Senior Systems Administrator

The vision of the Arlington Public Schools is to be an equitable educational community where all learners feel a sense of belonging, experience growth and joy, and are empowered to shape their own futures and contribute to a better world.

Position: Senior Systems Administrator

Description

Professional, supervisory, administrative, analytical and technical work in the operational and technical administration of town and school IT infrastructure and service portfolio, including maintenance, upgrade, design and development of all hardware, operating systems, IT services, data storage and applications. The senior systems administrator will cross-train and back up other system administrators, while working closely with other engineering resources within IT, including network and security engineers. Assesses and manages system capacity planning and system and date base resources to maximize efficiency; all other related work, as required.

Works under the general supervision of the Director of Applications and Development. Works independently troubleshooting and resolving problems; refers policy issues to the supervisor. Performs technical work requiring a substantial knowledge of technology and the exercise of independent judgment in setting priorities and making decisions.

Work Environment

Work is performed under typical office conditions for an office directly involved with information technology. May need to work outside of normal working hours as required to complete tasks and may attend evening meetings as necessary in order to work out priorities and finalize objectives.

Has regular contact with personnel and school offices throughout the Town and School in answering questions, solving problems, providing training, implementing and supporting applications. Also has contact with external vendors. Serves a member of a cross-functional team on various IT projects. Considerable diplomacy and sound judgment in managing these relationships is essential.

Manages academic and enterprise systems and integrations, serves as escalation point for service desk staff when complex issues require investigation and resolution. Serves as a primary contact between vendors and impacted town staff to ensure successful support of software and programs.

Has access to extensive confidential information throughout the school and town administration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Serves as lead in managing the administration of all applications in the IT portfolio, including configuration, trouble shooting and architecture. Oversees ongoing system capacity planning, forecasting and tuning. Acts as subject matter expert for the solution delivery process.
• Works closely with senior network engineer, security manager, system administrators and stakeholders, responsible for planning and management of system related projects from conceptual design to implementation.
• Creates and maintains accurate documentation for systems, services, and processes.
• Supervises and manages vendors for all support and troubleshooting efforts related to core enterprise applications.
• Manages, maintains and upgrades systems for the town and the school department, including hardware and software, network communications equipment, file servers, personal computers, printers, scanners, and internet service.
• Reports any possible violations of the Town and School IT Acceptable Use Policy to the Chief Information Officer. Further investigation of violations is done at the direction of the Town Manager.
• Manages both on-premises and cloud-based (SaaS, IaaS) services and systems. Keeps abreast of new technology in networking, communications, software and other emerging technologies.
• Other relevant duties as may be assigned by supervisor.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in computer science, or a related field; additional related certifications highly desirable with five years of experience in information technology systems and management of a large network; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Ability and Skill

• Considerable knowledge of programs and systems. Thorough knowledge of networks. Knowledge of changing technology, communications, and hardware and software.
• Experience managing VMware vSphere or an equivalent enterprise server virtualization platform. Experience with software-defined networking (VMware NSX or equivalent) or software-defined storage (VMware VSAN or equivalent).
• Experience managing cloud-based infrastructure in a major provider (Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform) a plus.
• Experience managing Microsoft 365 environment, including Entra ID (Azure Active Directory), OneDrive, Sharepoint Online, and Office suite account lifecycle management, permissions management, integration with on-premises Active Directory environment, and use of Entra ID for single sign on (SSO) integration with on-premises and SaaS applications.
• Experience managing Microsoft Windows Server (2016 or later) in an Active Directory environment, including management of CIFS file shares, use of LDAP protocol, and Group Policy Objects. Experience with Microsoft InTune or an equivalent endpoint management platform a plus.
• Experience managing Google Workspace environment, including account lifecycle management, permissions management, GSuite applications, and use of Google for single sign on (SSO) integration with on-premises and SaaS applications.
• Familiarity with SAML and OpenID Connect (OIDC) standards for SSO / federated identity management.
• Experience managing SaaS-based applications, including account provisioning, data and identity management integrations, initial configuration, and overall ongoing support.
• Demonstrated proficiency using scripting languages and tools for automation of system administration tasks in conjunction with provided vendor APIs. Example tools include PowerShell, Python, Perl, UNIX shell, or equivalent. Experience using a configuration management system, e.g. Ansible or equivalent, a plus.
• Familiarity with core network infrastructure concepts: DNS, IP, DHCP, TCP / UDP, SNMP, firewalls (Watchguard, Fortinet, or equivalent platform)
• Experience using, configuring, and supporting a centralized operational monitoring platform, e.g. Nagios, PRTG, Prometheus, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with Crowdstrike Falcon or an equivalent Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platform a plus.
• Experience managing Linux servers and systems (Ubuntu, RHEL, SUSE) a plus.
• Familiarity with MacOS management a plus.
• Knowledge managing and coordinating ITSM processes, specifically incident, request, knowledge, problem, and change management. Experience working with an ITSM platform, e.g. Service Now, a plus.
• Excellent communication (both written and verbal), customer service, and conflict resolution skills.
• Desirable Certifications: ITIL/ITSM Foundation Certification, Microsoft MTA, MCSA, MCSE; Cisco CCNA, etc).
• Ability to manage a large environment with users of diverse needs and skill levels.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively.
• Ability to mentor and advise technical employees and orient, train and provide technical assistance to employees and managers.
• Ability to troubleshoot and handle multiple projects at the same time.
• Ability to develop and foster effective working relationships.

Physical Requirements

Minimal physical effort is required to perform functions under typical office conditions. The employee is required to stand, walk, use hands to operate equipment, reach with hands and arms and lift or carry weights of up to 30 pounds. Vision requirements include the ability to read routine and technical documents and use a computer. Must have a valid Massachusetts Drivers License and also have your own car.

SALARY RANGE: $85k to $105K

The Arlington Public Schools are committed to creating an inclusive and safe learning and working environment that reflects a diversity of perspectives, values, and experiences. We welcome staff who are aware of the role that bias and prejudice play in society, are creative and willing to try new approaches, and are reflective about their daily practice. We are looking for candidates who welcome a challenge, are eager to collaborate and contribute to the success of students, are ready to engage in two-way partnership with families, and who will contribute their diverse talents to the organization as a whole.