Posted July 01, 2026
Principal Linux Systems Administrator / Sr. Principal Linux Systems Administrator (AHT) - R10238003
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: No
Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Defense Systems seeks a Linux Systems Administrator to join our diverse team, working on the Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) portfolio of programs in Redondo Beach, CA. The selected candidate will perform system administration duties for an Army Air Defense System that includes defense against manned aircraft; rockets, artillery, and mortars; unmanned aerial systems (UAS); and cruise missile defense.
This requisition may be filled at the Principal or Senior Principal Systems Administrator level:
- Principal Systems Administrator - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline (and 5 years of relevant experience in Object Oriented Languages (OOL); or 3 Years with Masters; 0 Years with PhD) or 9 years of experience in lieu of degree may be considered
- Senior Principal Systems Administrator - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline (and 8 years of relevant experience in Object Oriented Languages (OOL); or 6 Years with Masters; 3 Years with PhD) or 12 years of experience in lieu of degree may be considered
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Administer, monitor, and maintain Linux-based systems in lab and development environments, including configuration, patching, and troubleshooting
- Load, customize, and harden Linux development workstations and servers to meet program security and performance requirements
- Troubleshoot and repair hardware problems, including diagnosing faulty components and coordinating repair or replacement
- Respond rapidly to high priority incidents, diagnose root causes across OS, network, and hardware layers, and restore service for critical lab environments
- Collaborate closely with software developers and other engineering teams to support build environments, development workflows, and OS-related issues
- Document system configurations, procedures, and changes, and contribute to maintaining accurate lab infrastructure inventories
Basic Qualifications:
- Strong understanding of Linux system administration (Red Hat or similar enterprise distributions) in lab, development, or production environments
- Experience installing, configuring, and troubleshooting Linux operating systems, software, servers, and associated lab hardware, including managing user accounts, groups, and file system permissions
- Experience troubleshooting operating systems, networks, and hardware issues across servers and workstations
- Experience performing OS level package management, building and maintaining custom RPMs, handling kernel/driver interactions, and conducting performance tuning in Linux environments
- Familiarity with scripting (e.g., shell scripting) for system configuration, automation, and maintenance tasks
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with engineers and technical leads on schedule driven programs
- Hold or able to obtain DoD Secret clearance
Following are good to have, but are not required:
- Familiarity with virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware) and applying security patches and updates to virtualized environments
- Experience supporting backup and restore solutions
- Experience with vulnerability scanning and security compliance, applying OS/security patches, managing patch repositories, and maintaining antivirus tools
- Experience supporting build and deployment environments, including maintaining build scripts and installation media for development environments
- Current DoD Secret clearance
