Senior HPC System Administrator - TS/SCI clearance

Senior HPC Systems Administrator (TS/SCI)

Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite
Salary Range: $150,000–$210,000, depending on experience
Clearance: Active/Current Top Secret/SCI

About the Role

PGTEK is seeking an experienced Senior High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Administrator with a TS/SCI clearance to manage and maintain a large-scale HPC cluster at a customer site at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

In this role, you will take ownership of the HPC environment, ensuring system reliability, performance, security, and ongoing compliance with customer requirements. You will serve as a senior technical resource for the customer’s team, independently troubleshooting complex issues, coordinating system upgrades, and providing hands-on training and knowledge transfer to customer personnel.

The ideal candidate brings extensive HPC experience, deep Linux systems administration expertise, and the ability to operate independently in a complex, mission-critical technical environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain a large-scale high-performance computing cluster, including system monitoring, performance tuning, and reliability management.
• Independently troubleshoot and resolve complex system issues, identifying root causes and implementing effective solutions.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute system upgrades while minimizing disruption to users and operations.
• Identify, assess, and remediate security vulnerabilities to maintain compliance and ensure the system remains authorized on the customer network.
• Respond to customer requests and provide technical support while maintaining strong working relationships with customer personnel.
• Mentor and train customer system administrators through hands-on knowledge transfer, enabling them to independently support and sustain the HPC environment.
• Monitor developments in HPC technologies and industry best practices, recommending relevant improvements to enhance system performance, reliability, and security.
• Exercise sound technical judgment and manage day-to-day responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility or access.
• CompTIA Security+ certification.
• CompTIA Linux+ certification.
• At least 10 years of high-performance computing (HPC) experience, with extensive Linux systems administration expertise.
• A master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, combined with at least 12 years of professional experience; alternatively, at least 15 years of relevant professional experience without a master’s degree.
• Demonstrated ability to independently administer, troubleshoot, and maintain complex technical environments.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to take ownership of technical issues from initial diagnosis through resolution.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work directly with customer technical teams and provide effective training and knowledge transfer.

Work Location and Requirements

• This is a fully onsite position at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland.
• No routine travel is required.
• Relocation assistance is not available.
• Candidates must possess the required active security clearance and certifications.

Compensation

The anticipated salary range is $150,000–$210,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package for full-time salaried employees is effective immediately upon the start date. Benefits include comprehensive PPO medical coverage with access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) option, a vision plan, and dental insurance with the base dental plan option paid for by PGTEK. Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term disability, and Critical Illness insurance have premiums covered.