Sr. Principal Computer Systems Analyst - Linux

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: Yes

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescription

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Responsibilities of this role will include but not be limited to the following:

• Perform as a lead Sr. Principal Computer Systems Analyst - Linux in support of classified government contracts. 

• Communicate effectively with all organizational levels, internal/external customers, vendors, and senior leadership, both verbally and in writing. 

• Oversee operations and administration of multi-user computer systems and multiple networks, coordinating with IT teams, project managers, and end users. 

• Analyze requirements, recommend, and implement hardware/software solutions, and interact with vendors to evaluate and troubleshoot products and services. 

• Define, implement, and maintain enterprise-wide system enhancements, including installation, upgrades/patches, monitoring, configuration management, and problem resolution. 

• Design and develop backup strategies to include backup and disaster recovery frameworks for critical systems. 

• Establish and enforce procedures for account management, file permissions, and security access. 

• Lead testing, validation, and change management for major product releases across platforms. 

• Develop, publish, and continuously improve technical standards and SOPs. 

• Ensure compliance with Information Systems security guidelines; prepare and maintain security documentation, audit logs, and Assessment & Authorization (A&A) submissions; serve as senior liaison to the ISSM. 

• Report on strategic initiatives and project status to executive stakeholders and act as a key technical advisor impacting enterprise-wide, mission-critical systems. 

• Act as a key technical advisor to senior leadership, impacting multiple programs and mission‑critical systems across the enterprise. 

• Provide senior-level technical expertise by mentoring junior and experienced team members, fostering their professional growth, and enhancing team capabilities. 

• Lift and move equipment up to 50 pounds.  

• Work after hours and on weekends, as needed. 

 

 

Note: Due to the classified nature of the work being performed, this position does not offer any virtual or telecommute working options. Applicants are encouraged to apply, only if they are willing to work on-site, full-time at our Baltimore, MD campus. 

 

 

Basic Qualifications: 

 

• Master's degree with 6 years of IT experience, or a Bachelor's degree with 8 years of IT experience, or an Associate's degree with 10 years of IT experience; a High School Diploma/GED with 12 years of IT experience may be considered in lieu of a completed degree. 

• Current U.S. Government Secret security clearance.

• The selected candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a Special Access Program (SAP/SAR) clearance as a condition of continued employment.

• Linux Operating Systems workstation and server management support experience in a classified environment. 

• Operating System Cross-platform awareness (i.e. two or more: Windows, Linux, Solaris, OSX, UNIX, etc.). 

• Candidates must meet the U.S. Government 8140 requirements for a System Administrator IAT Level II and will be required to obtain and maintain IAT Level III certification as a condition o continued employment.

 

 

Preferred Qualifications: 

 

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, and 10 years of Linux Server Administration experience in a classified environment . 

• Experience operating under and managing systems within NISPOM Chapter 8, DCID 6/3-ICD 503, RMF, STIG, JAFAN, or JSIG information system environments.

• Experience administering modern Linux distributions (RHEL 8/9, Rocky Linux, etc.). 

• Proficiency in virtualization platforms (VMware vSphere/ESXi, Citrix XenServer, KVM/QEMU, etc.). 

• Advanced containerization skills (Docker, Docker Compose, etc.) and experience with container security tools.

• Kubernetes orchestration experience (CNCF Kubernetes, Rancher, Kubernetes Dashboard, etc.). 

• Cloud platform integration experience (Azure CycleCloud, VMware Cloud Foundation, etc.). 

• Strong networking background (subnets, routing, VLANs, VTCs, cloud networking).

• Experience with monitoring and security tools support, such as Splunk and SolarWinds. 

• Scripting and automation experience (Bash, Python, Ansible). 

• Cross-platform operations experience (Linux, Windows, UNIX, etc.).

• Experience with the creation and deployment of system images in an enterprise environment.

• Experience with Assessment & Authorization process.

Primary Level Salary Range: $123,400.00 - $185,000.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.