Systems Administrator (AHT) at Northrop Grumman
Aurora, CO
$91,800–$137,600from the description
Aug 14, 2026
Aurora, CO
Sep 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A systems administrator role at Northrop Grumman's Aurora, Colorado facility supporting large classified government contracts. The position involves administering Linux and Windows servers, VMware virtualization, and NAS storage in a classified environment, while also supporting cybersecurity compliance activities such as audit logging, vulnerability management, and adherence to DoD security frameworks. Candidates must already hold an active Top Secret clearance with a Full Scope Polygraph.
Mid level · 2+ years · Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
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 $107,401 (middle half $89,864–$133,850). 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 Aug 18, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
This role requires an active Top Secret clearance with a Full Scope Polygraph already adjudicated at time of application — not merely the ability to obtain one. This is an unusually strict gate that will significantly narrow the candidate pool.
DoD 8570 IAT Level 2 certification (e.g., Security+ CE) is listed as required but with a 6-month grace period to obtain it after start; it is treated as a hard gate on the role.
The preferred qualifications section lists 6+ years of RHEL experience in an SCI classified environment — this is aspirational given the basic qualifications only require 2 years of IT experience overall.
Tenable and Nessus refer to the same vendor ecosystem (Tenable acquired Nessus); they are listed together in the posting and treated as interchangeable alternatives.
The role involves 25% travel and the ability to lift up to 40 lbs, which are physical/logistical requirements not captured in the skills fields.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): DoD 8570 IAT Level 2.
Requires a TS/SCI 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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