IT Support Specialist (Systems Administrator III) - College of Arts & Sciences - IT (Physics-LASSP)

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The IT Support Specialist supports Physics/LASSP departments within Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences and is physically located in Clark Hall. The role works closely with Chem and Tower Rd IT and participates as an integrated member of A&S IT. It supports Linux-based servers and workstations in a research environment, as well as Windows and macOS systems used across the departments. The specialist oversees networking, backups, security, software and hardware selection and installation, troubleshooting, and general systems maintenance, and provides consulting and technical support to faculty, graduate students, and administrative staff. The position manages IT equipment resources and records, participates in planning and coordinating departmental computing needs, and represents the departments at appropriate college and university meetings or committees. It also supports the A&S college server administrator with special projects and day-to-day tasks, provides backup coverage for other A&S IT team members, contributes to college-wide projects and common practices, and balances local research and administrative needs with centralized IT frameworks. The specialist stays informed of and complies with Cornell and College of Arts and Sciences IT policies and implements and communicates those policies to supported departments. Cornell expects community members to foster belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment through respectful, collaborative, inclusive communication and support for work/life integration.

Requirements

Experience in or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of coursework and experience.
Intermediate to advanced Linux knowledge.
Experience compiling, installing, and maintaining software on Linux systems.
Working knowledge of web technologies such as Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Drupal.
Working knowledge of programming or scripting languages such as Perl, Python, PHP, and Unix shell.
Initiative and ability to keep informed about current and emerging technologies relevant to departmental support.
Excellent communication, customer service, and prioritization skills.
Ability to work independently and effectively in a fast-paced environment while managing several tasks simultaneously.
Proficiency supporting Macintosh and/or Windows operating systems and hardware, or willingness to learn an unfamiliar operating system.
Experience with networking concepts such as VLANs, DNS/DHCP, and firewalls.
Willingness and ability to support a dynamic and diverse computing environment with Linux, Windows, and Mac OS devices.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Linux automation tools such as Ansible or Puppet.
Experience supporting Linux clusters.
Familiarity with Linux in AWS or Azure.
Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.

Responsibilities

Support Linux-based computer servers and workstations in a research environment.
Support Windows and macOS computers used across the departments.
Oversee networking, backups, security, software and hardware selection and installation, troubleshooting, and general systems maintenance.
Provide consulting, diagnostic, and troubleshooting support to faculty, graduate students, and administrative staff.
Manage and maintain IT equipment resources and records.
Represent the departments at appropriate college and university meetings and committees.
Participate in planning and coordinating departmental computer needs.
Work with and support other members of A&S IT.
Assist the A&S college server administrator with special projects and day-to-day tasks as assigned.
Provide backup coverage for other A&S IT team members and participate in projects across the College.
Contribute to the development of common practices across A&S IT.
Stay informed of, comply with, implement, and communicate Cornell and College of Arts and Sciences IT policies to supported departments.