Technical Lead/IT System Administrator – NASA Support

at  Pearl River Technologies

DESCRIPTION

The Technical Lead/IT System Administrator is responsible to provide technical leadership for a team maintaining Windows, Linux, VMWare, on-prem, and AWS environments, and a strong security posture. This position supports a group of flight dynamics engineers in the GSFC Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF). The FDF is a NASA Mission Essential Infrastructure facility that provides multi-mission navigation services for a wide range of robotic and human space flight spacecraft missions.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Must be able to lead and provide technical oversight, guidance and mentoring to all team members on various tool and technologies, administrative procedures, and agile methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, XP and Lean.
• Must be able to develop standards, methodologies, and technical solutions.
• Have a strong understanding of computer hardware, operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux), networking protocols, and server administration.
• Must be able to diagnose and resolve hardware and software issues efficiently.
• Must be able to troubleshoot network connectivity problems, system errors, and performance bottlenecks.
• Must be able to configure and manage network devices such as routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers.
• Must be able to implement security measures to protect systems from unauthorized access, malware, and other threats.
• Must be able to establish and maintain backup strategies to ensure data integrity and develop disaster recovery plans to minimize downtime during system failures.
• Must be able to monitor system performance, analyze system logs, and proactively optimize system resources (e.g., CPU, memory, storage) to ensure optimal performance and availability.
• Must be able to maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with team members, end-users, and other stakeholders.
• Must be able to automate routine tasks using scripting languages such as PowerShell, Bash, and configuration management tools to streamline administrative processes and improve efficiency.
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills and a customer-centric approach.
• Must be able to provide effective support and guidance to end-users, resolving technical issues and ensuring user satisfaction.
• Must have the ability to execute Infrastructure-as-Code, using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Chef, or Puppet, to automate and manage infrastructure deployments in the cloud and on-prem.
• On occasion may be required to be available to provide mission support, such as for launches, which at times may include after hours, overnight, or weekends.
• Be able to present and assemble professional presentations.

DESIRED SKILLS

• One or more of the following AWS certifications: Solution Architect Professional, DevOps Engineer Professional, or Advanced Networking Specialty.
• One or more of the following certifications: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Server+, GCWN, RHCSA, CISA, or VCP-DCV, VCAP Deploy, VCAP Design, VCDX, or any certification demonstrating advance knowledge in system administration or VMWare.
• Experience working at a NASA facility.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years professional experience.
• 10+ years of System Administration experience.
• 6+ years of experience with VMWare/AWS and working in a SAN environment.
• 2+ years of experience with NAS/VMWare Cloud Foundations/working in an Agile framework environment.
• 4+ years of experience with NetApp.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS

Must be eligible to obtain a DoD Secret Security Clearance.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and push a cart that contains up to 100 pounds of hardware.
• The employee may be required to walk to various offices and travel to other buildings within the Goddard facility.
• When employee is assigned, it is required to monitor various statuses without a break for extended periods at a time and be able to maintain a professional posture even during stressful situations.
• The employee will be required at times to work in a server room which may be moderately noisy and cold.

ABOUT US

Pearl River Technologies (PRT) is an SBA certified HUBZone small, disadvantaged business (SDB) providing professional, technical, and administrative support services to federal, state and local government agencies. Through our support and commitment to the HUBZone program, we successfully offer our customers the highest quality of service, while creating opportunities and growth for our employees.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide technical oversight and guidance to Sustaining Engineering team.
• Identify and manage scope, Level of Effort (LOE), interrelationships, and associated risks of required tasks.
• Provide technical knowledge and analysis of specialized tools and technologies.
• Provide high-level functional systems analysis, design, integration, documentation, and implementation guidance.
• Ensure system availability, reliability, and performance.
• Assess the current infrastructure state, identify areas of improvement, and make recommendations regarding technology, processes, and documentation.
• Provide training and guidance on industry best practices.
• Develop, implement, and manage quality processes and standards.
• Provide technical guidance on AWS architecture, DevOps, and system cloud migration.
• Provide technical guidance on VMware to include Cloud Foundations
• Direct support all system administration activities.
• Evaluating system subscriptions and licenses and work with Procurement Analyst to get quotes for submitting renewals.
• Maintaining, building, upgrading the organizations VMware infrastructure.
• Training other personnel on how to use, manage, and troubleshoot the VMware environment.
• Participating in building an AWS environment using Terraform and Docker.
• Design, implement, and maintain a Hybrid VMware/AWS solution.
• Sharing in an onsite support role as Goddard Space Flight Center supporting critical mission activities including launch, docking, and landing for crewed and uncrewed missions.
• Support Microsoft Windows Active Directory and server environment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and push a cart that contains up to 100 pounds of hardware.
• The employee may be required to walk to various offices and travel to other buildings within the Goddard facility.
• When employee is assigned, it is required to monitor various statuses without a break for extended periods at a time and be able to maintain a professional posture even during stressful situations.
• The employee will be required at times to work in a server room which may be moderately noisy and cold