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VDI/ESXi Systems Administrator (5836)

SMX

Patuxent River, MDFull-time$105–138K/yrSeen 3 days agoSeen in employer's feed 3 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$105–138K/yr
Location
Patuxent River, MD
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Citizenship required

Olive focuses on jobs in the United States, including remote roles you can work from there.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

CompTIA Security+ Or Higher, requiredTop Secret clearance, required

Job overview

SMX seeks a VDI / ESXi Systems Administrator to support enterprise virtual desktop infrastructure and systems administration at NAS Patuxent River. The role maintains secure DoD IT infrastructure, primarily using Omnissa Horizon, VMware ESXi, and Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It requires an active Top Secret clearance, though a Secret clearance may be considered initially for candidates eligible for upgrade. U.S. citizenship and a qualifying CompTIA certification are also required.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Omnissa Horizon, nice to haveVirtual Desktop Infrastructure, requiredVMware ESXi, requiredEnterprise Virtualization, requiredWindows Administration, requiredRed Hat Enterprise Linux, requiredDesktop Management, requiredTroubleshooting, requiredSystem Patching, requiredSecurity Hardening, requiredVulnerability Remediation, requiredConfiguration Management, requiredDell and HP Hardware, nice to haveCommunication, requiredDocumentation, requiredVMware vSphere, nice to havevCenter Server, nice to haveDISA STIGs, nice to haveSecure Systems Administration, nice to haveDoD Infrastructure Support, nice to have

Qualifications

Top Secret Clearance, requiredU.S. Citizenship, requiredCompTIA Security+ or Higher, requiredSecret Clearance Eligible for Upgrade, nice to haveCompTIA Linux+, nice to haveCompTIA Server+, nice to haveMicrosoft Certifications, nice to haveVMware VCP, nice to have

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Paid Time Off
401(k) Match
Tuition Assistance

Full job description

SMX is seeking a VDI / ESXi Systems Administrator to support enterprise virtual desktop infrastructure and systems administration at NAS Patuxent River, MD.

This full-time, on-site position requires an active Top Secret clearance and involves maintaining critical IT infrastructure within a secure DoD environment. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting Omnissa Horizon VDI environments, VMware virtualization technologies, and Windows and Linux operating systems.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

  • Support the administration, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of enterprise virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), primarily utilizing Omnissa Horizon

  • Administer and support VMware ESXi virtualization environments, including virtual machine provisioning, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting

  • Manage and optimize virtual desktop environments, including desktop pools, user profiles, application delivery, and system configurations to ensure reliable performance and availability

  • Perform Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems administration, including installation, configuration, patching, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance

  • Monitor system health, performance, and resource utilization, proactively identifying and resolving issues that could impact system availability or end-user productivity

  • Support the development and maintenance of standardized desktop images, templates, and configurations to streamline provisioning and improve consistency across the environment

  • Implement system security best practices, including vulnerability remediation, configuration management, and compliance with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements

  • Develop and maintain technical documentation, standard operating procedures, and system configuration records to support consistent operations and knowledge sharing

Required Skills & Experience

  • Clearance Required: Top Secret

  • A secret clearance may be considered to start, but candidates must be eligible for upgrade to Top Secret

  • US Citizenship is required for work on DOW contracts

  • Experience administering or supporting enterprise virtual desktop infrastructure, preferably Omnissa Horizon

  • Experience with VMware ESXi or comparable enterprise virtualization technologies

  • Experience supporting Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems in an enterprise environment

  • Understanding of virtualization technologies, systems administration, and enterprise desktop management

  • Experience troubleshooting operating system, application, hardware, and network connectivity issues

  • Knowledge of system patching, security hardening, vulnerability remediation, and configuration management

  • Familiarity with enterprise desktop hardware, including Dell and HP systems

  • Strong troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills

  • CompTIA Security+ or higher-level qualifying certification (CySA+, SecurityX, CISSP, or equivalent)

Desired Skills & Experience

  • Advanced experience with Omnissa Horizon, including desktop pool management, golden images, application delivery, and performance optimization

  • Experience with VMware vSphere, vCenter Server, and enterprise virtualization infrastructure

  • Familiarity with DoD cybersecurity requirements, DISA STIGs, and secure systems administration practices

  • Experience supporting enterprise infrastructure within a DoD or other government environment

  • Additional industry certifications such as CompTIA Linux+, Server+, Microsoft certifications, VMware VCP, or other relevant systems administration and virtualization credentials

#cjpost #LI-ONSITE

The SMX salary determination process takes into account a number of factors, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories, relevant prior work experience, specific skills, education and certifications. At SMX, one of our Core Values is to Invest in Our People so we offer a competitive mix of compensation, learning & development opportunities, and benefits. Some key components of our robust benefits include health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.

The proposed salary for this position is:

$105,000—$137,500 USD

At SMX®, we are a team of technical and domain experts dedicated to enabling your mission. From priority national security initiatives for the DoD to highly assured and compliant solutions for healthcare, we understand that digital transformation is key to your future success.

We share your vision for the future and strive to accelerate your impact on the world. We bring both cutting edge technology and an expansive view of what’s possible to every engagement. Our delivery model and unique approaches harness our deep technical and domain knowledge, providing forward-looking insights and practical solutions to power secure mission acceleration.

SMX is an Equal Opportunity employer including disabilities and veterans.

Selected applicant may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.

SMX does not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization or immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1 and O-1, or any EADs or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

How this job compares

Set against the 2,264 open Systems Administrator jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 14, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$105–138K/yr
  • Maryland median$100–170K/yr131 salary ranges
  • US median$94–150K/yr1,471 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $121K, is 11% below the Maryland median midpoint ($137K) — in the middle half of Systems Administrator salary ranges in Maryland.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 172 open Systems Administrator jobs in Maryland and 2,264 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Maryland
Experience
Systems Administrator postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 6 years (1,904 postings).
Education
351 of the 2,264 open Systems Administrator jobs (16%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 14, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.

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