Job Description

Job Description: System Administrator II

1. Role Overview

We are looking for an analytical, proactive, and hands-on System Administrator II to join our technical operations team. In this role, you will be responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and supporting our hybrid fleet of Windows and Linux endpoints/servers, specialized Building Operating System (BOS) workstations (monitoring building IoT infrastructure), and core network services.

As a System Administrator II, you will act as a key technical escalation point. You will manage our ticketing queue against strict SLAs, resolve in-depth technical issues, monitor fleet health via Datadog, execute health-check scripts in Linux environments, manage custom DNS/DHCP fleet allocations, and diagnose network connectivity from the physical wire up to configuration changes.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Hybrid Fleet & Endpoint Management (Windows & Linux)

Administer, configure, and troubleshoot enterprise Windows (10/11) and Linux distributions (Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS, Debian).
Diagnose complex OS-level and hardware anomalies (system slowness, storage degradation, hardware faults, OS crashes, driver conflicts).
Manage software installations, updates, security patching, and application dependencies across client machines.
Support dedicated Building Operating System (BOS) machines used by Building Management Systems (BMS) teams to monitor IoT devices, facility sensors, and building automation controllers.

B. Infrastructure Monitoring & Observability (Datadog)

Actively monitor fleet health, service availability, system resources (CPU, Memory, Disk I/O), and performance metrics using Datadog.
Triage, investigate, and remediate threshold alerts in Datadog before issues impact end-users or building systems.
Ensure Datadog agent health and telemetry reporting across newly provisioned machines.

C. Linux Scripting & Automated Diagnostics

Safely execute, monitor, and troubleshoot shell/bash scripts (and Windows PowerShell scripts) for routine health checks, diagnostic data collection, and fleet maintenance.
Interpret script logs and output to swiftly pinpoint the root cause of service interruptions or configuration drifts.

D. Core Networking & Name Resolution Services

Perform end-to-end network troubleshooting across the OSI model—from Layer 1 (cabling, ports, physical link) through Layer 3/4 routing to application configurations.
Maintain and troubleshoot DNS (Domain Name System) settings, understanding custom forward/reverse lookup architectures and dedicated fleet DNS pools.
Manage DHCP scope allocations, static IP reservations, lease lifecycles, and subnet isolation for general and IoT/BMS segments.
Utilize CLI diagnostic tools (ping, traceroute/tracert, nslookup, dig, netstat, tcpdump) to isolate network bottlenecks and configuration faults.

E. ITSM Operations & Cross-Tier Escalation

Manage incoming ticket queues within the ITSM platform (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk, Freshservice), consistently meeting or exceeding response and resolution SLAs.
Distinguish and appropriately handle Incidents (break-fix / service degradation) vs. Service Requests (access provisioning, standard installs).
Act as an escalation point for Level 1 support technicians; clarify technical queries, review ticket notes, and assist them in resolving edge cases.
Document standard operating procedures (SOPs), knowledge base articles, and incident post-mortems.

3. Required Technical Qualifications

Operating Systems: In-depth administration skills across Windows and Linux (CLI navigation, process management, systemd, log analysis, file permissions).
Networking & Protocols: Solid grasp of TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs, DHCP pools, and DNS architecture (A records, CNAME, PTR, cache clearing, DNS query flow).
Observability: Practical experience working with Datadog (dashboards, alert monitors, synthetic checks, host metrics).
Scripting: Basic hands-on ability to execute and debug Bash/Shell scripts in Linux terminal environments.
ITSM & Service Standards: Prior working knowledge of ITIL service desk processes, SLA tracking, and ticket workflow lifecycle.

4. Experience & Soft Skills

Experience: 3+ years in IT System Administration, Tier-2 Technical Support, or NOC/Operations roles (experience in IT Managed Services or service-oriented enterprise environments is strongly preferred).
Communication: Strong command of written and verbal English to collaborate with cross-functional teams, assist fellow technicians, and communicate clearly with end-users.
Multitasking & Prioritization: Proven ability to balance immediate hands-on troubleshooting with strict ticket queue deadlines.
Problem-Solving: Methodical, root-cause-driven troubleshooting mindset.

5. Preferred / Bonus Qualifications

Bachelor's or associate degree in computer science, information technology, or computer engineering
Experience as system administrator in operational technology environments.
Industry certifications (e.g., MCSE, CCNA, CompTIA Network+ / Security+, Microsoft Azure/Modern Desktop, RHCSA, or ITIL v4 Foundation).