- CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- 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 a Systems Administrator to join the Reston, VA office of the Digital Engineering Department of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will maintain the integrity of various high-performance computing (HPC) systems including operating systems, physical servers/workstations, and applications; administer, install, and troubleshoot a variety of Cloud tooling and applications, perform systems maintenance tasks such as troubleshooting and performance evaluation as well as back-up and recovery; perform configuration changes to address customer needs; schedule, install, and test system software upgrades; monitor and maintain software licensing.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
- Execute, improve, and monitor scripts and automation tools to aid in systems management
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve server, workstation, and audio-visual (A/V) issues and/or respond to outages during normal working hours
- Test and implement upgrades and patches to installed operating systems, software container orchestration platforms (Kubernetes), and modeling & simulation (M&S) applications
- Maintain reliability of systems by monitoring, running tests, and troubleshooting
- Monitor backups and plans for installed systems; review adequacy of emergency response plans
- Manage, research, and resolve common as well as complex end-user issues
- Evaluate and recommend new or existing software/infrastructure improvements and/or solutions
- Create and maintain system documentation of processes, procedures, plans, and configurations with a focus on continuous improvement
Required Skills/Experience areas to include:
- Assist with installing, configuring, and updating systems and software, focusing on Linux (Red Hat), basic Ansible scripting, and working with GitLab pipelines
- Help diagnose and troubleshoot issues on servers, workstations, and A/V equipment, including responding to outages during normal business hours
- Support testing and applying updates, patches, and upgrades for operating systems, Kubernetes platforms, and modeling and simulation (M&S) applications
- Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required
Your working location will be fully on-site, located in Reston, VA.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
If filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Intermediate Professional, this position requires: Bachelor's Degree 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None If filled as IT Platform Administrator (ARL) - Professional, this position requires: Associate Degree No prior relevant work experience required; previous relevant work experience accepted in lieu of education. 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 Intel Community (IC), and other federal government customers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website 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 $74,760.00 - $123,480.00. This salary range includes an adjustment based on required geographic work location.
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
- Experience administering Linux systems (Red Hat)
- Basic Ansible scripting experience
- Experience working with GitLab pipelines
- Experience with Kubernetes / container orchestration platforms
- Experience maintaining high-performance computing (HPC) systems, servers, and workstations
- Ability to diagnose and troubleshoot servers, workstations, and A/V equipment and respond to outages
- Experience applying updates, patches, backups, recovery, monitoring, and system maintenance
- Familiarity with modeling & simulation (M&S) applications
- Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher; U.S. citizenship required
- Education: Bachelor’s degree with 1+ years relevant experience OR Associate degree with no prior relevant experience accepted
- On-site work location in Reston, VA
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.
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