, routing, VLANs)
• Experience with modern monitoring and observability platforms (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK)
• Experience managing Linux storage (e.g., LVM, XFS, NFS, multipath) Experience developing and maintaining
• Ansible playbooks/roles and using version control (e.g., Git)
• Experience supporting compliance frameworks (e.g., RMF, STIG checklists, POA&M development)

U.S. citizenship is required for DoD contracts.

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits
• Positive, upbeat, and transparent company culture with opportunities for self-development and career advancement
• Employee-owned small business that allows team members to learn from each other and take ownership
• Professional development support including conference attendance and certification training, * 401(k), Profit Sharing and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Disability insurance (short-term and long-term)
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental Leave
• Tuition reimbursement

We love science! We study the physical properties of the Earth and our atmosphere, neighboring planets, and the sun. We make the study of science practical by translating our findings into products, both hardware and software, that make our customer’s lives easier and better. CPI has served various U.S. Government agencies, universities, international science organizations, prime contractors, as well as commercial customers for 40 years.

CPI is an employee-owned company – our team members receive company stock. Employee ownership motivates and empowers increased productivity, contribution to the longevity of the business, improved retention, and enhanced employee engagement.