Systems Administrator (Operator) (26-323) at Northrop Grumman
Colorado Springs, CO
$75,800–$113,800from the description
Jul 9, 2026
Colorado Springs, CO
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
An on-site role at Schriever Space Force Base supporting a missile defense command-and-control program. Day-to-day work involves configuring and operating servers and related hardware during ground and flight tests, collecting and staging test data, and learning the system's architecture with a potential path toward a system integrator position. Suits candidates with hands-on Linux/Windows server experience and an active Secret clearance.
Mid level · 2+ years · Colorado Springs, CO · Secret clearance · Full-time
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $104,090 (middle half $86,062–$133,513). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
The role title is 'Systems Administrator (Operator)' but the day-to-day work is primarily configuring, operating, and gathering data from servers and NAS devices during ground/flight tests — closer to systems operations/administration (15-1244) than pure systems analysis (15-1211). The alt SOC reflects the integration and test-planning elements of the role.
Degree requirement: the JD accepts a Bachelor's + 2 years, a Master's + 0 years, OR 6 years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree — degree is therefore not a hard gate and is set to None. The 2-year minimum reflects the Bachelor's + experience path as the most common entry point.
An active DoD Secret clearance is explicitly required at time of application — this is a hard gate, not merely an ability to obtain one.
DoD 8140 IAT Level II certification (Security+, CCNA-Security, CySA+, CND, etc.) is listed under Preferred Qualifications as 'highly desired' — not a hard requirement at hire, though the candidate must maintain it throughout the contract period if held.
C2BMC program experience and Missile Defense System knowledge appear only under Preferred Qualifications.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): DoD 8140 IAT Level II.
Requires a Secret clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
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