About This Role

Varda Space is looking for a Systems Administrator with deep knowledge and broad experience across Linux-based, Windows, networking, and cloud technologies. This employee will be a member of the Site Reliability team and will support Varda Space personnel, ground, and launch support systems. The ideal candidate will be flexible, flourish in a fast paced and challenging environment, and be comfortable working with mission critical systems on orbit.  The person in this position should have strong overall technical skills, excellent customer service skills, and superior organizational and prioritization management skills. The candidate should be a self-starter, self-motivator and possess ingenuity to excel at this position.

Candidates should have experience in building high-quality systems in support of business operations, development of the spacecraft, and administering complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Perform as a Linux System Administrator for an enterprise classified network working in a hybrid on-prem and cloud infrastructure environment
• Work closely with Varda Space engineering to gather requirements, research, evaluate, design, plan, deploy, and troubleshoot, networks in a world-class environment (and "out of this world" environments due to the nature of the business’)
• Manage and maintain secure, minimally-interrupted operations of Linux servers and workstations
• Build highly resilient, high-performance, scalable, and flexible systems
• Exercise a high degree of responsibility for the processes/tools and implement improvements using an accepted change control methodology
• Define, document and follow standards and best practices for systems design, testing, and implementation 
• Read, modify, and create shell script and scripts in various other languages
• Meet with stakeholders to perform requirements gathering, business process workflows, and process improvements for new and existing projects and configuration
• Install, run, and monitor Kubernetes in production environments.
• Participate in on-call rotation to handle urgent after-hours work when necessary.
• Occasional travel to customer or other Varda sites in support of troubleshooting, testing, and deployment activities

Basic Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in IT systems administration
• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in computer science, engineering, IT, information systems, math, physics, or other technical discipline with 2+ years of systems administration experience;
  • OR 5+ years of systems administration experience without a degree
• Professional experience building, deploying and troubleshooting IT systems.
• Positive and strong communication skills, both written and oral
• Proven track record of adapting in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment
• Ability to prioritize workflows effectively according to multiple criteria
• Experience with Linux and Windows servers in physical and virtualized enterprise level environments
• Experience with Active Directory, Kerberos, and multi-platform authentication/identification environments
• Experience with on-premise and cloud networking technologies
• Python, Bash, PowerShell (or similar) scripting experience 

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Enhance automation through scripting and process documentation
• Linux, Microsoft, Azure, AWS, Cisco, Fortinet or other technical certifications.
• Experience with a scripting language (Bash, Python, etc.) to automate and solve reoccurring tasks.
• Comfortable working with mission critical and sensitive systems, with a sense of urgency appropriate to the responsibilities.
• Experience customizing and working with Jira via scripting languages or system customizations
• Familiarity with database and MS-SQL administration, and demonstrated competency in writing SQL queries
• Ability to address and resolve information technology issues promptly, effectively, and independently.
• Motivated self-starter personality and ability to work independently.
• Experience with hardware (i.e., racking, troubleshooting, swapping components).
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to communicate with internal/external customers, vendors, management etc. in both formal and informal situations

Additional Requirements

• Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs. for duties such as delivering computers, unpacking and rack-mounting equipment, etc.

Pay Range

• Linux System Administrator: $90,000.00 - $130,000
• Role is located in El Segundo, CA