Job Description
Job Description
Overview
BigBear.ai is hiring a Principal Systems Administrator to support GALE (Generic Area Limitation Environment)—a mission-critical capability used by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC). In this role, you’ll keep a complex Linux-based application environment healthy, secure, and ready for operational use—while working shoulder-to-shoulder with users, engineers, and mission partners.At BigBear.ai, you’ll join a team of technologists and mission-focused problem solvers building tools that turn massive volumes of structured and unstructured data into actionable intelligence. If you want your work to matter—and you enjoy being the person who makes systems run reliably in high-stakes environments—this role is for you.
Responsibilities
As a Principal Systems Administrator on the GALE support team, you will:
- Operate and sustain GALE in production across customer environments—ensuring availability, performance, and reliability.
- Maintain cybersecurity compliance by patching and hardening multiple Linux servers to meet security standards and program requirements.
- Install, configure, and upgrade GALE and supporting components across customer sites with minimal disruption.
- Troubleshoot and resolve issues—triaging tickets, identifying root cause, and coordinating fixes with the development team.
- Test new GALE builds/releases, document defects, and validate resolutions before fielding.
- Support and train users and administrators, helping mission teams get maximum value from the platform.
- Contribute analytic insight—providing feedback on enhancements, assisting with ad hoc analysis, and improving future capability.
- Stay adaptable and keep learning, picking up new tools/tech as mission needs evolve.
Qualifications
- Education/Experience (one of the following):
-
- Bachelor’s + 5–8 years experience
- Master’s + 3–6 years experience
- PhD + 0–3 years experience
- (In lieu of degree: +6 years additional relevant experience)
- Clearance: Active TS/SCI with Polygraph (must be able to maintain)
- Linux expertise: Strong hands-on experience supporting RHEL 8 and/or RHEL 9
- Scripting: Experience with one or more of Python, Bash/Shell, Perl, Batch, PowerShell
- Application support: Familiarity supporting backend Java applications (deployments, troubleshooting, service management, logs)
- Search/data: Experience using Elasticsearch
- Databases: Proficiency with PostgreSQL or similar SQL databases