Lead System Administrator Jobs
Lead System Administrator jobs are open across enterprise technology, healthcare, finance, and government contracting, from mid-level administrator to senior lead and principal, with specializations in cloud infrastructure, network architecture, and virtualization. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job ID: 2618754
Location: Hampton, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-06
Category: Information Technology
Subcategory: Network Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 25% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is seeking a highly skilled Senior System & Network Administrator to support the Air Operations Center Weapons System (AOC WS) Falconer Program. In this role, you will help deliver dependable, secure, and mission‑ready Command and Control (C2) capabilities to Air Operations Centers across multiple CONUS and OCONUS locations.
You will join a team responsible for installing, configuring, sustaining, and troubleshooting enterprise‑scale systems used in operational mission planning, execution, and decision support. This is an onsite role that involves direct engagement with military operators, government personnel, and contractor teams.
Key Responsibilities:
Fielding & Installation Support
- Execute fielding objectives — including AREs, CSUs, FTs, FTTIs, and NOTAM‑driven updates — within required timelines or as directed by the Technical Project Lead (TPL).
- Deploy and configure new AOC baseline components and validate system readiness; provide transition support and risk mitigation between fielded baselines.
Sustainment & Administration (Systems & Network)
- Provide ongoing administration, configuration, and sustainment of the installed AOC baseline, minimizing downtime.
- Manage domain policies; apply security patches; perform system tuning; support application updates and data migrations.
- Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot LAN/WAN/SAN environments; administer routing, switching, ACLs, and firewall policies.
- Open, track, and resolve trouble tickets; close technical action items from site evaluations.
Systems Integration, Implementation & Coordination
- Participate in TIMs, AOC Production Center engineering/integration sessions, and post‑installation reviews.
- Submit recommended configuration changes to AOC Configuration Management and support Request for Variance (RFV) actions.
- Collaborate with team leadership to define achievable site‑specific objectives; document lessons learned and share metrics.
Testing & Evaluation
- Support Verification & Validation assessments and other SPO‑directed events.
- Provide insights while testing or supporting future upgrades developed by the AOC Production Center.
Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of hands‑on Systems and Network Administration experience, or Master’s degree with 5+ years of experience, or Equivalent industry certifications/experience in lieu of degree.
- Active DoD Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
- Meet DoD 8570.01‑M IAT Level III requirements (e.g., CompTIA Security+) within 30 days of hire.
Technical Skills:
Systems Administration
- Virtualization and hypervisors (e.g., VMware vSphere/ESXi); Citrix (Provisioning, XenApp, StoreFront).
- Enterprise services: Microsoft Exchange; System Center (SCCM/MECM); WSUS; WDS.
- Databases (SQL Server or other RDBMS).
- Endpoint and vulnerability management (McAfee ePO; ACAS/Nessus).
- Linux/Unix (e.g., Red Hat Enterprise Linux).
Network Administration
- Cisco Catalyst switches (9300) and Nexus platforms (9300 Series, 9500 Series); Cisco routers (8300).
- Cisco UCS‑X; virtual switching technologies (e.g., VDS).
- ACLs (IOS/NX‑OS) and firewall technologies (Palo Alto, Juniper, SideWinder).
- NetApp appliances (FAS2750/8200/8300, AFF C80) and Data ONTAP or similar mass storage systems; CIFS/NFS.
- Network monitoring and access control (SolarWinds NPM/NCM; Cisco Secure ACS or ISE).
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 25% (CONUS/OCONUS); active passport within 90 days of hire.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
- Self-motivated and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.
Desired Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Public Cloud Service providers such Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and preferably Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools such as Gitlab, Vault, Terraform, and Ansible
- Experience with troubleshooting and resolving issues with cloud resource configurations, and automation pipelines.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills in high‑performance team environments.
- Experience administering domain‑based enterprise IT services (startup/shutdown, patching, scanning, user management, backup/restoration, service/log management, auditing, performance tuning).
- Experience with remote file systems (CIFS/NFS).
