IT Specialist (Systems Administrator), IS-2210-13
Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
Department: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Cambridge, MA
Compensation: $120,548 - $156,715 / year
Description
OPENING DATE: 10/14/2026
CLOSING DATE: 10/21/2026
SERIES/GRADE: IS-2210-13
TYPE OF POSITION: Trust Indefinite (Non-Federal)
DIVISION: High Energy Astrophysics
LOCATION: Cambridge, MA
AREA OF CONSIDERATION: This position is open to current Smithsonian Institution employees. This position requires access to export-controlled work. The candidate must be a U.S. person (citizen, permanent resident or be a national of a country eligible to be approved on an export license.) This position is eligible for visa sponsorship
What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).
Conditions of Employment
- Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
- Complete a Probationary Period.
- Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
- The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
- Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) is at the forefront, internationally, of the scientific exploration of the universe. SAO combines its resources with those of the Harvard College Observatory to form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). The CfA is the best-known astrophysics center in the world. Its programs range from ground-based astronomy and astrophysics research to space-based research, the engineering and development of major scientific instrumentation for space launch and use in large ground-based facilities, and research designed to improve science education. The research objectives of SAO are carried out primarily with the support of Government and Smithsonian Institution funds, with additional philanthropic support. Government funds are in the form of Federal appropriations or the form of contracts and grants from other agencies. In contrast, Institution funds are available to SAO through grants from the Institution's Restricted Funds, Special Purpose Funds, Bureau Activities, Business Activities, and non-Federal contracts and grants.
SUMMARY
This is the position of IT Specialist (Systems Administrator) in the High Energy Division (HEAD) of the
Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory. The employee will perform all aspects of computer system management of the Chandra X-ray Center's (CXC) IT network. The employee will receive line supervision from the Supervisor of the CXC Hardware Systems Team. The employee will be assigned primary responsibilities in the areas of LAN management, user accounts and services (such as online user support and user training), writing utilities, scripts, and system procedures.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Advanced Unix systems management (Linux/MacOS). This includes allocation of system resources such as disk, CPU, and memory, creation of user accounts, email, printing, and responding to user questions and requests. Monitor use of resources to limit LAN access to only currently authorized personnel. Conduct studies relating to CXC computing needs.
- Manage and maintain enterprise Linux servers, including RHEL, CentOS, Ubuntu, and related distributions.
- Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot system performance, networking, storage, and security.
- Automate administrative tasks using Bash, Python, Ansible, and other automation tools.
- Implement system hardening, patch management, access controls, backups, and disaster recovery procedures.
- Install/Manage/Configure systems services like CUPS service, DNS, NTP, DHCP etc.,
- Monitor system availability and resolve complex production incidents while maintaining high uptime.
- Create technical documentation, follow ITIL/change-management practices, and collaborate with
- DevOps and engineering teams.
- Responsible for LAN security by staying abreast of Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) advisories.
- Other duties as assigned by line supervisor and CXC management.
Google Suite, UNIX account management and services and compliance.
Manage Unix user accounts in accordance with organizational policies and authorized user requests. Create, modify, disable, and remove accounts based on approved access requirements and SDF authorization. Ensure appropriate access controls, permissions, and account security while maintaining accurate account records and audit compliance.
Manage and administer Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive and related services), including user accounts, groups, permissions, and security settings. Monitor system performance, troubleshoot technical issues, and ensure data security and compliance. Support users with Google Workspace applications, implement policies and configurations, and assist with migrations, integrations, and ongoing platform optimization.
Hardware Management, Inventory, Service and Support Admin
- Administer and maintain Unix/Linux servers, ensuring system availability, performance, and security.
- Manage server hardware, including installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of physical systems.
- Configure and manage Dell iDRAC for remote server monitoring, management, power control, and hardware health checks.
- Configure and troubleshoot LOM (LAN on Motherboard) interfaces, network connectivity, and server NIC settings.
- Monitor system resources, troubleshoot hardware and operating-system issues, and coordinate hardware replacements when required.
- Maintain system documentation, follow organizational procedures, and support regular maintenance and compliance activities.
- Keep up to date inventory control, warranty documentation for support management.
System Documentation/backup and utility scripts/ ATO compliance support.
- Support Authority to Operate (ATO) activities by implementing and maintaining required security controls, system configurations, and remediation actions.
- Provide compliance support by assisting with security assessments, audits, vulnerability remediation, access reviews, and organizational security requirements.
- Manage Unix user accounts, permissions, privileged access, and system configurations in accordance with approved organizational policies.
- Maintain accurate technical and compliance documentation, including system configurations, operating procedures, change records, and audit evidence.
- Collaborate with security, compliance, and infrastructure teams to resolve findings, maintain system baselines, and ensure continued authorization and operational readiness.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Basic Requirements:
This standard allows eligibility through meeting either the requirements specified in the section titled Education or the requirements specified in the section titled Experience.
For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below.
1. Attention to Detail-Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
2. Customer Service-Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
3. Oral Communication-Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
4. Problem Solving-Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
AND
Candidates for grade 13 must possess minimum of one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade 12 in the normal line of progression for this occupation. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position such as advanced Unix System administration including but not limited to baseline OS installation, performance tuning, security controls and rpm management, and the ability to manage, maintain and optimize Unix-based servers in a large network, ensuring high availability. The candidate should have the ability to monitor performance, troubleshoot complex issues, and perform root cause analysis as well as the ability to implement security policies, patches, backups, and disaster recovery procedures.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required:
Knowledge Required by the Position
- Mastery of and skill in Unix operating systems and network administration, with specific emphasis on management and networking aspects of the Linux systems, as well as MacOS.
- Expert knowledge of Unix system management practices and procedures.
- Mastery of and skill in analyzing and evaluating data to provide recommendations based on studies relating to system performance, network performance, system security, and equipment and software evaluation and to determine needs of users of the system and translate these into concrete hardware and software requirements
- Mastery of and skill in organizing complex systems of computers into a cohesive network, e.g., client server technology
- Mastery of and skill in assessing and responding to anomalous system behavior, including server and client crashes, disk crashes, network failure, and devise and implement recovery plans for such events.
- Expert knowledge of systems programming languages such as shell scripts and C
- Skill in interpersonal relations, as well as oral and written communications
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.
Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."
Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.
Relocation expenses are not paid.
The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact hr@cfa.harvard.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s
Accommodation Procedures.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is an equal opportunity employer. Please visit the
SAO website at
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/
