Sr Systems Administrator

This is a technical role responsible for the design, security, and day-to-day operation of the organization’s Amazon Web Services environment and Linux server fleet (mix of on-prem and in AWS). This position serves as the infrastructure team’s subject-matter expert for cloud - building and maintaining AWS resources through infrastructure-as-code, enforcing cloud security and cost controls, and extending the same automation practices to on-premises Linux systems through Ansible., This Senior Systems Administrator - AWS/Linux role primarily handles the administration, automation, and security posture of the organization’s AWS accounts. The role establishes and maintains infrastructure-as-code standards using tools such as CloudFormation and Terraform, drives Linux patching and configuration management with Ansible, and partners with the broader infrastructure, development, and data teams to deliver a consistent, secure, and well-documented hybrid cloud/on-premises environment. While the primary focus is AWS, the role remains an active contributor to Linux systems administration and general infrastructure work., * Serve as the primary administrator and subject-matter expert for the organization’s AWS environment, including account and organizational structure, networking, compute, storage, and managed database services

• Design, build, and maintain cloud infrastructure using infrastructure as code; establish template/module standards, Git-based version control workflows, and peer review practices

• Build and maintain deployment pipelines for infrastructure changes, promoting changes through development, test, and production environments under appropriate change control

• Implement and maintain monitoring, logging, and alerting for cloud workloads; respond to performance, capacity, and availability incidents

• Manage AWS cost visibility and optimization, including right-sizing, reserved capacity and savings plans, tagging standards, and budget alerting

• Plan and execute workload migrations, service upgrades, and architecture improvements; document designs, runbooks, and operational procedures

• Provision resources and provide troubleshooting and architecture guidance to internal development, eCommerce, and data/analytics teams consuming AWS services

AWS Security and Compliance

• Own the security posture of the AWS environment: IAM policies and roles, least-privilege access design, identity federation/SSO, MFA enforcement, and periodic access reviews

• Configure and operate AWS-native security services and drive remediation of findings

• Enforce network security controls, including security groups, network ACLs, private connectivity, and encryption in transit and at rest

• Maintain alignment with security frameworks and compliance requirements (such as PCI-DSS, where applicable), including backup and disaster recovery procedures; support audits and vulnerability remediation in partnership with IT Security and Compliance team

• Review and analyze cloud security events and coordinate response efforts with the infrastructure and security teams

Linux Systems Administration and On-Premises Automation

• Perform Linux systems administration (primarily RHEL-family) across on-premises and cloud-hosted servers, including builds, configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, performance tuning, backup and recovery planning, and lifecycle management

• Develop and maintain Ansible playbooks, roles, and inventories to automate operating system patching, configuration management, hardening, and compliance reporting across the Linux environment

• Extend infrastructure-as-code practices to on-premises systems using Ansible and, where appropriate, Terraform providers for virtualization, networking, and server provisioning

• Automate repetitive operational tasks and workflows through scripting (Bash, Python)

• Maintain and monitor backup, recovery, and disaster recovery for Linux and AWS workloads; validate that recoverability standards are met

• Support web, application, container, and database platforms running on Linux in coordination with application owners and developers

General Infrastructure and Team Participation

• Contribute to infrastructure roadmap, planning, and process improvement discussions in coordination with the IT Infrastructure Lead and the Director, IT Infrastructure

• Participate in technology upgrade projects and cloud migration activities for future enterprise growth

• Author and maintain documentation, diagrams, and runbooks; adhere to documentation, change management, and operational standards

• Mentor team members on cloud, automation, and Linux practices and share knowledge through documentation and cross-training

• Serve as an escalation point for complex Linux and cloud issues and participate in the on-call rotation

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director, IT Infrastructure

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent work experience

• 5+ years of progressive systems administration/infrastructure experience, including 2+ years administering production AWS environments

• Strong hands-on experience with core AWS services, including IAM, EC2/ECS/EKS, S3, RDS, CloudFront, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and related networking and security services

• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining infrastructure as code with CloudFormation and/or Terraform, using Git-based version control

• Advanced Linux systems administration skills (RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, or similar)

• Experience using Ansible for configuration management and patch automation

• Proficiency in scripting with Bash and Python

• Working knowledge of AWS security best practices, including least-privilege IAM design, encryption, logging, and security monitoring (Security Hub, GuardDuty, WAF, Secrets Manager, KMS)

• Familiarity with networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, routing, VPN, firewalls) and hybrid cloud connectivity (VPC, Transit Gateway)

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• AWS certifications (Solutions Architect, SysOps Administrator, DevOps Engineer, or Security Specialty)

• Red Hat (RHCSA/RHCE), Linux Foundation, or HashiCorp Terraform certifications

• Experience with container platforms (Docker, ECS, EKS/Kubernetes)

• Experience with CI/CD tooling (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline, or similar)

• Experience with on-premises virtualization platforms (VMware or similar) and enterprise storage

• Experience with Windows Server, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365/Entra ID in a hybrid environment

• Experience with PowerShell

• Experience in retail, eCommerce, or PCI-regulated environments

At Books-A-Million, we believe in taking care of our employees. As part of the team, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:

Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive pay and performance-based incentives.

Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you healthy.

Paid Time Off (PTO): Enjoy generous PTO and paid holidays.

Employee Discounts: Get discounts on books and other products across our stores.

Retirement Savings: Build your future with our 401(k) plan and company contributions.