- Ability to identify and correct errors in technical diagrams and documentation (installation, configuration, O&M, V&V instructions).
- Systems administration experience with GCCS‑J, C2 Core Air, and JADOCS.
Job ID: 2618754
Location: Hampton, VA, US
Date Posted: 2026-11-06
Category: Information Technology
Subcategory: Network Engineer
Schedule: Full-Time
Shift: Day Job
Travel: Yes - 25% of the time
Minimum Clearance Required: Secret
Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain: TS/SCI
Potential for Remote Work: ORA_ON_SITE
Description
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is seeking a highly skilled Senior System & Network Administrator to support the Air Operations Center Weapons System (AOC WS) Falconer Program. In this role, you will help deliver dependable, secure, and mission‑ready Command and Control (C2) capabilities to Air Operations Centers across multiple CONUS and OCONUS locations.
You will join a team responsible for installing, configuring, sustaining, and troubleshooting enterprise‑scale systems used in operational mission planning, execution, and decision support. This is an onsite role that involves direct engagement with military operators, government personnel, and contractor teams.
Key Responsibilities:
Fielding & Installation Support
- Execute fielding objectives — including AREs, CSUs, FTs, FTTIs, and NOTAM‑driven updates — within required timelines or as directed by the Technical Project Lead (TPL).
- Deploy and configure new AOC baseline components and validate system readiness; provide transition support and risk mitigation between fielded baselines.
Sustainment & Administration (Systems & Network)
- Provide ongoing administration, configuration, and sustainment of the installed AOC baseline, minimizing downtime.
- Manage domain policies; apply security patches; perform system tuning; support application updates and data migrations.
- Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot LAN/WAN/SAN environments; administer routing, switching, ACLs, and firewall policies.
- Open, track, and resolve trouble tickets; close technical action items from site evaluations.
Systems Integration, Implementation & Coordination
- Participate in TIMs, AOC Production Center engineering/integration sessions, and post‑installation reviews.
- Submit recommended configuration changes to AOC Configuration Management and support Request for Variance (RFV) actions.
- Collaborate with team leadership to define achievable site‑specific objectives; document lessons learned and share metrics.
Testing & Evaluation
- Support Verification & Validation assessments and other SPO‑directed events.
- Provide insights while testing or supporting future upgrades developed by the AOC Production Center.
Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of hands‑on Systems and Network Administration experience, or Master’s degree with 5+ years of experience, or Equivalent industry certifications/experience in lieu of degree.
- Active DoD Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.
- Meet DoD 8570.01‑M IAT Level III requirements (e.g., CompTIA Security+) within 30 days of hire.
Technical Skills:
Systems Administration
- Virtualization and hypervisors (e.g., VMware vSphere/ESXi); Citrix (Provisioning, XenApp, StoreFront).
- Enterprise services: Microsoft Exchange; System Center (SCCM/MECM); WSUS; WDS.
- Databases (SQL Server or other RDBMS).
- Endpoint and vulnerability management (McAfee ePO; ACAS/Nessus).
- Linux/Unix (e.g., Red Hat Enterprise Linux).
Network Administration
- Cisco Catalyst switches (9300) and Nexus platforms (9300 Series, 9500 Series); Cisco routers (8300).
- Cisco UCS‑X; virtual switching technologies (e.g., VDS).
- ACLs (IOS/NX‑OS) and firewall technologies (Palo Alto, Juniper, SideWinder).
- NetApp appliances (FAS2750/8200/8300, AFF C80) and Data ONTAP or similar mass storage systems; CIFS/NFS.
- Network monitoring and access control (SolarWinds NPM/NCM; Cisco Secure ACS or ISE).
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 25% (CONUS/OCONUS); active passport within 90 days of hire.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
- Self-motivated and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.
Desired Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Public Cloud Service providers such Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and preferably Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools such as Gitlab, Vault, Terraform, and Ansible
- Experience with troubleshooting and resolving issues with cloud resource configurations, and automation pipelines.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills in high‑performance team environments.
