This role pays less than
72%
of similar roles. Most pay
$129,500–$195,966
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$130k
versus about
$163k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company providing systems in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics. Industry: Aerospace & Defense
Northrop Grumman currently has
367 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$114,900–$176,300
across 353 roles with salary data.
The Principal Linux Systems Administrator / Sr. Principal Linux Systems Administrator (AHT) joins the Forward Area Air Defense portfolio team to manage critical infrastructure for an Army Air Defense System. This role involves administering, monitoring, and maintaining Linux-based systems within lab and development environments. Key responsibilities include configuring, patching, and hardening workstations and servers, troubleshooting hardware components, and resolving high-priority incidents across OS, network, and hardware layers. The candidate will collaborate with software developers to support build workflows and maintain infrastructure inventories. Required skills include expertise in Red Hat or similar enterprise distributions, package management, building custom RPMs, kernel/driver interactions, and performance tuning. Proficiency in shell scripting for automation is essential. The role specifically supports systems defending against manned aircraft, rockets, artillery, mortars, unmanned aerial systems, and cruise missiles.
Automate system configuration and maintenance tasks using shell scripting.
Document system configurations, procedures, and changes while maintaining accurate infrastructure inventories.
What we're looking for
U.S. Citizenship is required for this position.
Must hold or be able to obtain a DoD Secret clearance.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field with 5 years of experience, or 9 years of experience without a degree (Principal level).
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field with 8 years of experience, or 12 years of experience without a degree (Senior Principal level).
Strong understanding of Linux system administration for Red Hat or similar enterprise distributions.
Experience installing, configuring, and troubleshooting Linux operating systems, software, servers, and hardware.
Proficiency in OS-level package management, building custom RPMs, and handling kernel/driver interactions.
Familiarity with shell scripting for system configuration and automation tasks.
Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Windows
VMware
Docker
Kubernetes
ServiceNow
JIRA
Splunk
Solar Winds
HBSS
Scripting
RMF
STIG
JAFAN
JSIG
Networking
Configuration Management