Systems Administrator

Date: Sep 4, 2026

Location: Lexington, MA, US

Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

 

The Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Tactical Systems Division conducts research and development into advanced sensing concepts, signal and image processing, high performance computing, networked sensor architectures, and decisions sciences. This work is focused on development and implementation of advanced sensors for surface, undersea, air, and space surveillance capabilities.

Responsibilities

 

  • Supports Division 10 IT and security initiatives and collaborates and supports Group IT needs throughout the Division where needed
  • Setup and maintain the integrity and security of systems and networks, install, maintain and administer new software and IT tools to support the Lab Research
  • Provide system administration, install, configure, and manage Mac and Windows-based environments in client/server, virtual infrastructure, network and data storage capacities
  • System auditing, hardening and firewall configurations

 

Position Description

 

Division 10 Systems Administrator
 

The Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Tactical Systems Division is seeking a Systems Administrator (IC2) to support research and enable multiple IT technical operational initiatives that improve the performance and effectiveness of the Division in alignment with strategic priorities and objectives of MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Research Groups.
 

The candidate requires competency in the execution of computer system solutions, including provisioning, configuration, and management of Windows, Mac OS, and a variety of hardware platforms, while ensuring compliance with DoD IT security requirements, and procedures; CMMC, RMF, DFARS, STIG. The candidate will need strong communication skills to work effectively with users and leadership in problem assessment, troubleshooting, and apply appropriate technical skills or vendor methodologies to resolve issues successfully. Qualified candidates must be able to maintain computer hardware, software, and networks for a variety of operating systems and provide desktop support as part of a larger IT team. The Systems Administrator will coordinate with resources from the Division, Digital Solutions Department, Security Services, and other sections of the organization to execute creative technical solutions to complex IT problems, and must be comfortable working independently.  This is a full-time position with 40 hours per week on-site anticipated. Candidates with prior experience with DoD systems are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

  • Provide direct, hands-on IT and desktop support to Division Office staff, serving as their primary point of contact for hardware, software, and troubleshooting needs
  • Support broader Division IT and security initiatives, and assist with IT needs across the Groups  within the Division as time and priorities allow
  • Install, configure, and administer Windows and Mac OS environments across client/server, virtual infrastructure, network, and data storage systems
  • Set up and maintain the security and integrity of systems and networks; install and maintain software and IT tools supporting Laboratory research
  • Perform system auditing, hardening, and firewall configuration to maintain compliance with DoD security policies
  • Implement and manage administrative and service accounts; maintain system documentation; tune system performance; manage storage allocation
  • Evaluate and recommend hardware and software purchases
  • Develop and maintain technical and operational documentation to support continuous improvement of the computing environment
  • Participate in knowledge-sharing activities to strengthen overall IT team capability

Qualifications

 

  • Applicant must have highly effective verbal and written communication skills, proven experience working in a team environment, and the ability to complete assignments independently with minimal supervision
  • Demonstrated strong knowledge and experience with Windows/Mac System Administration
  • Ability to troubleshoot technical issues in servers, networking and storage
  • Knowledge of network connectivity and LAN, WAN protocols and principles
  • Operating Systems: Windows, OSX, IOS
  • Software/applications: SAP, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Outlook), Active Directory, VMware
  • Implement administration and service accounts, maintain system documentation, tune system performance, install and maintain system-wide software and allocate mass storage space
  • Evaluate and make recommendations for hardware and software purchases

 

Skills

 

  • Experience with system imaging and provisioning tools across varied hardware platforms
  • Ability to diagnose, and resolve hardware, software, and networking problems
  • Remediate security vulnerabilities to maintain compliance with policies and procedures
  • Experience with Active Directory, organization/group policy, DNS, DHCP, and Kerberos
  • Experience with system imaging and provisioning tools across varied hardware platforms
  • Familiarity with DoD IT security frameworks: RMF, DFARS, CMMC, STIG
  • General experience with collaboration tools such as Confluence, Jira, Zoom, MS Teams, and SharePoint
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to work both independently and as part of a team
  • Experience providing direct end-user support and troubleshooting

Preferred Skills

  • Proficiency with PowerShell or command-line scripting
  • Experience with VMware and virtual infrastructure management
  • Familiarity with SAP, Microsoft Office Suite, and SharePoint
  • Experience remediating security vulnerabilities to maintain policy compliance

 

Other Requirements

 

  • Bachelor’s degree with 2 yrs. exp. or Associate’s degree with 4 yrs. exp. and degree in Computer and Information Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems preferred or related field. Degree can be substituted if the incumbent has minimum of 5 years’ experience.
  • Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and will obtain and maintain a Secret clearance to start but must be willing and able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret level DoD security clearance with compartmented program eligibility in the future.
  • Applicant must have or obtain 8570 level 2 or higher compliance within 6 months.

 

 

Hiring Range: $80,800 - $105,100


Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include: 

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
  • MIT-funded pension
  • Matching 401K
  • Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
  • Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs
  • Mentorship programs
  • A range of work-life balance options
  • ... and much more!  

Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks.

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.

Requisition ID: 43311 

 


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