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Sr Principal Systems Administrator

Northrop Grumman

San Diego, CAJob$129–194K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$129–194K/yr
Location
San Diego, CA
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Secret clearance

Job overview

Northrop Grumman seeks a Senior Principal Systems Administrator for Mission Systems N-OSSM development programs in San Diego. The role supports heterogeneous classified and unclassified networks, including Linux, Windows, and VMware environments, with emphasis on software development and test automation teams. The administrator works on system architecture, installation, troubleshooting, automation, sustainment, documentation, and security support, and must work fully onsite.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Linux AdministrationRed HatLinux TroubleshootingLDAPSystem HardeningSplunkWindowsSTIG ImplementationDNSBINDScriptingBashAnsiblePythonCommunicationClonezillaLinux DumpProgram LeadershipTask DelegationDockerRed Hat OpenShiftKubernetesVMwareKVMHyper-VRH-VMentoringNetworkingiSCSILinux/Unix SystemsContainerization

Qualifications

8 Years Experience or Bachelor's + 4 YearsBachelor's Degree or Equivalent ExperienceUS CitizenshipInterim Secret/Secret Clearance

Benefits

Medical Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off

Full job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

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.

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.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems is a trusted provider of mission-enabling solutions for global security. Our organization is chartered with providing the skills, innovative technologies to develop, design, produce and sustain optimized product lines across the sector while providing a decisive advantage to the warfighter.

This requisition is for our opening as a Senior Principal Systems Administration based out of San Diego, CA. Under this role you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of our Enterprise-wide digital transformation. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team-oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning, and a culture of automation.

We are seeking cleared or clearable candidates to perform key assignments for Mission Systems N-OSSM development programs. This position supports a large heterogeneous unclassified and classified computer networks that includes Linux, Windows, and VMware Virtualization with emphasis on supporting software development and test automation teams. Responsibilities include working with software development teams to design and define system architectures for new or existing complex development networks, hardware/software installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, repair, monitoring, tuning, automation scripting and general sustainment activities. Duties will also include maintaining system documentation, developing infrastructure support procedures, and providing security support.

What you’ll get to do:

  • Work closely with engineers and technicians in a lab environment

  • Advise on integration of new emerging industry technologies to the program’s systems

  • Implement engineering changes to the system as required

  • Review, analyze, and incorporate technical requirements into end-to-end system architectures

  • Responsible for completing the network configurations and coordinating with the peers, SMEs, and government engineers.

  • Occasional travel may be required

Basic Qualifications:

  • 8 years of experience with Bachelor degree. An additional 4 years of relevant experience can be considered in lieu of a degree.

  • Linux knowledge and experience

  • Advance and in-depth technical knowledge of Red Hat operating systems

  • Understanding of Linux built-in applications/programs (awk, grep, etc)

  • In-Depth Linux troubleshooting knowledge

  • LDAP (RHDS) experience

  • Advanced System hardening experience

  • Utilizing and working with Splunk

  • Basic experience with Windows operating system

  • Knowledge of STIGs and STIG implementation

  • Knowledge of DNS, specifically Linux BIND

  • Scripting/Programming experience

  • Bash/Shell

  • Ansible

  • Python

  • Other scripting/programming experience

  • Ability to communicate well and operate with considerable independence.

  • Full on-site presence at San Diego Spectrum Center campus

  • Ability to travel 10% of the time.

  • CLEARANCE: Must be a US Citizen and must have or be able to obtain an Interim Secret/Secret clearance before you start

  • undefined

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with imaging, backup and restore software and scripting (Clonezilla, Linux dump, etc)

  • Experience leading and managing internal programs and working with engineers to delegate tasking/efforts

  • Experience with containers (Docker, Red Hat OpenShift, Kubernetes)

  • Strong experience with virtualization platforms (VMWare, KVM, Hyper-V, RH-V)

  • Ability to work independently with minimal guidance and provide milestone progress on critical items or scheduled items

  • Ability to mentor and help grow junior engineers and share knowledge and experience to improve procedures, processes and bring recommendations for technological improvements

  • Ability to work and support a flexible schedule (2nd shift, RDO Fridays, possibly weekends) as required

  • Basic to advance knowledge of networking and network systems including iSCSI connectivity functionality

  • Experience in design, implementation, and sustainment of Linux/Unix systems

  • Experience in design, implementation, and sustainment of Containerization technologies

Salary Range: $129,300-193,900

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.

Employees may be eligible for 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.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA 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.

Additional Information:

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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/AA 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.

This position offers the option of a 9/80 work schedule. The 9/80 schedule allows employees who work a nine-hour day Monday through Thursday to take every other Friday off.

Primary Level Salary Range: $129,300.00 - $193,900.00

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.

Job Category: Information Technology

How this job compares

Set against the 2,465 open Systems Administrator jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$129–194K/yr
  • California median$105–162K/yr145 salary ranges
  • US median$95–150K/yr1,509 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $162K, is 18% above the California median midpoint ($138K) — in the middle half of Systems Administrator salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 209 open Systems Administrator jobs in California and 2,465 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience — more than three in four Systems Administrator postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 2,060 postings).
Education
361 of the 2,465 open Systems Administrator jobs (15%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 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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