Staff Systems Administrator (5996)

The role

This senior role owns enterprise IT infrastructure and end-user computing in a dedicated, security-sensitive entity environment. The person designs, runs, secures and improves on-premises and cloud systems, identity services, networks and endpoints. They also deliver hands-on support with minimal oversight.

What you will do

• Own and operate on-premises and cloud infrastructure, including servers, storage, backup, identity, core network services and enterprise applications.
• Administer Azure and/or AWS environments for availability, performance, secure configuration and disaster-recovery readiness.
• Implement and maintain trust boundaries, network segmentation, firewall policies and secure remote access for a segmented entity.
• Partner with Security, Legal, Compliance and Privacy teams to turn entity obligations into controls and audit evidence.
• Establish secure configuration baselines and own patching and vulnerability-remediation workflows.
• Manage Windows, macOS and Linux endpoints through Intune, Jamf or equivalent tools.
• Administer Active Directory and Entra ID or equivalent identity platforms, including onboarding and offboarding.
• Participate in incident response, containment, recovery and root-cause analysis.
• Manage IT asset lifecycle, software licensing, vendor coordination and secure equipment disposal.
• Use scripting and automation to improve consistency, controls and reporting.

Required qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in systems administration, infrastructure engineering, enterprise IT operations or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated success independently owning production IT infrastructure in a complex, regulated, segmented or security-sensitive organization.
• Strong hands-on expertise with Windows, macOS and Linux; server administration and virtualization; Azure and/or AWS; Active Directory and Entra ID or equivalent.
• Practical experience with system and endpoint hardening, patch management, vulnerability remediation, encryption, EDR and least-privilege controls.
• Experience supporting security or compliance programs and producing evidence for audits or assessments.
• Strong networking knowledge, including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, routing, VPNs, segmentation, firewall policy and secure remote access.
• Experience with endpoint management platforms such as Intune, Jamf or equivalent.
• Experience implementing and testing monitoring, backup, disaster recovery and business-continuity capabilities.
• Excellent documentation, prioritization, risk communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to support time-sensitive operational needs and participate in after-hours work when required.
• Offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

Nice to have

• Experience supporting a firewalled, ring-fenced, subsidiary, joint-venture, sovereign or separately governed entity environment.
• Experience supporting engineering, R&D, aerospace, defense, manufacturing or other mission-critical technical teams.
• Working knowledge of frameworks such as CIS Controls, NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials.
• Experience with security tooling such as SIEM, vulnerability management, privileged-access management, DLP, certificate management or network-access control.
• Experience supporting isolated, air-gapped, export-controlled or data-residency-restricted systems.
• Scripting and automation experience with PowerShell, Bash, Python, APIs, infrastructure as code or configuration management.
• Familiarity with GitHub, Azure DevOps, CI/CD and secure engineering workflows.
• Relevant certifications such as Microsoft, AWS, VMware, Cisco, CompTIA Security+, CISSP, CISM, GIAC or ITIL.

Benefits

• Bonus for regular employee positions in the U.S.
• Benefits for regular employee positions in the U.S.
• Equity for regular employee positions in the U.S.
• Temporary benefits package for temporary U.S. employees, applicable after 60 days of employment.
• International premium for roles outside the U.S.
• Hardship differential and cost of living differential for roles outside the U.S.
• Living quarters allowance and foreign service transfer allowance for roles outside the U.S.
• International benefits, visa assistance and relocation assistance for roles outside the U.S.

Before you apply

• Offers are contingent on a cleared background check.
• Offers may be contingent on a possible reference check.
• Interns, military fellows and part-time roles are not eligible for bonus, benefits or equity.
• Visa sponsorship is not stated in the posting.

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.