Senior Computer Specialist

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Information Technology team at the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington is hiring - see yourself at APL!

The Applied Physics Laboratory is a research unit at the University of Washington. Our research expertise is in ocean physics and engineering, ocean and medical acoustics, polar science, environmental remote sensing, and signal processing. We conduct research and development that is sponsored by a variety of federal and state agencies, and take great pride in our long-standing status as a US Navy-designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). Our work takes place not only on the University of Washington campus and medical centers, but in field locations around the world - at sea, in the air, and on polar ice caps. We apply rigorous scientific inquiry and engineering excellence in pursuit of solutions to important problems for the good of our region, nation, and world.

Diversity is a core value at University of Washington and the Applied Physics Laboratory shares this commitment. We are focused on building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable research environment for all students, staff, and collaborators. We believe every member on our team enriches our community by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.

The Applied Physics Laboratory's Information Technology (IT) team is seeking several full-time professionals who are proficient in executing both system and network administration tasks. Primary expertise in either Windows or Linux operating systems is required, including working knowledge of the other OS, and/or working knowledge of macOS.

The incumbent will join the Applied Physics Laboratory's Information Technology (IT) team, executing both system and network administration tasks in multiple networked enclaves. For itemized IT enhancement projects, the incumbent will provide support to project technical leads, including executing a wide range of tasking to support APL's IT enterprise, to include system and network administration of infrastructure hardware and software, as well as aiding endpoint users with system provisioning and trouble shooting. APL's strong field experimentation programs provide additional complexities, with servers, workstations, and laptops being deployed in sometimes harsh environments outside the laboratory, disconnected from conventional networks, and requiring specialized provisioning. Some of APL's research takes place under heightened security controls, requiring knowledge of and adherence to enhanced infrastructure and endpoint security requirements (such as those specified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST).

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Infrastructure System and Network Administration:
The incumbent will participate in infrastructure hardware installation and maintenance (e.g., servers, network appliances, etc.), to include: component arrangement and rack management, cabling installation and management, networking configurations, and power allocation (including use of UPS). They will also provide system administration support to these infrastructure systems, including: provisioning of servers and virtual machines, log management, configuration management, patch application, backup and recovery management, and network monitoring.

Endpoint Provisioning and User Support:
The incumbent will provision endpoint devices for research and administrative users, using appropriate Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) and Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) tools where appropriate. They will also provide mid and high tier support where appropriate for user issues submitted via institutional ticketing systems.

Documentation:
The incumbent will document their work products in a variety of ways, to include but not limited to: generating and updating network diagrams, writing and updating system and network administration procedures, providing input to System Security Plans (SSPs) and Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) where appropriate, and documenting progress of issue resolution in ticketing systems.

Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Information Security and at least two years of experience as a Network Engineer, Network Administrator or System Administrator.

Specify the type of experience required:
Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills.
Experience with installing and maintaining infrastructure (data center) hardware.
Experience with directory services (e.g., Active Directory, LDAP, Kerberos).
Experience with scripting or other languages (e.g., bash, perl, python, etc).

Linux-specific positions:
Extensive experience with Linux operating systems (Primarily Ubuntu and RHEL).
Experience using Ansible for system administration.
Experience with Linux package management (e.g., yum, apt, dpkg, etc.).
Experience with Linux desktop environments (e.g., gnome, KDE).
Working knowledge of Windows and/or macOS.

Windows-specific positions:
Extensive experience with Windows operating systems (server and endpoint systems)
Windows Server (AD, GPOs, DHCP/DNS, Print Server, DFS, Powershell, Hyper-V, etc.).
Exchange Server.
SQL Server (MS SQL, Postgres, MySQL).
Working knowledge of Linux and/or macOS.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

The process for obtaining a DOD Security Clearance can be view using the following links: Processing Applicants (dcsa.mil) or General Investigations and Clearance Processes (dcsa.mil)

Desired:
macOS (user management, directory services, package management, networking, JAMF, etc.).
Identity Management (AD FS, PKI, certificate distribution/provisioning, CA services)
Antivirus products.
Vulnerability management (Tenable Security Center).
Backup/Recovery (Veeam).
Revision Management (Gitlab, Git, SVN).
Firewalls (Pfsense/Palo Alto).
IDS/IPS (Suricata).
Splunk usage and administration.
Web proxies and reverse proxies (Squid, Haproxy).
Networking (IP-based, subnetting, routing, VLANs, VPNs, load balancing, etc.).
Point-to-point encryption methods (IPsec, OpenVPN, etc.)
Amazon Web Services or MS Azure.
Forensic network analysis tools (e.g., Wireshark, tcpdump, NetworkMiner, etc.).
Security concepts and practices: defense-in-depth, encryption, least privilege, etc.
Familiarity with NIST control families (800-53, 800-171).

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at or .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .