Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. General Dynamics Information Technology is a technology and professional services company delivering technology solutions and mission services to government, defense, and intelligence organizations. The Senior Principal Linux Systems Administrator will support enterprise infrastructure management and compliance through RHEL system administration, security hardening, vulnerability remediation, automation, documentation, and team collaboration.
Responsibilities
- Provide system administration support for Linux operating systems including installing software, applying patches, managing file systems, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting alerts from monitoring tools
- Configure and troubleshoot RHEL 9 systems, resolving issues associated with the operating system, servers, hardware, and applications software; perform system failure analysis and recovery
- Responsible for daily monitoring of interface programs between multiple enterprise systems; review daily logs and ensure successful completion
- Perform incremental and full cold backups/patching
- Provide performance metrics and usage charts, including CPU usage, disk usage, and network uptime for Linux servers
- Provide general maintenance, upgrades, and new installation of servers; coordinate with data center personnel to execute
- Responsible for DoW Linux Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)
- Remediate security findings identified through ACAS/Tenable reports and OpenSCAP scans by performing hands-on system patching, configuration updates, and service hardening on RHEL 9 systems
- Configure and maintain host-based firewalls (firewalld/iptables) and audit daemon logging (auditd) in compliance with DoW auditing requirements
- Develop, implement, and document technical mitigation strategies and POA&Ms for Linux vulnerabilities that cannot be immediately fixed
- Compile technical evidence, OpenSCAP evaluation reports, and configuration artifacts for CORA inspection teams
- Develop and maintain automation and scripted deployment solutions to streamline system provisioning, configuration management, and compliance validation, reducing manual effort and speeding up operations
- Utilize package management tools in GIT or local repositories to deploy security errata and software updates across air-gapped or restricted networks
- Be familiar with the operations of Ansible and Terraform to work with IaC engineers establishing standardized deployments
- Responsible for creating and/or maintaining standard operating procedures for the Linux documentation library
- Document and generate business processes for day-to-day and emergency support procedures, with strong written and verbal communication
- Coordinate with project and team leadership to meet deadlines and objectives; capable of delivering training sessions as needed
- Present ideas clearly in team meetings and project-level discussions
Skills
- Linux, Linux Security, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
- 8 + years of related experience
- Yes
- Secret
- * Technical Training, Certification(s) or Degree
- * 8+ years of demonstrated experience administering RHEL 8/9 servers
- * Secret Security Clearance
- * Direct experience in Linux system administration, CLI operations, user management, and package patching
- * Hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting RHEL 9 systems
- * Experience handling NFS, CIFS, and SMB permissions
- * Hands-on experience applying DISA STIGs to RHEL systems using SCAP Compliance Checker (SCC) or OpenSCAP
- * Experience reviewing ACAS/Tenable vulnerability reports and executing Linux-specific remediation
- * Understanding of PKI certificate installation and PAM/SSSD authentication integration
- * Strong Linux administration skills with knowledge of enterprise network architectures
- * Experience developing automation and scripted deployments to improve operational efficiency
- * Skilled in scripting for automation (Bash, Python)
- * Solid understanding of Linux internals (system calls, file systems, processes)
- * Working knowledge of TCP/IP and related protocols (HTTP, FTP, NFS)
- * Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills
- * Strong verbal communication and documentation abilities
- * Strong organizational, collaborative, and team-oriented mindset
- * Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or related technical discipline preferred
- * Experience with Ansible for configuration management and automation
- * Experience with Terraform for infrastructure as code
- * Experience using PowerShell for task automation
- * Experience with Red Hat Satellite Server for centralized lifecycle and errata management
- * Experience preparing Linux systems for DoD Cyber Defense Command (DCDC) Cyber Operational Risk Assessments (CORA)
- * Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
Benefits
- AI-powered career tool that identifies career steps and learning opportunities
- An internal mobility team focused on helping you achieve your career goals
- Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages
- 401K with company match
- Paid time off
- Full-flex work week to own your priorities at work and at home
- Award-winning culture of innovation and a military-friendly workplace
- Medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts
- Dental plan options
- Vision plan
- 401(k) plan offering the ability to contribute both pre- and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match
- Vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave
- 15 days of paid leave per calendar year for new employees, prorated based on the employee’s date of hire
- 10 paid holidays per year, prorated based on the employee’s date of hire
- Up to 160 hours of paid leave in a rolling 12 month period through the GDIT Paid Family Leave program for eligible employees
- Short- and long-term disability benefits
- Life insurance
- Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
- Personal accident insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Business travel and accident insurance
Company Overview