Principal Systems Administrator

About the role

1st Edge is seeking a hands‑on Principal Systems Administrator to manage a hybrid Windows/Linux infrastructure supporting engineering and AI development teams. The role involves day‑to‑day administration, troubleshooting, and ensuring secure, compliant operations across enterprise and lab environments.

Key responsibilities

• Administer Windows Server services including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Certificate Services.
• Manage Linux server fleets (Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, RHEL) for development and compute workloads.
• Design, build, and support VMware vSphere environments, including GPU‑accelerated compute clusters.
• Maintain networking infrastructure – switches, VPNs, firewalls, and secure communications.
• Support hybrid on‑prem/cloud connectivity (Entra ID / GCC High) and CMMC‑compliant security.
• Provide infrastructure for AI/ML workloads, including GPU resources, SLURM job scheduling, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Perform patching, backups, monitoring, and incident response across both Windows and Linux systems.
• Automate routine tasks with scripting (Bash, Python, PowerShell).

Required profile

• Active DoD security clearance (or clearance‑eligible) and U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• 10+ years of systems administration experience, with at least 3 years in mixed Windows/Linux environments.
• Proven experience designing and building VMware vSphere environments from the ground up.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across hardware, software, and integrated systems.

Required skills

• Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, PKI/Certificate Services.
• Linux administration (Ubuntu, RHEL, Rocky Linux).
• VMware vSphere design and implementation.
• Networking fundamentals – switches, VPNs, firewalls.
• GPU‑accelerated compute, SLURM, AI/ML infrastructure.
• Scripting in Bash, Python, PowerShell.
• Backup, monitoring, and logging solutions.
• Understanding of DoD/CMMC compliance requirements.