Job Description
Job Title
Senior Systems Administrator - AWS/Linux
About the Job
The Senior Systems Administrator - AWS/Linux is a hybrid on-site role based at Books-A-Million's corporate headquarters, within the IT organization.
This is a technical role responsible for the design, security, and day-to-day operation of the organization's Amazon Web Services environment and Linux server fleet (mix of on-prem and in AWS). This position serves as the infrastructure team's subject-matter expert for cloud - building and maintaining AWS resources through infrastructure-as-code, enforcing cloud security and cost controls, and extending the same automation practices to on-premises Linux systems through Ansible.
Role Summary
This Senior Systems Administrator - AWS/Linux role primarily handles the administration, automation, and security posture of the organization's AWS accounts. The role establishes and maintains infrastructure-as-code standards using tools such as CloudFormation and Terraform, drives Linux patching and configuration management with Ansible, and partners with the broader infrastructure, development, and data teams to deliver a consistent, secure, and well-documented hybrid cloud/on-premises environment. While the primary focus is AWS, the role remains an active contributor to Linux systems administration and general infrastructure work.
Role Responsibilities
AWS Cloud Infrastructure and Automation
• Serve as the primary administrator and subject-matter expert for the organization's AWS environment, including account and organizational structure, networking, compute, storage, and managed database services
• Design, build, and maintain cloud infrastructure using infrastructure as code; establish template/module standards, Git-based version control workflows, and peer review practices
• Build and maintain deployment pipelines for infrastructure changes, promoting changes through development, test, and production environments under appropriate change control
• Implement and maintain monitoring, logging, and alerting for cloud workloads; respond to performance, capacity, and availability incidents
• Manage AWS cost visibility and optimization, including right-sizing, reserved capacity and savings plans, tagging standards, and budget alerting
• Plan and execute workload migrations, service upgrades, and architecture improvements; document designs, runbooks, and operational procedures
• Provision resources and provide troubleshooting and architecture guidance to internal development, eCommerce, and data/analytics teams consuming AWS services
AWS Security and Compliance
• Own the security posture of the AWS environment: IAM policies and roles, least-privilege access design, identity federation/SSO, MFA enforcement, and periodic access reviews
• Configure and operate AWS-native security services and drive remediation of findings
• Enforce network security controls, including security groups, network ACLs, private connectivity, and encryption in transit and at rest
• Maintain alignment with security frameworks and compliance requirements (such as PCI-DSS, where applicable), including backup and disaster recovery procedures; support audits and vulnerability remediation in partnership with IT Security and Compliance team
• Review and analyze cloud security events and coordinate response efforts with the infrastructure and security teams
Linux Systems Administration and On-Premises Automation
• Perform Linux systems administration (primarily RHEL-family) across on-premises and cloud-hosted servers, including builds, configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, performance tuning, backup and recovery planning, and lifecycle management
• Develop and maintain Ansible playbooks, roles, and inventories to automate operating system patching, configuration management, hardening, and compliance reporting across the Linux environment
• Extend infrastructure-as-code practices to on-premises systems using Ansible and, where appropriate, Terraform providers for virtualization, networking, and server provisioning
• Automate repetitive operational tasks and workflows through scripting (Bash, Python)
• Maintain and monitor backup, recovery, and disaster recovery for Linux and AWS workloads; validate that recoverability standards are met
• Support web, application, container, and database platforms running on Linux in coordination with application owners and developers
General Infrastructure and Team Participation
• Contribute to infrastructure roadmap, planning, and process improvement discussions in coordination with the IT Infrastructure Lead and the Director, IT Infrastructure
• Participate in technology upgrade projects and cloud migration activities for future enterprise growth
• Author and maintain documentation, diagrams, and runbooks; adhere to documentation, change management, and operational standards
• Mentor team members on cloud, automation, and Linux practices and share knowledge through documentation and cross-training
• Serve as an escalation point for complex Linux and cloud issues and participate in the on-call rotation
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director, IT Infrastructure
Role Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years of progressive systems administration/infrastructure experience, including 2+ years administering production AWS environments
• Strong hands-on experience with core AWS services, including IAM, EC2/ECS/EKS, S3, RDS, CloudFront, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and related networking and security services
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining infrastructure as code with CloudFormation and/or Terraform, using Git-based version control
• Advanced Linux systems administration skills (RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, or similar)
• Experience using Ansible for configuration management and patch automation
• Proficiency in scripting with Bash and Python
• Working knowledge of AWS security best practices, including least-privilege IAM design, encryption, logging, and security monitoring (Security Hub, GuardDuty, WAF, Secrets Manager, KMS)
• Familiarity with networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, routing, VPN, firewalls) and hybrid cloud connectivity (VPC, Transit Gateway)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications:
• AWS certifications (Solutions Architect, SysOps Administrator, DevOps Engineer, or Security Specialty)
• Red Hat (RHCSA/RHCE), Linux Foundation, or HashiCorp Terraform certifications
• Experience with container platforms (Docker, ECS, EKS/Kubernetes)
• Experience with CI/CD tooling (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, AWS CodePipeline, or similar)
• Experience with on-premises virtualization platforms (VMware or similar) and enterprise storage
• Experience with Windows Server, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365/Entra ID in a hybrid environment
• Experience with PowerShell
• Experience in retail, eCommerce, or PCI-regulated environments
The Perks
At Books-A-Million, we believe in taking care of our employees. As part of the team, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive pay and performance-based incentives.
Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you healthy.
Paid Time Off (PTO): Enjoy generous PTO and paid holidays.
Employee Discounts: Get discounts on books and other products across our stores.
Retirement Savings: Build your future with our 401(k) plan and company contributions.
