Systems Administrator

Kent Moore Cabinets is a 700-person manufacturing company spanning 9 locations across Texas. We're looking for a Systems Administrator who can own critical infrastructure - servers, virtualization, cloud environments, database operations, and the foundational systems that everything else depends on. You'll work with the Director of IT to ensure our infrastructure is reliable, performant, and scalable. You'll have real authority to shape how IT infrastructure works at KMC - this isn't a support role, it's an ownership role. As we grow the team, you'll mentor junior engineers and help establish operational excellence. Right now, you'll wear multiple hats and have the opportunity to build systems and processes that will outlast you.

What You'll Own Server & Infrastructure (Primary Responsibility)

• Windows and Linux server administration - installation, configuration, hardening, patching, lifecycle
• Virtualization platform (XCP-ng) - host management, VM provisioning, performance optimization, capacity planning
• Container infrastructure - manage and troubleshoot Docker environments across 12-15 container hosts with 100+ active containers; coordinate with development on container deployment and orchestration
• Cloud infrastructure coordination - Azure, AWS, or hybrid environments as deployed
• Storage management - file servers, SAN/NAS, replication, performance tuning
• Server health monitoring, alerting, and proactive maintenance

Database Operations

• SQL Server (MSSQL) - host-level administration, backup, performance, user management
• Database patching, updates, and lifecycle management
• Coordination with development on database performance and design questions
• Note: Schema design and query optimization are Development responsibilities. You own the server.

Infrastructure & Capacity Planning

• Plan for growth - anticipate hardware and resource needs 6-12 months out
• Drive infrastructure modernization projects (redundancy, failover, performance improvements)
• Evaluate new tools and platforms; build business cases for investment
• Work with the Director to prioritize IT's annual roadmap

Documentation & Handoff

• Create runbooks and SOPs for critical systems so knowledge is not trapped in your head
• Document architecture, changes, and decisions clearly
• Train team members and build backup capability so the department doesn't depend entirely on you, * Real authority. You own your domain. The Director provides direction; you run the show within it.
• Modernization opportunity. You won't be stuck maintaining legacy systems forever. We're actively building the future.
• Manufacturing impact. Every system you keep running supports production. Your work has tangible business impact.
• Growing team. As we hire, you'll mentor and develop junior engineers. This is a path to leadership if you want it.
• Clear expectations. We're rebuilding IT with structured accountability, training, and support. You won't be flying blind., Tell us about a complex infrastructure project you've owned, what problems you solved, and what you learned. Tell us why you want to work at a 50-year-old manufacturing company rather than at a tech company. We're interested in people who care about reliability and sustainability, not just velocity. We're reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Strong candidates will hear from us within 2 weeks. Kent Moore Cabinets is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.

II. Exertion Requirements: Light

Activity Load/Weight/Force Duration Pushing 10 - 20 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Frequently Pushing 25 - 50 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Occasionally Pushing 50 - 100 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Rarely Pulling 10 - 20 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Frequently Pulling 25 - 50 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Occasionally Pulling 50 - 100 lbs. of force to initiate and/or maintain Rarely Lifting 10 - 20 lbs. Frequently Lifting 25 - 50 lbs. Occasionally Lifting 50 - 100 lbs. Rarely Carrying 10 - 20 lbs. Frequently Carrying 25 - 50 lbs. Occasionally Carrying 50 - 100 lbs. Rarely

III. Sensory Requirements: Light Activity Requirement Hearing Corrected to detect a minimum amplitude of 65 dB(A) for normal speaking voice at a distance of three feet. Vision Corrected to 20/40 Color Discrimination n/a Taste n/a Smell n/a Talk Talking with a normal voice approximates to sound pressure level 65 dB(A)

Do you have experience in Windows support?, * 5+ years hands-on systems administration in a Windows/Linux environment

• SQL Server administration experience (backup, recovery, performance, user management)
• Virtualization platform experience (VMware, Hyper-V, or XCP-ng)
• Windows Active Directory design and management
• Comfortable with infrastructure automation and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python)
• Docker and container management experience (or strong willingness to quickly learn; you'll inherit significant container infrastructure)

Strong Preferences:

• Experience managing infrastructure in a manufacturing or industrial environment
• Cloud platform experience (Azure, AWS) - even if you prefer on-prem
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• Enterprise backup solutions and restore testing
• Vendor and contract management
• Capacity planning and IT budgeting

Certifications (Nice to Have):

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator or Azure Solutions Architect
• CompTIA Security+
• ITIL Foundation
• Vendor certifications (VCP, MCSA, MCSE) - we value demonstrated knowledge over shiny credentials

What matters most: You think like an architect, not just a technician. You ask "Why does the system work this way?" and "What breaks if this fails?" before taking action. You document obsessively and automate ruthlessly. You mentor younger engineers and make the team better. You care about reliability and you're comfortable saying "We need to fix this" even when fixing it is uncomfortable., * 5+ years hands-on systems administration in a Windows/Linux environment

• SQL Server administration experience (backup, recovery, performance, user management)
• Virtualization platform experience (VMware, Hyper-V, or XCP-ng)
• Windows Active Directory design and management
• Comfortable with infrastructure automation and scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python)
• Docker and container management experience (or strong willingness to quickly learn; you'll inherit significant container infrastructure)

Strong Preferences:

• Experience managing infrastructure in a manufacturing or industrial environment
• Cloud platform experience (Azure, AWS) - even if you prefer on-prem
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning
• Enterprise backup solutions and restore testing
• Vendor and contract management
• Capacity planning and IT budgeting

Certifications (Nice to Have):

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator or Azure Solutions Architect
• CompTIA Security+
• ITIL Foundation
• Vendor certifications (VCP, MCSA, MCSE) - we value demonstrated knowledge over shiny credentials

Pulled from the full job description

• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance, * Competitive compensation. We pay for experience and skill. This role offers top-of-market salary for the Bryan area.

Compensation & Benefits Salary: $95,000-$115,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications Benefits include: Health, dental, vision insurance; 401(k) with company match; paid time off; professional development budget ($2,500+/year for training, certifications, conferences); flexible work arrangements