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IT SPECIALIST (SYSADMIN)

Defense Information Systems Agency

Fort Meade, MDFull-time$85–111K/yrPosted today

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At a glance

Compensation
$85–111K/yr
Location
Fort Meade, MD
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

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Job overview

The IT Specialist (Sysadmin) supports the US Cyber Command mission in DISA’s Infrastructure Office. The specialist administers Windows, Red Hat Linux, and Solaris servers, maintains systems and hardware, diagnoses failures, monitors performance and capacity, and performs backup, restoration, security, and maintenance work. The role also includes project-level engineering. Applicants must meet the stated education or experience pathways, including qualifying experience in enterprise endpoint management, device management platforms, or endpoint security.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Systems AdministrationSystem ConfigurationSystem DeploymentEnterprise Endpoint ManagementMicrosoft IntuneMicrosoft Configuration ManagerJamf ProVirtual Desktop InfrastructureEndpoint SecurityDevice Compliance MonitoringMicrosoft Defender for EndpointAttention to DetailCustomer ServiceOral CommunicationProblem Solving

Qualifications

PhD or Three Years Graduate EducationOne Year Qualifying ExperienceAccredited College or University

Benefits

Relocation Assistance

Full job description

Summary

This position is being recruited under 10 USC 1599f into the Cyber Excepted Service and does NOT convey eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service. It has been identified as a position necessary to carry out and support the mission of the US Cyber Command. It is in the Professional Work Category at the Full Performance Work Level within the CES Occupational Structure. It is located in the DISA FE/Special Services/Infrastructure Office.

Duties

  • Specialist functions as a systems administrator. Installs and maintains software and hardware, and documents the physical configuration of IT systems. Optimizes the functionality of networks and systems and diagnoses and recovers failed systems.
  • Identifies and anticipates server performance, availability, capacity or configuration problems. Initiates corrective or preventive action, such as increasing disk or memory capacity to improve performance.
  • Runs tests to verify operability and functionality. Reviews server loads and recommends server load balancing, and implements and verifies server backup and restoration. Implements security plans and policies and preventive maintenance schedules.
  • Server administration include Windows, Red Hat Linux, and Solaris based operating systems with various hardware platforms. The system administrator provide operation maintenance of the servers as well be involved in project level engineering work.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below. Basic Requirements: Applicants must possess either education, as described below, or have IT-related experience demonstrating the following competencies appropriate to, or above, the level of this position. For vacancies below the full-performance level of the position, the basic requirement will be evaluated on a developmental basis. Your resume and work experience should clearly support your ability to meet these competencies and will be evaluated as part of the entire application process: GG-11: A Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in computer science, engineering, information science, information systems management, mathematics, operations research, statistics, or technology management or degree that provided a minimum of 24 semester hours in one or more of the fields identified above and required the development or adaptation of applications, systems or networks. OR Attention to Detail - experience reviewing my own information technology-related work or data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with standards. My work or the data that I produce is typically reviewed by my supervisor or another colleague. Customer Service - experience having brief contact with customers to provide information about available information technology products and services and providing customers with standard products or routine services to address information technology needs Oral Communication - experience informing my supervisor and other IT staff of the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the status of information technology systems, projects, or daily operations, including the communication of basic technical information to a non-technical audience Problem Solving - identifying or selecting from a number of alternatives to address routine information technology-related issues by gathering and applying information from standard sources that provide a limited number of solutions. Qualifying Experience: To qualify based on your experience, your resume must describe at least one year of experience that demonstrates the competencies necessary for immediate success in the position. Experience refers to any paid or unpaid experience, including volunteer work and Military service, that would be considered equivalent to work normally performed at the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, qualifying experience is defined as: Executing systems administration, configuration, and deployment duties within an enterprise endpoint management environment OR Participating in the administration and troubleshooting of modern device management platforms such as Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Configuration Manager (MCM), Jamf Pro, and virtual desktop infrastructure (AVD/vDaaS) OR Experience demonstrating practical familiarity with endpoint security policies and monitoring device compliance utilizing tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE). Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Candidates must describe how they meet the qualifying experience and/or selective placement factor(s) within the body of their resume. All qualifications must be met within 30 days after the closing date of the announcement. Combination of education and experience is not applicable for this position.

Education

GG-11 Substitution of Education for Experience: Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree may be substituted to meet the qualifying experience requirement. If you are using education to substitute for the qualifying experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education . Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services at the time of application. National Association of Credential Evaluation Services . How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the applicant questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. The Assessment Questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and collects information on your education, training and experience related to the following critical competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Oral Communication Problem Solving You can preview the Questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13099250 Criminal History Inquiries- If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ [email protected] Other Information

This position is in the Excepted Service and does NOT convey eligibility to be converted to the Competitive Service. It is being recruited under 10 U.S.C. 1599f into the Cyber Excepted Service (CES) personnel system. If you are a current Federal Career/Career-Conditional employee, you will be placed on an Excepted appointment. This appointment does not confer eligibility to be non-competitively converted to an appointment in the competitive service. A three year trial period may be required if you have not previously completed a trial or probationary period in the excepted or competitive service. Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination Individuals tentatively selected for drug testing designated positions at the Defense Information Systems Agency will be required to submit to urinalysis for illegal drugs prior to appointment or placement. We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date. Moving costs MAY be paid. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here. Recruitment, relocation, or retention incentives MAY be authorized. This position is covered under DoD Manual 8140 which will be subject to future Cyber Workforce requirements as defined by the Manual. Because this position is in the Cyber Excepted Service, Veterans' Preference will be applied to preference eligible candidates, as defined by Section 2108 of the Title 5 U.S.C. in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 3005, "CES Employment and Placement." If you are a veteran claiming veteran's preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you must submit documents verifying your eligibility with your application package. For more information on the Cyber Excepted Service Personnel System, click here. For more information on veterans' preference, click here. For more information regarding qualifications requirements, click here. All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-0454 for assistance. If selected, the authorized rate of pay may exceed the stated maximum salary rate range under certain circumstances.

How this job compares

Set against the 2,521 open Systems Administrator jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 29, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$85–111K/yr
  • Maryland median$99–167K/yr131 salary ranges
  • US median$85–130K/yr1,681 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $98K, is 27% below the Maryland median midpoint ($134K) — in the lowest quarter of Systems Administrator salary ranges in Maryland.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 177 open Systems Administrator jobs in Maryland and 2,521 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Maryland
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Systems Administrator postings that state a minimum ask for (median 4 years, across 2,169 postings).
Education
723 of the 2,521 open Systems Administrator jobs (29%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 29, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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