Lead Systems Administrator

University of Georgia • Athens, GA

77d

About The Position

The Lead Systems Administrator serves a critical lead role for the design, maintenance, upgrade, and troubleshooting of both physical and virtual server environments, VDI platforms, network infrastructure, and firewalls within the FMD IT unit. This position is responsible for ensuring the ongoing availability, security, and optimal performance of mission-critical systems that underpin facilities operations. In addition to infrastructure oversight, the Lead Systems Administrator is entrusted with managing hardware and software support for Facilities Management Division (FMD) end users, HVAC systems, and other core operational technologies. This role provides authoritative guidance to junior administrators and ensures seamless, reliable IT service delivery across the unit, taking responsibility for the quality and integrity of all technical operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent and 2 years of professional experience.
• Excellent problem solving, communication, and customer service skills.
• Detail orientated and able to multi-task, problem solve and take initiative.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Networking knowledge with an understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, and routing.
• Proficiency in VMware, Hyper-V, or other virtualization platforms for server and desktop virtualization.
• Operating System experience with Windows Server (Active Directory, Group Policy, IIS) and/or Linux.
• Knowledge of backup/disaster recovery implementations and products like Veeam or similar.
• Understanding of cybersecurity best practices.

Nice To Haves

• At least 3 years of experience with VMware vSphere, Omnissa (VMware) Horizon, and Veeam Backup & Replication.
• Experience with optimized gold-image creation for VDI and virtual servers.
• Proficiency with Active Directory, Palo Alto firewalls, Ivanti Endpoint Manager, Apps Anywhere.
• Experience with SSL certificate requests, renewals, and configuration on various types of systems, including: Apache, IIS, Palo Alto firewalls, and various virtual appliances.
• PowerShell or similar scripting language experience.
• Experience with tools like Nagios, PRTG, or SolarWinds to monitor system performance and availability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, maintenance, upgrade, and troubleshooting of physical and virtual servers, VDI environments, network infrastructure, and firewalls. Ensure high availability and performance of critical systems.
• Oversee the maintenance, upgrade, and support of hardware and software for FMD end users, HVAC systems, and other systems as needed. Provide expert-level support and guidance to junior administrators.
• Direct the planning, creation, management, and maintenance of Active Directory objects and group policies. Develop and implement PowerShell scripts for automation, management, and reporting. Ensure compliance with security policies and best practices.
• Manage projects by coordinating with other departments, external contractors, and vendors. Serve as the primary technical contact for project-related activities and ensure successful project delivery.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation related to systems, applications, and processes. Establish and enforce documentation standards and ensure all documentation is up-to-date.
• Perform other duties as assigned, with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation in IT operations.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree