Senior Systems Administrator

Bluestaq US External
Colorado Springs, US
On-site

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have hands-on experience with Active Directory and cloud infrastructure. The role emphasizes 24/7 operations and requires a strong ownership mindset, with a focus on secure systems for defense and mission-critical applications.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with hands-on Active Directory and cloud infrastructure experience in production environments
    — “Hands-on Active Directory administration experience”
  • Individuals who thrive in mission-critical, secure environments with 24/7 operational demands
    — “Support 24/7 operations including shift work and on-call rotations as mission requires”
  • Professionals with a background in automation and infrastructure-as-code tools like Ansible and Terraform
    — “Working experience with automation and infrastructure-as-code tools (Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, or Packer)”

Things to consider

  • The role may require obtaining a TS/SCI clearance, which is a significant commitment
    — “This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance”

How to stand out

  • Highlight automation workflows and security practices in your resume and interview responses
    — “Build and maintain automation workflows using Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes”
  • Demonstrate your ability to document processes thoroughly, as this is a key responsibility
    — “Maintain accurate, thorough documentation in Confluence — system configurations, change records, runbooks, and SOPs”
  • Emphasize your experience with cloud IAM tools and your understanding of security vulnerabilities
    — “Support cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools and practices”
  • Showcase your track record of proactive issue identification and escalation in your interview narrative
    — “Proactively identify issues, anticipate roadblocks, and escalate appropriately when needed”
  • Demonstrate your ability to mentor junior staff and collaborate across teams in your application materials
    — “Contribute to team knowledge sharing and support the mentorship of junior administrators (L1/L2)”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Maintain and support the integrity of system networks
  • Serve as a primary escalation point for infrastructure incidents
  • Build and maintain automation workflows
  • Provide responsive support to system users
  • Maintain accurate documentation
Typical background
Experience in systems administration and IT operationsProficiency in Linux and cloud environments

Skills & requirements

Required

Linux Systems AdministrationActive Directory AdministrationCloud Identity And Access Management (iam) ToolsSystem Vulnerabilities And Security IssuesNetworking FundamentalsAutomation And Infrastructure-as-code ToolsCloud Computing ConceptsTroubleshooting And DebuggingAtlassian ToolsHelp Desk/itsm Systems And Ticketing WorkflowsCollaborationCommunication

Preferred

Cissp CertificationCEH CertificationComptia Security+ Certification

Stack & domain

Linux Systems AdministrationActive DirectoryCloud Identity And Access Management (iam) ToolsSystem Vulnerabilities And Security IssuesNetworking FundamentalsAutomation And Infrastructure-as-code ToolsCloud Computing ConceptsTroubleshooting And DebuggingAtlassian ToolsHelp Desk/itsm SystemsCollaborationCommunicationComptia Security+ CertificationCuriosityInvestigative ApproachResponsivenessSolutions-orientedOwnership MindsetGrowth MindsetComptia Security+CisspCEHITCybersecurityCloud Computing

About the role

Original posting from Bluestaq US External via Greenhouse

Why This Role Matters

At Bluestaq, mission success depends on systems that are secure, reliable, and always ready. As a Senior Systems Administrator, you'll keep critical infrastructure running — maintaining, monitoring, and troubleshooting the applications and systems our teams and customers depend on around the clock. Your work directly strengthens the technical backbone behind Bluestaq's most important missions. 

What You'll Own: 

Maintain and support the integrity of system networks through technical support and configuration management 

Perform daily maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting of applications, networking problems, and systems issues across both cloud-hosted and on-premises platforms 

Serve as a primary escalation point (Tier 2/3) for infrastructure incidents, outages, and performance degradation 

Administer Active Directory including GPO, role-based access controls, and user/group policy management 

Support cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools and practices 

Build and maintain automation workflows using Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes to reduce manual effort and improve reliability 

Perform software and system installations, upgrades, routine automation, and cybersecurity risk mitigation tasks 

Provide responsive, solutions-oriented support to system users, ensuring reliable access to tools and systems 

Maintain accurate, thorough documentation in Confluence — system configurations, change records, runbooks, and SOPs 

Track and manage work through Jira, communicating scope and status effectively to the team and stakeholders 

Support 24/7 operations including shift work and on-call rotations as mission requires 

Contribute to team knowledge sharing and support the mentorship of junior administrators (L1/L2) 

Proactively identify issues, anticipate roadblocks, and escalate appropriately when needed 

Take responsibility for personal development and demonstrate a growth mindset 

You use modern AI tools with judgment: integrating them into workflows where they're impactful, reviewing their outputs, and handling proprietary or sensitive data responsibly 

What You Bring:  

Must-Have: 

Willing to support 24/7 operations and shift work 

Ability to obtain a US government clearance 

Proficient understanding of Linux systems administration in production environments 

Hands-on Active Directory administration experience 

Experience with cloud identity and access management (IAM) tools 

Working knowledge of system vulnerabilities and security issues 

Solid networking fundamentals — DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls, and routing 

Working experience with automation and infrastructure-as-code tools (Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, or Packer) 

Experience with cloud computing concepts and the AWS component stack 

Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills — curious and investigative approach to problem-solving 

Hands-on experience with Atlassian tools — Confluence and Jira 

Experience with help desk/ITSM systems and ticketing workflows 

Strong collaboration skills — comfortable working across multiple teams and sharing knowledge 

Strong written and verbal communication skills — comfortable working directly with customers, end users, and engineering teams 

Ability to obtain CompTIA Security+ certification 

Ownership mindset — you follow through, document your work, and find the right balance between persevering and asking for help 

Bonus: 

CISSP or CEH certification 

Advanced Ansible, Terraform, or Kubernetes usage in classified or production environments 

Linux certifications (RHCSA, RHCE, LPIC, or equivalent) 

Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines or DevSecOps practices 

Required Education: 2+ years of systems administration/information technology experience with a Bachelor's degree OR an Associate degree with 2 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required OR a High School Diploma/GED with 4 additional years of experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted in lieu of a degree. 

Salary Range (US)$80,000—$105,000 USDClearance Requirement: This position may require an active TS/SCI Clearance. Current clearance holders are strongly encouraged to apply. If you don't currently hold one, Bluestaq will sponsor eligible candidates through the clearance process based on program needs.

Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for full-time positions.

About Bluestaq

At Bluestaq, we build secure data platforms that matter for space missions, national defense, healthcare systems, and commercial innovation. Founded in 2018, we've become a leader in enterprise software and secure data management by staying focused on what counts: modern architecture, operational excellence, and mission impact.

We're engineers, problem-solvers, and builders who take the mission seriously, but not ourselves. We automate the repeatable, question the status quo, and design systems that are as reliable as they are scalable. Whether we're supporting space, defense systems, or healthcare advancements, we build with the same principles: cloud-native solutions, security by design, and relentless simplicity.

What We Offer:

For full-time positions

100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision for you and your dependents

Up to 6% match to 401(k) contributions with additional discretionary 4% profit share on day one. Roth options available; no vesting period.

Every role is eligible for an annual performance bonus

$200,000 employer-paid life insurance, plus short- and long-term disability coverage

$5,000 annual professional development budget per employee

20 days PTO, plus 8 paid holidays

Pet insurance, onsite gym, and flexible schedule

Bluestaq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by state or local law.

Bluestaq will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities and employees whose work requirements interfere with a religious belief unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to Bluestaq or a direct threat. Employees needing such accommodation are instructed to contact Human Resources immediately at contact.us@bluestaq.com.

Applications will be accepted for 60 days beyond the posting date, or until the position is filled, whichever comes first.

Source: Bluestaq US External careers (Greenhouse)

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