Find & Apply For Network / Systems Administrator Jobs in Madison, Virginia

ARiA is a specialized R&D firm where advanced science, acoustics, machine learning, and signal processing meet real-world deployment. We build the technical engines powering next-generation defense and commercial systems, tackling high-consequence challenges that demand an agile, interdisciplinary response. We trade rigid hierarchy for high trust and shared accountability, creating a culture defined by freedom, continuous feedback, and mutual support. As part of an highly collaborative team, you will design, deploy, manage, and protect the critical technical infrastructure—from cloud-based development environments, to on-premises high-performance Linux server systems, to secure tactical platforms.

ARiA:

Real Research. Real World. www.ariacoustics.com

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Opportunity ARiA is seeking a Senior Linux & Infrastructure Engineer to design, deploy, and maintain the high-performance computing (HPC) environments that power our research. As a key member of our 20-person team, you will serve as a technical enabler, building the automated, resilient systems that allow our scientists to work at scale. We are looking for a true infrastructure builder, not just a maintainer. You will be spearheading the stand-up of a new server room in our renovated Madison facility, configuring bare-metal Kubernetes (K8s) and GPU clusters, and managing racks of GPU servers delivering petaflops of processing power. The ideal candidate is a highly sophisticated Linux generalist who prioritizes system usability and engineering efficiency alongside rigorous security. We value those who take pride in technical stewardship—the practice of engineering complex bare-metal and virtualized systems through transparency, high-quality documentation, and reproducible code. Our Culture We operate as an agile, highly communicative team rather than a rigid bureaucracy. We seek "principled pragmatists"—low-ego individuals who have the confidence to design and defend a secure technical architecture, but the humility to pivot or change a process when a teammate, an audit, or new data exposes a superior approach. We value those who love learning, actively seek out constructive feedback to master their craft, and remain calm and collaborative when operational or security challenges arise. At ARiA, we celebrate team wins and value the unique contributions of every colleague. The Standard This is a boots-on-the-ground engineering role for a Senior Linux & Infrastructure Engineer who thrives on execution but values team alignment. You must be equally comfortable racking physical hardware, routing a local firewall, configuring an Ubuntu server from the command line, and debugging a broken Git repository. Ours is a rigorous environment that measures success by the reliability of our systems, the integrity of our security posture, and the seamless enablement of our team. We provide market-leading compensation and exceptional benefits because we deeply value your expertise and respect your life outside of work. However, if you are looking at this role merely as a paycheck or title, ARiA will not be a fit. We are looking for professionals who are genuinely anchored by the gravity of our mission—people who find deep, quiet satisfaction in protecting the technical environments where crucial national defense technology is forged.

SCOPE OF WORK

Core Responsibilities Technical Stewardship:

Lead the design, deployment, and administration of ARiA's IT infrastructure, focusing on creating frictionless workflows for researchers within our high-performance Linux environments using containerization and automation Security Implementation (ISSO): Serve as the local ISSO, working with the ISSM and our Seattle-based SecOps Engineer (who drives enterprise eMASS reporting, RMF A&A, and Google Cloud administration) to execute local hardware STIGs, configure secure network boundaries, and apply technical controls for Classified (NIST 800-53) and CUI (NIST 800-171/CMMC) environments. Lead the configuration and auditing of firewalls and secure network boundaries

Automation-First Operations:

Manage DNS, LDAP, and configuration management through IaC (Ansible/Nix), ensuring all systems are reproducible, documented, and easily audited

Research Support:

Provide high-tier support for GPU-accelerated HPC clusters, containerized workloads (Docker/Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipelines (GitLab)

Resilience:

Maintain and regularly test backup/recovery solutions and central monitoring (Grafana/SNMP) to ensure 24/7 mission readiness

REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications U.S.

Citizenship Required:

Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Due to immediate operational timelines, you must possess an active Secret (or higher) clearance, OR be fully eligible for immediate reinstatement (separated from a cleared GovCon/DoD role within the last 24 months under favorable conditions). We cannot accommodate initial clearance sponsorships or prolonged adjudicative delays for this vacancy.

Education & Experience:

Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or equivalent professional training and experience in systems administration/security operations.

Practitioner Role:

This is an individual contributor role focused on technical execution, not personnel management. You are the person who configures the hardware and writes the scripts that automate your workflows.

Technical Expertise Requirements Linux Focus:

2+ years of experience in Linux-heavy environments with a focus on automation and security

Modern Sysadmin Toolkit:

Proven experience with Linux administration, GitLab CI/CD, and Containerization (Docker)

Networking Expertise:

Demonstrated ability to configure and troubleshoot complex firewall rules and secure network architectures. Knowledge of networking fundamentals (VPN, Firewalls, VLANs) and secure system architecture

Automation Mindset:

Proven ability to use scripting (Bash, Python) and configuration management to eliminate manual tasks

Collaborative Humility:

Demonstrated ability to communicate technical solutions to non-IT peers with patience and a focus on collective success. Ability to partner with software engineers to optimize pipelines and remove technical bottlenecks

Certifications:

IAM Level I or II certification (or ability to obtain within 6 months)

Desirable Skills, Qualifications, and Experience Security Experience:

Prior experience as an ISSO or working within

RMF/CMMC

frameworks

Security-First Automation:

Experience automating STIG and/or NIST compliance via scripting or

Ansible HPC Support:

Experience managing GPU-accelerated clusters and high-speed data storage (Ceph/Gluster)

Monitoring:

Experience with Grafana, Prometheus, or ELK stack for system health and security auditing

Professionalism Feedback Resilience & Growth Mindset:

A demonstrable history of actively seeking out constructive critique, learning from mistakes, and continuously adapting your technical process based on feedback.

Peer Appreciation:

A track record of working effectively in cross-functional environments, with a demonstrated ability to recognize, value, and learn from the diverse skills of your teammates.

Accountable Execution:

A proven track record of taking complete, reliable ownership of IT systems from concept to delivery, while proactively communicating progress and potential roadblocks to the team and meticulously documening your own work.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit your resume on Indeed and complete the required screening prompts when requested.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$128,000.00 - $158,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Flexible schedule Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Parental leave Professional development assistance Relocation assistance Retirement plan Application Question(s): Are you a U.S. citizen holding an active Secret (or higher) clearance, OR are you within a 24-month reinstatement window from a cleared role?

Work Location:

In person