System Administrator I - CIPM

technologies, information management and dissemination, environmental stewardship, estimation of economic consequences, resistance management tools and systems, and integration of disciplinary expertise. The Center manages grants programs for the USDA, develops regional and national priorities through workshops and stakeholder meetings, and develops and maintains large databases and database applications for USDA, EPA, and Ministries of Agriculture in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.

Essential Job Duties

CIPM is seeking an IT System Administrator I to support the secure operation, maintenance, monitoring, and compliance activities associated with the CIPM datacenter environment and federally supported application hosting infrastructure. The position serves as a mid-level information technology professional responsible for supporting systems administration, infrastructure security, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and operational compliance activities associated with systems operating under a FISMA Moderate authorization boundary.

Primary duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

Infrastructure Systems Administration and Operations

• Support administration, configuration, maintenance, and monitoring of Linux and Windows server environments supporting CIPM-hosted systems and applications.
• Coordinate infrastructure updates, system maintenance activities, and operational changes in accordance with established change-management and compliance processes.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure, server, authentication, and operational issues across hosted environments and coordinate resolution activities as needed.
• Support backup, recovery, operational continuity, and infrastructure resiliency activities associated with CIPM-hosted systems.

Security, Compliance, and Continuous Monitoring

• Support secure operation and maintenance of infrastructure systems operating under a FISMA Moderate authorization boundary.
• Coordinate vulnerability scanning, remediation tracking, patch validation, and related continuous monitoring activities across infrastructure environments.
• Assist with implementation and maintenance of infrastructure security controls, hardened configuration standards, and security-related operational procedures.
• Support centralized logging, monitoring, and audit log management processes to maintain operational visibility and incident response readiness.

Compliance Documentation, Audit Support, and Remediation Tracking

• Support maintenance of System Security Plans (SSPs), configuration baselines, operational procedures, and other security and compliance documentation.
• Assist with preparation and maintenance of audit artifacts, assessment evidence, remediation documentation, and Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&M) activities associated with recurring compliance reviews.
• Maintain technical and operational documentation to support continuity, compliance, and knowledge sharing.

Identity, Access, Application Support, and Technology Improvement

• Support identity and access governance activities including privileged access reviews, account lifecycle management, authentication configuration, and multi-factor authentication support.
• Work with developers and technical staff to support secure deployment and operation of hosted applications and supporting services.
• Support evaluation and implementation of infrastructure improvements, operational enhancements, and security-related technologies consistent with operational and compliance requirements.

Other Responsibilities

• The supervisor may assign additional related duties as needed to support evolving technical, operational, security, compliance, or infrastructure requirements consistent with the nature and level of the position.
• The IT System Administrator I may provide technical guidance, onboarding assistance, and operational support to student assistants, temporary employees, or other technical personnel participating in infrastructure or operational activities.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least two years of relevant professional, academic, or applied operational experience following completion of the degree, demonstrating systems administration, infrastructure support, or information security experience.
• Experience supporting Linux or Windows server environments in operational, research, enterprise, or regulated environments.
• Experience supporting infrastructure operations, vulnerability remediation, system monitoring, or compliance-oriented operational activities.
• Experience working under general supervision while independently supporting assigned operational or technical responsibilities.
• Experience working under general supervision and following established technical standards, development workflows, and project priorities.

Other Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to support Linux and Windows systems administration activities, including server configuration, maintenance, patching, monitoring, and operational troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of infrastructure security principles, authentication systems, access management, logging, and operational security practices.
• Ability to support vulnerability remediation, configuration management, and operational compliance activities within established technical and procedural standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively with technical and non-technical stakeholders including developers, administrators, compliance personnel, and project staff.
• Ability to prepare and maintain clear technical and operational documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently support operational infrastructure activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• More than three years of relevant professional work experience outside of an academic degree program, including experience supporting production or regulated infrastructure environments.
• Experience supporting systems operating under compliance or regulatory frameworks such as FISMA, NIST SP 800-53, RMF, or similar security standards.
• Experience supporting centralized logging, monitoring, vulnerability management, or security scanning processes.
• Experience supporting authentication and access-control technologies including multi-factor authentication and directory-based identity systems.
• Experience supporting server virtualization, containerization, or infrastructure automation technologies including Docker or related platforms.
• Experience supporting cloud or hybrid infrastructure environments including Amazon Web Services (AWS) or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting web application hosting environments and infrastructure supporting technologies such as ColdFusion, Python/Django, Java, Angular, PostgreSQL, or Microsoft SQL Server.
• Experience supporting backup, disaster recovery, operational continuity, or incident response activities.
• Familiarity with scripting or automation technologies used for infrastructure administration or operational support.
• Experience supporting research, university, government, or federally funded operational environments.

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

NA

Valid NC Driver's License required: No

Commercial Driver's License required: No

Job Open Date: 06/30/2026

Anticipated Close Date: Open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicant required documents: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, Contact Information for at least 3 Professional References

Position Number: 00112163

Position Type: EPS/SAAO

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week): 1.00

Appointment: 12 Month Recurring

Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather: Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather

Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events: Mandatory - Medical Emergencies

Department ID: 113810 - Integrated Pest Management - Research