- Experience administering domain‑based enterprise IT services (startup/shutdown, patching, scanning, user management, backup/restoration, service/log management, auditing, performance tuning).
- Experience with remote file systems (CIFS/NFS).
- Ability to identify and correct errors in technical diagrams and documentation (installation, configuration, O&M, V&V instructions).
- Systems administration experience with GCCS‑J, C2 Core Air, and JADOCS.
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Find JobsLead System Administrator Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Empower AI34
- Leidos20
- Raytheon18
- Carson Solutions15
- SAIC10
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software19
- Education5
- Healthcare & Medical Services4
- Manufacturing3
- Electronics & Hardware3
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in lead system administrator jobs.
- Five or more years of hands-on system administration experience managing enterprise environments
- Deep expertise with Active Directory, Group Policy, and identity and access management
- Proficiency with virtualization platforms such as VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V
- Experience administering cloud infrastructure on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
- Relevant certifications such as MCSA, RHCSA, CompTIA Server+, or equivalent credentials
- Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects, mentor junior administrators, and document procedures
Tips for Your Lead System Administrator Job Search
Tailor your resume to infrastructure scope
Lead system administrator roles emphasize the size and complexity of environments you've owned. Quantify the number of servers, endpoints, or users you've managed and call out specific platforms like VMware, Active Directory, or Azure to match what hiring teams are scanning for.
Highlight your certifications strategically
Certifications like RHCSA, Microsoft MCSA, or CompTIA Server+ are often listed as requirements, not preferences. Place them in a dedicated section near the top of your resume so recruiters and ATS systems catch them before they reach your work history.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists lead system administrator openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target job titles beyond the exact match
Many lead system administrator openings are posted under titles like Senior Systems Engineer, Infrastructure Lead, or IT Systems Architect. Searching by these variants surfaces roles with identical responsibilities and compensation bands that most applicants overlook.
Prepare a system failure scenario for interviews
Interviewers for lead roles almost always ask about an outage or critical failure you resolved. Have a specific, structured example ready: what broke, how you diagnosed it, what you did under pressure, and what process changes followed.
Negotiate scope not just salary
When you receive an offer, ask about the infrastructure roadmap, team size, and budget authority before accepting. Lead system administrator roles vary enormously in real ownership, and clarifying scope upfront prevents you from accepting a senior individual-contributor role disguised as a lead position.
Lead System Administrator Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most lead system administrators?
The most active employers for lead system administrators right now are Empower AI, Leidos, and Raytheon, and the most openings are in Maryland, Virginia, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially strong in sectors with large on-premises and hybrid infrastructure footprints.
How many lead system administrator jobs are remote?
About 36% of lead system administrator openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies by specialization. Cloud-focused and security-adjacent roles tend to offer the most remote flexibility, while positions centered on on-premises hardware or data center operations are more likely to require on-site presence.
How do you become a lead system administrator?
Start by building several years of hands-on experience as a systems administrator, taking ownership of core infrastructure like Active Directory, storage, and virtualization. Earn recognized certifications in your platform area, then actively seek projects where you coordinate across teams or mentor others. Lead roles reward demonstrated judgment in outages and architectural decisions, so document those experiences clearly on your resume.
Can you get hired as a lead system administrator without a degree?
Many employers hire lead system administrators without a four-year degree if your certifications and experience are strong. Holding active credentials like RHCSA, MCSA, or CompTIA Server+ alongside a detailed work history of complex environment ownership can substitute for formal education. Government and defense contractors are more likely to require a degree, so filter your search toward private-sector and technology-company openings if that is your situation.
What does the lead system administrator interview process look like?
Most processes start with a recruiter call to confirm experience level and logistics, followed by a technical screen covering infrastructure concepts, scripting, and troubleshooting scenarios. A panel interview with senior engineers or IT leadership then assesses your decision-making in real incidents and your ability to lead a team. Some employers add a practical exercise or architecture review, particularly for roles with significant cloud or security responsibilities.
Where can I find and apply to lead system administrator jobs?
You can find and apply to lead system administrator jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 963+ Lead System Administrator Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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