Network & Systems Administrator

Cooperative Producers•Hastings, NE

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI) is seeking a dedicated Network & Systems Administrator to join our expanding team. We deeply value our employees' contributions and are committed to their professional development, engagement, and success. We recruit and retain the best people to continually deliver exceptional value. CPI is proudly committed to our "Making Local Matter" initiative by forging enduring partnerships with local farmers and actively supporting the communities of Northern Kansas and Central Nebraska. As an employee of CPI, you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on your community and support CPI's mission of making local matter. CPI is looking for someone who will be responsible for the design, implementation, and security of CPI’s network and voice infrastructure. This role ensures high availability and performance across LAN, WAN, and VPN systems through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and strategic planning. The position balances day-to-day operations with the development of long-term architecture and security strategies. Ensures compliance with CPI policies, regulations, procedures, and practices including all local, state, and federal laws. Architects short and long-term network and security strategies to support business growth and technological evolution. Installs, configures, and maintains network hardware, software, and peripheral equipment for LAN, WAN, and internet systems. Plans and implements robust security measures, including firewalls, encryption, and access permissions, while ensuring compliance with CPI policies and government regulations. Monitors network performance and availability to provide statistics and resolve bottlenecks. Diagnoses and resolves complex hardware, software, or system problems, providing prompt resolution for major network interruptions. Performs and validates data and voice backups and leads the planning and execution of disaster recovery operations. Acts as a subject matter expert for internal and external clients to identify requirements and resolve technical issues. Manages operational vendor relationships and researches new technologies to provide procurement recommendations. Provides mentoring and guidance to team members and trains users on system functionality. Maintains accurate logs of network functions, maintenance records, and repair history. Remains available for emergency call-ins, weekends, and holidays as required to support 24/7 operations. Provides leadership, mentoring, and guidance to enable team members to complete assigned tasks. Trains team members and users in system use as the subject matter expert. Must be available for emergency call-in, weekends, holidays, and varied hours as required. This is a fulltime employment position of CPI. We are not looking for any managed IT services but rather to employ a person in this position. This position will be onsite and located at the CPI Corporate Office in Hastings, Nebraska. This is not a remote position.

Requirements

Efficient written and verbal communication skills with a focus on customer service.
Proficient knowledge of business computer skills (Microsoft Office, VPN and Network connectivity, Internet and Accounting software, etc).
Strong business acumen abilities: time management, planning, organization, and decision-making skills.
Ability to adapt to changing situations.
Efficient problem-solving skills.
Ability to read, write, and speak English.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or MIS, preferred; or equivalent work experience.
Minimum 4+ years experience as a high-level network or systems administrator on medium sized network of servers, desktop systems, and communications devices using current technologies.
Experience troubleshooting and designing network and VOIP systems required.

Nice To Haves

Work-related experience with Teams Phone, SonicWall, Fortinet, HPE, or comparable systems preferred.
Experience with adding and maintaining Microsoft 365 environment, to include Entra, Purview, Intune, Teams, etc

Responsibilities

Responsible for the design, implementation, and security of CPI’s network and voice infrastructure.
Ensures high availability and performance across LAN, WAN, and VPN systems through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and strategic planning.
Balances day-to-day operations with the development of long-term architecture and security strategies.
Ensures compliance with CPI policies, regulations, procedures, and practices including all local, state, and federal laws.
Architects short and long-term network and security strategies to support business growth and technological evolution.
Installs, configures, and maintains network hardware, software, and peripheral equipment for LAN, WAN, and internet systems.
Plans and implements robust security measures, including firewalls, encryption, and access permissions, while ensuring compliance with CPI policies and government regulations.
Monitors network performance and availability to provide statistics and resolve bottlenecks.
Diagnoses and resolves complex hardware, software, or system problems, providing prompt resolution for major network interruptions.
Performs and validates data and voice backups and leads the planning and execution of disaster recovery operations.
Acts as a subject matter expert for internal and external clients to identify requirements and resolve technical issues.
Manages operational vendor relationships and researches new technologies to provide procurement recommendations.
Provides mentoring and guidance to team members and trains users on system functionality.
Maintains accurate logs of network functions, maintenance records, and repair history.
Remains available for emergency call-ins, weekends, and holidays as required to support 24/7 operations.
Provides leadership, mentoring, and guidance to enable team members to complete assigned tasks.
Trains team members and users in system use as the subject matter expert.
Must be available for emergency call-in, weekends, holidays, and varied hours as required.