The NOC Network Administrator, Junior supports day‑to‑day operation of systems and core services within a network operations center to help ensure reliable, highly available network and server infrastructure. The role focuses on monitoring servers and key applications, performing basic troubleshooting, and executing routine maintenance activities under the guidance of senior administrators.
Working in a fast‑paced federal IT environment, this position follows standard operating procedures for patching, backup and restore activities, and user and access management. The administrator documents system configurations, changes, and incidents to support auditability, shift handoffs, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor servers, operating systems, and core services using monitoring and ticketing tools, reviewing alerts, opening and updating tickets, and prioritizing actions based on business impact.
- Execute standard operating procedures for routine system administration tasks, including patching, basic configuration changes, service restarts, backup verification, and user and group management.
- Assist with troubleshooting common system issues such as resource exhaustion, service failures, login problems, and connectivity issues, escalating incidents that exceed runbook guidance.
- Maintain accurate system documentation, including inventories, configuration baselines, change records, and incident logs to support compliance and repeatable operations.
- Participate in coordinated incident response, backup and recovery activities, and security‑related monitoring tasks that intersect with system administration.
- Collaborate with network and security teams to gather diagnostic information, implement corrective actions, and validate restoration of affected services.
- Support adherence to incident, change, and configuration management processes, ensuring that activities are properly recorded and approved.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- 0–3 years of experience in junior system administration, NOC support, or similar infrastructure operations roles focused on monitoring and first‑line remediation.
- Foundational understanding of system administration concepts, including user and group management, file system permissions, basic networking, and routine health checks for Windows and/or Linux servers.
- Training or practical experience with system monitoring tools, ticketing systems, backup solutions, and basic virtualization concepts.
- Good analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively under pressure and document system configurations, changes, and incidents accurately.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance, with U.S. citizenship required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Hands‑on experience administering servers and core services in a NOC or data center operations environment using common tools and consoles.
- Entry‑level infrastructure certifications such as CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, or platform‑specific junior administrator certifications.
- Familiarity with ITIL practices and experience working in a structured operational environment with formal procedures and shift handoffs.