Systems Administrator Specialist

University of Georgia - Athens, GA

Full-time - Mid Level

Athens, GA

5,001-10,000 employees

Educational Services

About the position

The Systems Administrator Specialist at the University of Georgia is responsible for developing, operating, maintaining, and monitoring Linux and Windows systems within a VMware ESX and data center environment. This role involves automating, managing, and troubleshooting servers and applications, while collaborating with other IT professionals to support core services for faculty and staff. The ideal candidate will also serve as a technical lead and mentor, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and support college-wide servers, hardware, and services.
• Work closely with other teams and colleagues to properly architect complex systems.
• Oversee and participate in the day-to-day management of physical and virtual servers.
• Serve as a technical resource and point of escalation for management and colleagues.
• Manage and delegate tasks with team members in relation to assigned projects.
• Train and develop technical skills with team members and mentor them on Franklin OIT standards and policies.
• Respond to requests for service and engage in proactive support through participation in routine patching and upgrade cycles.
• Work with research clients to architect and implement solutions based on their unique needs.
• Oversee and participate in other aspects of server support across the college, including imaging, configurations, security implementations, networking, hardware, and software support.
• Utilize automation to effectively manage tasks and support services.
• Provide after-hours support to mission-critical services as part of a rotating on-call schedule.
• Administer and support virtualization services.
• Familiar with deploying and using cloud-based infrastructures, platforms, and software as services (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS).
• Use a ticketing system to manage time and track requests.
• Develop documentation, presentations, and training materials. Provide training or share best practices on an as-needed basis.
• Consult with faculty, staff, or colleagues within Franklin OIT to recommend appropriate IT solutions; educate clients about information security risks and keep them informed about policies and practices in IT.
• Assist with planning and problem solving; explore alternatives and recommend solutions.
• Comfortable working or presenting in front of an audience or classroom.
• Comfortable answering and using phones and interacting with faculty, staff, and students.

Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree in a related field.
• Experience supporting and maintaining systems (EL/RHEL, Debian, Windows Server).
• Experience with enterprise clustered and virtual hosting environments (VMware preferred).
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring tools (Nagios preferred).
• Data center experience including the installation, management, and support of storage devices, physical servers, and switches.
• Working knowledge of security standards and best practices.
• Working knowledge of automated configuration management and CI/CD tools (Puppet, PowerShell, etc.).
• Knowledge of database development and management concepts.
• Experience with L2/L3 networking (Routing, VLAN Management, load balancing, firewalls).
• Familiarity with scripting and tools (PERL, BASH, Python, etc.).
• Familiarity with the creation and use of software package management and versioning tools (YUM/RPM, Aptitude, Git).
• Familiarity with 3rd party cloud hosting and services (AWS, GCS, or Azure).

Nice-to-haves

• BA or BS preferred.
• Relevant certifications desired.
• HDI Support Center Analyst certification.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan options (TRS or ORP)
• Benefits eligible for full-time employees