Sr. Principal Systems Administrator

Company: Northrop Grumman
Location: Aurora
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available CLEARANCE TYPE: Polygraph TRAVEL: Yes, 25% 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. Northrop Grumman Space Systems (NGSP) seeks to find a Sr. Principal Systems Administrator supporting the Integrated National Systems (INS) Business Unit (BU). This position is located in Aurora, CO. Job Duties: Perform as a Linux and Windows System Administrator and able to build these environments from scratch. Perform administration on VMware technologies (or related) Experience with all aspects of NAS Storage Maintain smooth operation of multi-user computer systems, including coordination with network, software, and system engineers, PC desktop technicians, project managers, end users, and customer and IT management. Recommend and implement system enhancements that will improve the performance and reliability of the system including installing, upgrading/patching, monitoring, problem resolution, and configuration management. Provide backup and recovery services; manage file systems and disk space; manage virus protection on a routine basis. Create and maintain user and computer accounts and modify file permissions and security access lists. Maintain security audit and logging information on all classified networked and standalone computers as directed by the Information Systems Security Manager (ISSM). Support the Cyber Security team. Report on project status as required for all recurring and non-recurring efforts. Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's degree with 8 years of relevant experience; OR Master's degree with 6 years of experience; OR PhD with 4 years of experience. Active TS/SCI clearance with CI Poly required at the time of application. Must have server administration experience with Linux RHEL 7x – 9x and Windows Server 2022 and above and Windows workstation 10 and above. Perform administration on VMware technologies (or related) Ability to lift equipment weighing up to 40 pounds. Ability to support after hours and on weekends as needed Ability to follow complex install and configuration procedures and update them to reflect new technology when applicable. Preferred Qualifications: Network hardware and configuration on a planning and basic level, rack elevations and planning. Experience with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) server administration in an SCI classified environment Experience operating under and managing systems within NISPOM Chapter 8, DCID 6/3-ICD 503, RMF, STIG, JAFAN, or JSIG information system environments Solid understanding of Enterprise-level storage concepts to include all commonly used RAID-levels Solid understanding of remediating security vulnerabilities; Experience hardening Linux systems in accordance with RMF and STIGs Identity Management (Single Sign-On) experience VMware and ESXi (7.x or higher) configuration and management experience Experience with host-based firewall implementations and configuration (Redhat “iptables”) Windows 10 administration experience; Windows Server experience; Group Policies (GPOs) experience; Active Directory management experience Solid writing skills and use of Wiki pages and Sharepoint sites for documentation Experience in VMWare, NetApp and Splunk among other industry standard technologies. Comfortable with maintenance and OS upgrades Preferred candidate will be familiar with Tenable and Nessus scans for vulnerability and controls implementation. Primary Level Salary Range: $137,400.00 - $206,000.00 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.

Keywords: Northrop Grumman, Centennial , Sr. Principal Systems Administrator, IT / Software / Systems , Aurora, Colorado