Senior Systems Administrator

About the role

Saalex  is seeking a  Senior Systems Administrator  in  Ridgecrest, CA.  Saalex is an Engineering and Information Technology Services company with a focus on Test Range Operations and Management, Engineering and Logistics Services, Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Services and Information Technology Services. Position Type:  Part-Time Salary:  $38.00-$40.00 Hourly (depending upon experience) Work Location:  Full-time onsite at China Lake, CA. About the Opportunity: Are you an experienced Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) looking for high-impact technical work paired with the flexibility of a part-time schedule? At Saalex Solutions, we support vital Department of Defense tactical training systems and test range capabilities. We are actively seeking a Senior Red Hat & Cloud Systems Administrator—while targeting a Senior, motivated Journeyman-level professionals with the right mindset, strong technical foundation, and drive to grow are strongly encouraged to apply! In this role, you will help maintain, automate, and modernize mission-critical systems across hybrid enterprise environments—bridging on-premise high-performance Linux enclaves with AWS cloud architectures. This position offers the ideal blend of high technical autonomy, cutting-edge DevSecOps tooling, and a flexible 20–25 hour workweek. Why You’ll Love Working With Us: True Work-Life Flexibility: Guaranteed 20–25 hours per week with adaptable scheduling around core operational windows. Alternate Fridays Off (9/80 Schedule): Enjoy standard three-day weekends every other week. Modern Tooling & Autonomy: Drive technical solutions across AWS cloud infrastructure, modern CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code automation. Direct Mission Impact: Support real-time systems essential to naval air warfare test ranges and national defense readiness. Continuous Growth & Mentorship: Full sponsorship for DoD cyber credentials, technical training, and professional development units (CEUs) to help you advance your career. Key Responsibilities: As our Linux and Cloud systems resource, you will perform hands-on administration, hardening, and automation across both classified and unclassified environments: Enterprise Linux Administration: Deploy, configure, and administer multi-distribution Linux environments (primarily Red Hat Enterprise Linux [RHEL], CentOS, and Ubuntu) supporting real-time servers, lab environments, and field engineering workstations. AWS Cloud Engineering: Support, deploy, and maintain scalable AWS infrastructure utilizing VPC, EC2, EBS, S3, IAM, CloudWatch, RDS, and EFS. Infrastructure as Code & Automation: Automate routine provisioning, configuration, and deployments using Ansible, Terraform, or AWS CloudFormation. System Hardening & Compliance: Apply DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), evaluate Nessus/ACAS scan findings, and remediate vulnerabilities in alignment with DoD Risk Management Framework (RMF) controls. CI/CD & DevSecOps Enablement: Support and maintain continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines (GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline) to enable reliable, secure software releases. Performance & Network Tuning: Proactively monitor server health, perform root-cause analysis on system alerts, and troubleshoot network routing (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, and load balancing). Identity & Access Management: Administer user accounts, role-based privileges, and group security policies in accordance with DoD and Navy cybersecurity directives. Agile Collaboration: Participate in Agile/Scrum sprint coordination, providing dependable infrastructure and deployment support to software developers, test engineers, and cyber leads. Other duties as assigned. Requirements Required: Operating System Certification: Active Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE). Cybersecurity Baseline (DoD 8140 / 8570 Compliant): Active DoD 8570/8140 IAT Level II certification (e.g., CompTIA Security+ CE, CCNA Security, CySA+, or equivalent). Cloud & Automation Exposure: Practical experience with core AWS services (VPC, EC2, S3, IAM) and scripting/automation tools (Bash, Python, Ansible, or Terraform). Security Hardening: Familiarity with DISA STIGs, SCAP compliance tools, and vulnerability remediation. Master’s degree with 5–7+ years of relevant experience, OR Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical field with 7–10+ years of hands-on experience, OR 8–10+ years of progressive, hands-on Linux system administration experience (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu) and advanced technical proficiency. Desired: AWS Certified Solutions Architect or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator. Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Podman, Kubernetes/OpenShift). Prior experience supporting Navy/DoD test range facilities (NAWCWD China Lake / Point Mugu or similar SSA environments). Familiarity with Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence) or enterprise Git repositories. Education: Master’s degree with 5–7+ years of relevant experience, OR Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related technical field with 7–10+ years of hands-on experience, OR 8–10+ years of progressive, hands-on Linux system administration experience (RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu) and advanced technical proficiency. Security Clearance: Must possess an active Secret clearance with the ability to gain and maintain a Top-Secret clearance. Requirements to obtain a clearance include US Citizenship, security investigation, etc.