Linux Systems Administrator-Principal

Posted:
7/9/2026, 8:30:20 AM

Location(s):
Glen Burnie, Maryland, United States ⋅ Maryland, United States

Experience Level(s):
Expert or higher ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
DevOps & Infrastructure ⋅ IT & Security ⋅ Software Engineering

Workplace Type:
On-site

At NetSage, we are more than a government contractor—we are a mission-focused partner dedicated to advancing national security through exceptional cyber expertise. We believe our success begins with our people, which is why we invest in and care for our employees. We know that employee retention is mission continuity, and we are committed to building long-term careers where our people can grow alongside our customers' evolving missions. Our employees enjoy meaningful work, competitive compensation, outstanding benefits, and opportunities to expand their skills across multiple mission areas. To learn more about our comprehensive benefits and what it's like to build your career at NetSage, visit our Careers page.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work we support, some job descriptions intentionally provide a high-level overview of the role. If you'd like to learn more about a particular opportunity, we encourage you to apply directly or connect with us through our Get In Touch page. We'd be happy to discuss how your experience aligns with our mission and explore where you can make an impact.

Job Description: 

We are seeking a Principal Linux Systems Administrator to architect, administer, and continuously improve a secure Linux environment by leveraging modern DevOps practices, open-source technologies, and enterprise infrastructure solutions. In this role, you will support software developers and mission users by maintaining highly available, secure, and scalable systems while driving infrastructure modernization, system performance, and operational reliability. The ideal candidate for this position will have extensive experience administering Linux environments, managing enterprise network infrastructure, and supporting secure classified systems throughout their lifecycle. Please consider applying if you meet the following qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

  • TS/SCI with polygraph security clearance.
  • A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Network Engineering or a related field and eleven (11) years of relevant experience is required. A Doctoral degree (PH.D.) and seven (7) years, a Master of Science (M.S.) degree and nine (9) years, an Associate of Science (A.S.) degree and thirteen (13) years of experience, or at least eighteen (18) semester hours of military coursework/training in networking, computer science or cyber topics and thirteen (13) years of experience is also acceptable. 
  • Extensive experience administering Linux operating systems in enterprise environments.
  • Experience supporting complex enterprise infrastructure consisting of physical and virtual systems.
  • Experience designing, implementing, and maintaining secure network infrastructure.
  • Strong experience with network administration, including managed switches, VLANs, VPNs, routing protocols, firewalls, and network troubleshooting.
  • Experience supporting DevOps environments and open-source technologies.
  • Experience implementing infrastructure security, vulnerability remediation, system hardening, backups, disaster recovery, and compliance initiatives.
  • Experience supporting RMF processes, SSP documentation, patch management, and IAVM compliance.
  • Experience deploying and maintaining NGINX web servers.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker.
  • Familiarity with MongoDB and Elasticsearch.
  • Experience using Ansible for configuration management and infrastructure automation.
  • Familiarity with GitLab and version control workflows.
  • Experience managing Linux systems with Red Hat Satellite.
  • Working knowledge of software-defined networking (SDN) concepts and technologies.
  • Experience supporting DevOps workflows and modern infrastructure automation in enterprise Linux environments.