Senior IT Systems Administrator

Title - Senior IT Systems Administrator (MS Windows and RHEL)

Location - Bangalore or Chennai, India

Team - IT Operations

Reports To - IT Infrastructure Manager

Employment type - Full-time

Experience

• Overall 8+ years of experience
• 5+ years technical experience in support / engineering field.
• Experience and good knowledge in VMware Virtualization and Windows Server operating systems.

Education

Degree in Computer Science, or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Working Hours

• Central time zone, USA (08:00 AM to 05:00 PM Central time)
• Participates in an on-call rotation

Certifications

Relevant certifications such as MCSE, VMware Certified Professional (VCP), or equivalent are preferred.

Job Summary

We are seeking a skilled Senior IT Systems Administrator with a strong background in Windows Server administration and VMware virtualization technologies.

The Senior IT Systems Administrator is responsible for –

• installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of server systems, ensuring optimal performance and security for our IT infrastructure
• provisioning, configuration / installation, support and maintenance of systems hardware and software and related infrastructure.

The IT Systems Administrator participates in technical research and development to enable continuing innovation within the infrastructure. Additional responsibilities include technical leadership, mentors other team members, and leading projects.

Skills (Must Have)

• Strong proficiency in Windows Server (2016, 2019, or later) and Active Directory management.
• Strong experience with VMware vSphere, vCenter, and related virtualization technologies.
• Strong knowledge and working experience with Red Hat operating systems, along with Red Hat Satellite. Also, strong knowledge with other Linux based distributions.
• Strong working experience with VMware ESX v7.0+
• Experience with managing, maintaining, and optimizing VMware environments to ensure performance, scalability and security.
• Experience with VMware patching, licensing, renewals, and upgrades.
• Experience in working with storage systems (SAN) in VMware environments.
• Knowledge of Active Directory, DNS, and related networking concepts.
• Ability to create and maintain Windows server images.
• Experience with VMware security and virtual switch technologies.
• Familiarity with PowerShell scripting for automation tasks.
• Advanced knowledge in multiple technical disciplines including Data Centers, Azure, AWS, Backups, Servers, and Security. Specifically, with using VMware Virtualization and Windows Server operating systems.
• Advanced knowledge of server hardware and concepts including services, security, proper data backup and disaster recovery practices and domains.
• Expertise in speaking comfortably about complex system issues with non-technical users.
• Proven ability to speak comfortably with technical and non-technical users.
• Proven track record of managing tasks and projects to completion successfully within SLA guidelines.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with minimal supervision and instruction.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized.
• Experience with infrastructure troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Proven analytical skills and attention to the detail.

Skills (Nice to Have)

• Experience with HPE SAN storage (3PAR/Alletra).
• Managed multiple complex network and system projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of networking concepts (TCP/IP, VPNs, firewalls) is a plus.
• Cloud implementation experience with AWS, Azure or VMC is a plus.

Key Job Responsibilities

• System Administration:
• Administer VMware ESXi hosts, virtual machines, and associated storage and networking resources.
• Manage and maintain Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy.
• Monitoring and Performance Tuning:
• Monitor system performance, availability, and capacity; identify and resolve performance issues proactively.
• Implement performance tuning and optimization strategies for Windows and VMware systems.
• Backup and Recovery:
• Establish and maintain backup and recovery procedures to protect data integrity.
• Conduct regular testing of backup systems and disaster recovery plans.
• Security Management:
• Implement and maintain security policies, procedures, and standards.
• Consistently apply patches and updates to Windows and VMware systems to ensure security compliance.
• User Support and Troubleshooting:
• Anticipate, identify, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware and software problems on IT Infrastructure components.
• Provide technical support for users, troubleshooting hardware and software issues as they arise.
• Collaborate with other IT staff to resolve complex technical problems.
• Maintain knowledge and ability to perform hands on work on assigned systems.
• Documentation and Reporting:
• Define standards for and develop documentation and procedures related to IT infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain system documentation for assigned systems.
• Develops and maintains procedures for appropriate daily, weekly, monthly, and less frequent IT system operations and maintenance.
• Maintain accurate documentation of system configurations, procedures, and changes.
• Generate reports on system performance, uptime, and incidents for management review.
• Contribute to and maintain knowledge base of common procedures and problem resolutions to enable the technical services team to be as timely, efficient, and effective as possible.
• Project Participation:
• Assist in IT projects related to system upgrades, migrations, and deployments.
• Plan, Design, and Implement new installations and changes to IT infrastructure.
• Participate in planning and implementing IT infrastructure improvements.
• Collaborate and communicate with team members, IT Team, and Leadership.
• Advise and mentor junior members of the IT Infrastructure team on technical topics.
• Function as the technical lead and owner on assigned IT infrastructure projects. Provide leadership to the infrastructure team on IT infrastructure standards, designs, and tools.
• As part of the IT Technical Services team, provide system support on a 7x24 basis.
• Collaborate with leaders and team members to plan, design, implement, operate, and optimize assigned systems.
• Demonstrates and promotes strong customer service orientation.
• Assumes individual accountability for own conduct and maintenance of professional attitude and appearance.
• Approaches change in a positive manner, motivate staff to work as a team, accept constructive criticism and learn from it