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- CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS
We are searching for an experienced, organized, positive, and self-motivated Infrastructure Systems Administrator to join our DevSecOps Department within the Joint Mission Integration and Experimentation (JMIE) Division at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. JMIE specializes in rapid development of warfighter capabilities in an aggregated and integrated multidomain environment.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
Asset installation/configuration, operation and maintenance of systems hardware, software, and related infrastructure
Configure and manage operating systems (Windows and Linux), applications (commercial and government), networks (IPs, subnets, etc.), and network equipment (switches)
Configure and manage DOD and IC standard distributed authentication services
Build systems from "bare metal" in alignment with accredited baselines
Ensure that system hardware, operating systems, software systems, and related procedures adhere to government security and readiness policies
Perform regular security monitoring to identify any possible intrusions, including assessment of logs and reports
Perform daily backup operations, regular file archival and purge, as necessary
Create, change, and delete user accounts per request
Perform ongoing performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and resource optimization
Repair and recover from hardware or software failures for multiple sites
Establish, document, and monitor the government’s cyber security program implementation plan
Maintain facility video distribution system and displays
Required skills/experience areas include:
System administration (server and desktop security implementation and management and software development IT infrastructure setup and management)
U.S. Government computers, networks, and security
Administering server-side technology and networked computing systems
Proven working experience with DNS / DHCP / Kickstart / LDAP / Kubernetes / Red Hat Enterprise Linux / Windows 11 and Server / ACAS / Rancher / Grafana / ELK Stack / Cross Domain Guards
Configure and manage operating systems (Windows and Linux), applications (commercial and government), networks (IPs, subnets, etc.), and network equipment (switches)
Configure and manage DOD and IC standard distributed authentication services
Maintain and create system documentation, surge hours worked through events, and create simple scripts (i.e. PowerShell or bash)
Cybersecurity Management Certification (CISSP, CISM), Cybersecurity IAT-2 level Technical Certification (Security+, GSEC, etc..) Risk Management Framework (RMF) accreditation experience (within six months of hire if you do not have them already)
Demonstrated ability to work through difficult problems, using proper steps to define and formulate ideas to reach a solution
Willingness to learn new technologies
Ability to obtain an active security clearance, at the TS/SCI level, prior to beginning employment
Preferred skills/experience areas include:
Automate installation, configuration, and provisioning using Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, and Chef
Joint IO Range, Defense Research and Engineering Network, and/or other similar environments
DOD and IC network infrastructures
Your working location will be hybrid on-site/work from home (project-dependent ability for hybrid work), located in San Diego, CA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
If filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None If filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None
ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $80,100.00 - $152,004.00.
Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent (position may be filled at Advanced Professional: 3+ years or Senior Professional: 6+ years)
- U.S. citizenship (must be a U.S. citizen to apply)
- Ability to obtain an active TS/SCI security clearance prior to beginning employment
- System administration for servers and desktops (Windows and Linux)
- Experience with DNS, DHCP, Kickstart, LDAP, Kubernetes, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Windows 11/Server
- Experience with ACAS, Rancher, Grafana, ELK Stack, and Cross Domain Guards
- Configure and manage operating systems, applications, networks, and network equipment (switches)
- Configure and manage DoD and IC standard distributed authentication services
- Perform security monitoring, log assessment, intrusion detection, and RMF accreditation experience (or obtain within six months)
- Daily backup operations, file archival and purge, disaster recovery and hardware/software repair
- Maintain system documentation and work surge hours during events
- Create simple automation/scripting (PowerShell or bash)
- Demonstrated problem-solving ability and willingness to learn new technologies
- Maintain facility video distribution system and displays
- Experience administering server-side technology and networked computing systems in U.S. government contexts
- RMF accreditation experience
- Ability to obtain necessary background checks and participate in contractor monitoring and drug testing programs
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
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Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
