Senior Engineer, Systems (Unix/Linux)

Are you looking for more than just a job and want to make difference? If so, then join the National Student Clearinghouse talent community and discover your impact today!

We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization and the leading provider of educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. Serving the education, workforce and learner communities has been at the heart of our mission for over 30 years. Our work - performed in a trusted, secure, and private environment - provides numerous time- and cost-saving benefits to students, schools, administrators, and requestors. Education leaders rely on the Clearinghouse's unique national student data resources to better understand student pathways and outcomes in order to help students succeed, and our research better informs practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways and enables informed decision making.

Do you enjoy being a key contributor in a digital modernization effort to re-engineer and migrate Infrastructure from on-premise to a hybrid cloud Unix/Linux environment? Do you want to tap your technical skills and experience to implement innovative Unix/Linux Infrastructure solutions and solving technical problems? The Senior Engineer will work as part of a team responsible for all aspects of systems administration, including installing, configuring, testing, and supporting the Clearinghouse's Unix/Linux application servers, and Cloud /Network Infrastructure. The Senior Engineer will work with the team to ensure that all hardware is running the most current supported version of software and firmware and follows the Clearinghouse Systems Security standards. The Senior Engineer will assist in monitoring the Cloud and On-premise Systems and will apply analytic and diagnostic skills in determining problem resolution and root cause analysis. The incumbent will research emerging technologies and make recommendations to IT Leadership on operational activities and project delivery. The ideal candidate has the passion for learning new technologies to provide end-to-end technical solutions while acting as a mentor to other team members.

Currently, this is a remote-first position, and this position may be required to periodically work on-site at our office and the frequency would depend on the department/division's requirements. Therefore, candidates must either reside within a reasonable distance to commute to our office or be willing to travel to our office in Herndon, when required.

• Demonstrate NSC's competencies, which align with our corporate values. Manager will provide more detail to candidates as needed.
  
  
  
  • Core Competencies include: Customer Focus, Optimizes Work Processes, Collaborates, Communicates Effectively, and Be Open and Authentic.
  
  
  
  

Customer Focus:

• Provide technical solutions to a wide range of problems and user requests through Operational procedures and project delivery.
• Administer access, rights, and privileges to Clearinghouse staff in on-premise and hybrid cloud environments (ex. Oracle Linux, Oracle and VMware virtualization, CentOS, Lenovo x86 Hardware, IBM AIX, IBM Power Hardware, AWS).
• Monitor system components and application processing to proactively identify incidents, resolve issues, and participate in root cause analysis.
• Configure, maintain, and analyze infrastructure within Unix/Linux environments using:
  
  
  
  • Shell scripting language (ex. Bash, Python)
  • Linux and Unix Operating systems (ex. Oracle Linux/CentOS, IBM AIX)
  
  
  
  
• Conducts system security engineering activities including install, monitor, and tune Unix/Linux Server operating system software and virtual machine sub-system software.
• Follows best practices when applying patch/vulnerability management in the Unix/Linux environments.
• Provide technical solutions to a wide range of problems and user requests through Operational procedures and project delivery.
• Provide Unix/Linux support to internal Developers, Enterprise Data Management, and Researchers.
• Proactively maintain and develop all Unix/Linux infrastructure to maintain a 24x7x365 uptime service
• Proactively monitoring system performance and capacity planning
• Upgrade and configure system software that supports infrastructure applications, enterprise projects, and operational activities.

Optimizes Work Processes:

• Ensure all application services are monitored and performance meets or exceeds established SLAs.
• Develop and deploy automation infrastructure using the Shell scripting and/or CI/CD automation tools.
• Participate in Unix/Linux hardware and software optimization strategies, budget planning, governance, and reporting.
• Maintain and update relevant system and process documentation and develop ad-hoc reports as needed.
• Participate in Disaster Recovery exercises and continuous improvement processes.
• Provide input on ways to improve the stability, security, efficiency, and scalability of the environment

Collaborates:

• Actively participate in the re-engineering and migration of on-premise Unix/Linux applications to a hybrid cloud environment.
• Support Unix/Linux applications in a hybrid cloud environment comprised of custom-built applications, SaaS solutions, and open-source components.
• Work in tandem with Cybersecurity to improve cloud-based infrastructure-related services and influencing teams to incorporate security best practices.
• Create system documentation (e.g., network/system schematics, daily operational procedures, disaster recovery procedures, and checklists) for both on-premise and cloud hosted systems.
• Mentor Junior Unix/Linux Administrators, when needed.

Communicates Effectively:

• Develop, implement, and document formal configuration guides as needed.
• Practice attentive and active listening and express ideas clearly and in a diplomatic manner in conversations and interactions with others.
• Communicate solutions and concerns to management and stakeholders concisely and with urgency.
• Willingly share expertise and important or relevant information with team members.
• Display excellent communication skills and effectively communicate technical and nontechnical messages to all levels of staff.

Be Open and Authentic:

• Establish and maintain a strong working relationship with all team members.
• Demonstrate openness to new perspectives and ideas.

