Job Details

Position Description: Cloud / System Administrator (AWS – Windows & Linux)

Overview

The Cloud / System Administrator will provide operational and maintenance support for enterprise clinical data exchange applications and infrastructure hosted in the AWS environment VA Enterprise Cloud. This position ensures the reliability, security, and performance of both Windows and Linux systems, providing Tier 1–2 support and system monitoring across multiple hosted applications.

Key Responsibilities

Cloud and System Administration

• Administer and maintain AWS-hosted infrastructure, including EC2 instances, S3 storage, security groups, load balancers, and related services.
• Support systems running on Windows Server and Linux (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Amazon Linux) operating systems.
• Perform routine system maintenance including security patching, vulnerability remediation, application software installations, OS updates, and configuration management.
• Manage and optimize system startup scripts, scheduled tasks, and configuration baselines.
• Ensure system backups, snapshots, and recovery plans are functioning as designed.

Monitoring and Incident Response

• Monitor cloud resources and application health using automated monitoring tools (e.g., CloudWatch, Nagios, Splunk, or equivalent).
• Review alerts and logs, analyze trends, and escalate or remediate as appropriate.
• Provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 troubleshooting, including actions such as restarting services, removing non-responsive data sources, or restoring connectivity to hosted components.
• Maintain and update operational runbooks and incident response documentation.

Security and Compliance

• Apply system hardening and patching aligned with CIS benchmarks and federal security requirements (FISMA, FedRAMP, RMF).
• Support Authority to Operate (ATO) activities by maintaining security configurations, patch baselines, and system inventories.
• Collaborate with security teams to address vulnerabilities identified through scanning tools such as Nessus, Tenable, or AWS Inspector.

Documentation and Automation

• Maintain system architecture diagrams, operating procedures, and asset inventories.
• Assist in automation of repetitive maintenance tasks using scripts or AWS tools (Lambda, Systems Manager, CloudFormation).
• Contribute to continuous improvement of monitoring dashboards, alerts, and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of experience as a System Administrator, Cloud Administrator, or DevOps Engineer supporting mixed Windows/Linux environments.
• Hands-on experience with AWS infrastructure services (EC2, S3, CloudWatch, IAM, VPC, RDS, etc.).
• Strong knowledge of system patching and security remediation processes.
• Experience with monitoring tools (CloudWatch, Splunk, Datadog, Nagios, etc.).
• Familiarity with scripting or automation (PowerShell, Bash, Python).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to respond quickly to operational issues.

Preferred / Desired

• Experience in AWS GovCloud or VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) environments.
• Familiarity with VA systems, applications, or enterprise IT processes.
• Understanding of federal security frameworks (RMF, FISMA, FedRAMP).
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator, AWS Solutions Architect Associate, or similar certification.
• Active Public Trust or ability to obtain VA suitability clearance.

Work Environment

• Remote support for systems hosted in AWS and VA environments.
• May participate in an on-call rotation for critical system support.
• Works closely with application developers, end users, test/ QA engineers, cybersecurity, and help desk teams.