Systems Administrator

The System Administrator designs, implements, and maintains the IT infrastructure that supports both operational and R&D activities. This includes server provisioning, storage and network management, automation, security, monitoring, backup, user administration, Tier-III support, and ongoing maintenance. This position is for a 12-month contract with opportunity for renewal., Infrastructure Engineering

• Engineer system-administration solutions for project and operational needs.
• Install new or rebuild existing servers; configure hardware, peripherals, services, directories, and storage (NetApp, Dell/EMC, PureStorage, etc.) according to standards.
• Manage virtualization platforms such as VMware and KVM.
• Oversee storage management and network equipment (Cisco, Mellanox, etc.).
• Deploy and configure systems that support infrastructure and R&D activities.

Automation & Deployment

• Support infrastructure automation tools (Ansible).
• Use Foreman for deployment management.

Operations & Support

• Install and maintain security patches on operational and development systems, including Red Hat Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu, etc.), Windows Server (2008/2008 R2/2012), VMware, and Apache web services.
• Report security-patch compliance.
• Perform daily system monitoring: verify hardware integrity, server availability, key processes, log review, and completion of scheduled jobs (e.g., backups).
• Conduct regular security monitoring to detect possible intrusions.
• Execute daily backup operations, ensure proper media handling, and manage off-site storage.
• Perform regular file archival and purge activities.
• Create, modify, and delete user accounts as requested.
• Maintain the system inventory system (GLPI).
• Provide Tier-III support, investigate and troubleshoot issues, and coordinate recovery from hardware or software failures.

Maintenance & Optimization

• Apply OS patches and upgrades regularly; upgrade administrative tools and utilities.
• Deploy and manage instances of Jira, Git, LDAP, Jenkins, and VMware environments.
• Upgrade and configure system software that supports infrastructure or asset-management applications.
• Maintain operational, configuration, and procedural documentation.
• Conduct performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and resource optimization (CPU, memory, disk partitions).
• Participate in after-hours/weekend support or alternate work schedules as needed.

Security & Standards

• Contribute to and maintain system standards and overall security posture.
• Research and recommend innovative, preferably automated, approaches for system-administration tasks.

Do you have experience in VMware?, * Deep expertise in VMware administration and management; experience with Jenkins, Git, and DevOps tool administration.

• Linux System Administration certification preferred (CompTIA Linux+, RHCSA, or RHCE).
• Network equipment management experience; Cisco equipment knowledge preferred.
• Minimum 2 years of Linux system-administration experience, including shell scripting, cron jobs, log analysis, user/group management, iptables configuration, and mail-service setup.
• Ability to multi-task, work independently, and act as a self-starter.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• CompTIA Security+ (SY0-301) or DoD 8570.1 IAT-II compliant certification (or equivalent experience).
• Familiarity with web-based technologies: reverse proxies, SSL certificates, three-tier architecture, SOA, enterprise service bus, HTTP, and browser differences.
• Physical ability to lift 50 lb and relocate servers between the main data center, colocation sites, and labs.
• Experience installing new hardware or migrating existing rack-mount servers.

$6,200 - $6,600 a month - Contract