Position may be required to perform other duties as required. These essential functions are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems, Computer Science or other related technical field or some equivalent combination of education and experience, including through military service will also be considered.
• 10+ years of overall IT experience and 5+ years of experience supporting Unix/Linux IT infrastructure and cloud (AWS and Oracle Cloud).
• Expert knowledge of shell scripting languages (ex. BASH, Korn, Python, JSON) to automate the Unix/Linux infrastructure to create and modify Unix/Linux scripts.
• Expert knowledge of Linux Operating Systems (Oracle Linux, CentOS), Server Hardware (IBM x86), and Server Virtualization (Oracle VM, VMware).
• Proficiency with:
  
  
  
  • Applying patches/vulnerabilities (ex. Kickstart) utilizing automation in the Unix/Linux environments.
  • Monitoring system performance and capacity planning (ex. DataDog, IBM tools)
  • Installation of Linux system software that supports customer-facing applications, enterprise projects, and operational activities.
  
  
  
  
• Strong organizational skills (must be detail-oriented), and the demonstrated ability to resolve problems quickly and successfully.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate technical and non-technical messages to all levels of staff.
• Demonstrated ability to:
  
  
  
  • Perform as a technical lead that can act as a positive mentor/coach to other team members.
  • Work in a fast-paced environment and successfully deliver projects on time.
  • Work independently with little supervision and be a team player.
  
  
  
  
• Demonstrates the Clearinghouse's core competencies: customer focus, optimizes work processes, communicates effectively, collaborates, and is open and authentic.
• Must live within a commutable distance to Herndon, VA or in one of the Clearinghouse's approved States for hiring purposes. Refer to our HR Policies Page, located on our Careers site at https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/careers/human-resource-policies/, for more details.
• Must be at least 18 years old.

Additional Desired Requirements:

• Certifications in:
  
  
  
  • Linux,
  • IBM AIX Operating System and IBM Power Series Hardware,
  • AWS or OCI.
  
  
  
  
• Experience with:
  
  
  
  • AWS EC2, S3, or Cloud Formation Template.
  • IBM AIX Operating System, including VIOs, for installation and patching.
  • IBM Power Series Server Hardware Maintenance and Support.
  • Storage and Backup (ex. HP3PAR, Veeam, CommVault).
  
  
  
  

• Use of a computer for 8 or more hours a day.
• Use of a copy machine and telephone.
• Frequently required to sit for 7 or more hours per day in close proximity to others in an open office environment.
• Required to use hands and fingers to operate, handle, and reach.
• Vision abilities include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Travel via car, train, and airplane, when needed.
• Disaster recovery and/or business continuity efforts may require offsite work or travel and the acceptance of additional responsibilities to facilitate an efficient and effective restoration of operations. Responsibilities during these efforts may be unrelated to those normally associated with this position. Travel and offsite work in the event of a declared disaster will likely occur with no prior notice and may be prolonged in nature.
• Must be able to work during maintenance windows, after business hours, and may be required to provide on-call remote, or 24/7 technical support.

The National Student Clearinghouse provides a robust benefit program designed to help meet the needs of each employee and their family, both now and in the future. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life and disability insurance benefits, for employees and their qualified dependents. Health care, dependent care, and limited purpose flexible spending accounts, as well as a health savings account, are options available for employees to set aside pre-taxed dollars for certain qualifying expenses. We offer a very generous 401k matching contribution program with the opportunity to defer pre-tax and Roth contributions, as well as catch-up contributions for those who are eligible! We are proud to offer a competitive paid leave program consisting of vacation, sick, and personal time, as well as paid holidays and up to 3 weeks of paid parental leave during a 12-month period. Vacation time will accrue based on length of service, and new full-time hires can accrue up to 13 days of vacation and up to 10 days of sick time per year. On an annual basis, new employees may use up to 32 hours of accrued sick time as personal time. Additionally, the Clearinghouse observes at least 11 paid holidays per year.

Another perk is that employees have the option to get reimbursed for basic wholesale company and roadside assistance memberships (e.g., Costco and AAA) and to request a buy back on portions of unused accrued vacation based on tenure and certain other qualifications. Employees can further their education and professional development by using our Employee Education Assistance Program, which establishes reimbursement for qualified education expenses upon successful completion of the program, and leveraging the enterprise-wide LinkedIn Learning subscription. There are additional employee benefits too, including but not limited to, mental health and wellness benefits. To find out more, please request a copy of our Benefits at a Glance!

Additionally, we reasonably believe that the salary range for this position is between $120,000 and $150,000.

The requisition will be open for a minimum of three days, and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Internal Candidates: If you feel that you qualify and meet the requirements of the job, we highly encourage you to apply and focus on preparing for the application process. Once the final candidates are selected, they can anticipate a review of the compensation prior to any offer made.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities: The National Student Clearinghouse is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status (or known to have a spousal, family, business, social or other relationship or association with a protected veteran), sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, natural hairstyle, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.

Pay Transparency Notice: The National Student Clearinghouse is a federal contractor that abides by all applicable equal opportunity laws and regulations. Under these laws, companies doing business with the federal government must provide applicants and employees with certain policies, including the following information. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)