Company Overview

Fortastra is seeking a Lead IT Systems Administrator to architect, build, and operate the company’s internal infrastructure. This is a hands-on ownership role, not a support-only position.

You will serve as the primary technical owner of enterprise IT, responsible for uptime, security, and scalability across all systems supporting engineering and business operations. This role operates with high autonomy and limited existing structure. You will be expected to make decisions, build systems from the ground up, and scale infrastructure alongside company growth.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in secure cloud environments, enterprise IT systems, and defense-compliant infrastructure, combined with a strong bias toward automation and execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end IT infrastructure across cloud, endpoint, and networking environments
• Architect, deploy, and manage Microsoft 365 GCCH and AWS GovCloud environments aligned to defense requirements
• Serve as the primary technical owner for implementation of NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC controls across all systems
• Manage and secure a multi-OS fleet (Windows, macOS, Linux) using MDM and identity-driven access controls
• Own and scale the engineering toolchain infrastructure, including PLM systems, version control, collaboration platforms, and internal AI/LLM environments
• Design and maintain secure networking architecture (firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, identity-based access) with scalability in mind
• Establish and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and patching strategies for all systems
• Automate system administration, user lifecycle management, and infrastructure deployment through scripting and tooling
• Provide high-level technical support to engineering and operations teams, resolving complex issues and eliminating blockers
• Plan and scale IT infrastructure to support rapid headcount growth and increasing mission complexity

Qualifications and Skills

• 5+ years of experience in IT systems administration within defense, aerospace, or high-performance engineering environments
• Deep hands-on experience with Microsoft 365 GCCH and secure cloud environments (AWS GovCloud preferred)
• Strong experience managing Windows, macOS, and Linux systems at scale
• Proven ability to design and implement secure networking architectures
• Experience implementing and maintaining NIST SP 800-171 and/or CMMC compliance frameworks
• Strong background in identity and access management, MDM, and endpoint security
• Experience supporting and maintaining engineering toolchains (PLM, version control, Jira, etc.)
• Proficiency in scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell) for automation and system management
• Ability to operate independently in a high-ownership, low-structure environment

Requirements

• On-site role (no remote or hybrid arrangements)
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance

Why Fortastra

Join a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy