Sr. Systems Administrator

CANDIDATES WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF LOCAL TO HOUSTON, TX

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The Senior Cloud Systems Administrator / Infrastructure Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and ongoing management of enterprise-scale infrastructure spanning on-premises datacenters and cloud environments (AWS and Azure). This role combines deep expertise in traditional systems administration with modern cloud engineering, automation, and security best practices. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience managing Windows and Linux environments, optimizing hybrid infrastructure, and delivering highly available, secure, and scalable systems.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure Architecture & Implementation

• Lead the design, configuration, and deployment of hybrid cloud infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and on-prem environments.
• Engineer and maintain virtualized environments using VMware vSphere (6.0 or newer), ensuring optimal performance, resource utilization, and redundancy.
• Implement and manage VPCs, Security Groups, Transit Gateways, Azure VNETs, and associated network security controls.
• Configure and administer AWS services (EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda, AppStream, Workspaces) and Azure Virtual Desktop.
• Manage Office 365, Azure AD, and Okta environments, including user provisioning, SSO, and identity lifecycle management.

Automation, DevOps, and Infrastructure as Code

• Design and deploy infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, and ARM Templates.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts (PowerShell, Python, Bash) to improve efficiency, enforce standards, and reduce manual workload.
• Build and maintain CI/CD workflows to automate infrastructure provisioning and system updates.

System Administration & Operations

• Administer Windows Server 2016 2019 and Linux systems, including patching, monitoring, and performance tuning.
• Manage Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP services.
• Oversee server and VM backups, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
• Proactively monitor infrastructure health and security posture using modern observability tools.
• Provide Tier III escalation support for critical system and network issues.

Security, Compliance, and Governance

• Enforce IAM, MFA, and role-based access controls across AWS, Azure, and Okta.
• Collaborate with security teams to maintain compliance with internal and external standards (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001).
• Conduct regular vulnerability scanning, patch management, and configuration audits.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Partner with cross-functional teams and business leaders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
• Mentor junior administrators and contribute to team knowledge sharing and skill development.
• Participate in on-call rotation and planned maintenance activities as required.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of infrastructure, configurations, and procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in systems administration, cloud infrastructure, or DevOps engineering roles.
• Proven experience with AWS and/or Azure cloud administration.
• Strong proficiency in Windows Server, Active Directory, VMware, and Office 365.
• Experience with scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python).
• Familiarity with hybrid cloud networking, security policies, and IAM management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Linux administration and cross-platform integration.
• Hands-on experience with Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, or ARM Templates.
• Strong knowledge of Intune, Okta, and endpoint management.
• Familiarity with monitoring and alerting tools (e.g., CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Splunk).
• Understanding of DevOps principles, CI/CD pipelines, and Git-based version control.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Certifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate or Professional
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate
• Microsoft 365 Certified: Messaging Administrator Associate
• Okta Certified Professional

Additional Information

• Work primarily performed in a climate-controlled office environment.
• May occasionally lift equipment up to 45 pounds (servers, switches, UPS batteries).
• Overtime and occasional travel (<10%) may be required for project implementations or maintenance.