Senior System Administrator (Tier 3) – Managed Services

KTL Solutions•Frederick, MD

8d•$90,000 - $130,000

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior System Administrator (Tier 3) to join our Managed Services team and serve as a technical leader for our cloud and infrastructure services portfolio. In this role, you will manage and secure complex IT environments for our customers, leveraging Azure, Microsoft 365, and Windows technologies. You will act as the highest escalation point for our service desk – tackling the toughest challenges – and drive critical projects such as cloud migrations and security enhancements. This is a customer-facing role: you’ll collaborate directly with our clients’ IT and security teams to ensure their systems are functional, up-to-date, and compliant. If you have a passion for solving complex problems, a knack for Microsoft cloud technology, and a desire to make an impact, this role is for you.

Requirements

Experience: 5+ years of experience in IT system administration within a Managed Services Provider (MSP) or similar environment. This should include hands-on managing of Microsoft-based networks and cloud services for multiple customers.
Technical Skills: Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Azure and Office 365 is a must. You have administered Azure AD (users, groups, conditional access), spun up Azure VMs and networks, and managed Office 365 services (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams).
Strong Windows Server skills including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, and virtualization (Hyper-V and/or VMware).
Experience with Intune (Endpoint Manager) for device/application management.
Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, VPNs, routing) to troubleshoot connectivity issues.
Scripting ability (PowerShell or Python) to automate routine tasks.
Security Acumen: Demonstrated experience implementing or maintaining security controls in an IT environment.
Familiar with security monitoring tools (endpoint protection, SIEM logs, etc.) and incident response processes.
Soft Skills: Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities, you can diagnose complex issues that span cloud and on-prem components systematically and efficiently.
Strong communication skills (verbal and written) are essential. You can document your work clearly and also explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders in a professional, empathetic manner.

Nice To Haves

Additional Certifications: Any of the following would make you stand out – Microsoft Azure certifications (e.g. AZ-104 Azure Administrator, AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect) or Microsoft 365 certifications (e.g. MS-100/101 Enterprise Admin Expert);
Gov/Defense Experience: Experience working in or with Defense Industrial Base companies or knowledge of ITAR, DFARS, or FedRAMP compliance is a plus. Familiarity with Government Cloud environments (Azure Gov, GCC High for Office 365) is also beneficial.
Tools: Experience with MSP management tools like ConnectWise (ticketing, RMM) is a bonus, as it will help you hit the ground running in our managed services workflows.

Responsibilities

Tier 3 Escalation & Support: Serve as the technical escalation point for complex incidents and problems that Tier 1/2 engineers cannot resolve.
Troubleshoot and remediate issues across a range of systems – Azure AD connectivity, hybrid environment issues, Exchange online issues, VPN/network faults, Windows server performance problems, etc. – restoring service within SLA.
Document root cause analyses and solutions for knowledge sharing.
Cloud & Server Management: Administer Azure and Microsoft 365 environments for multiple clients, ensuring services like Azure AD/Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint/Teams, and Intune are properly configured and healthy.
Manage on-premises Windows servers and Active Directory in hybrid setups (AD DS, DNS, DHCP).
Monitor system performance and tune resources (VM sizing, storage, backups) to achieve optimal operations.
Projects – Migrations & Deployments: Lead and execute cloud projects and other infrastructure deployments.
Security & Compliance: Working closely with our security consultants, implement and enforce security best practices across client environments.
Administer security tools such as Microsoft Defender ATP, Sentinel SIEM, MFA, and data protection (DLP, AIP) solutions.
Regularly apply patches and updates to servers and applications in line with policies.
Proactively monitor threats or anomalies and respond to incidents.
Backup & DR Operations: Oversee backup solutions and disaster recovery procedures for client systems.
Verify that backups (Azure Recovery Services, on-prem backup software, etc.) are running successfully and conduct periodic restore tests.
Maintain DR plans for critical systems (e.g. replication to secondary sites or Azure regions), and lead recovery efforts in the event of outages or security incidents.
Process Improvement & Documentation: Develop and maintain technical documentation, including standard operating procedures, network diagrams, and client environment configurations.
Identify opportunities to streamline recurring tasks.
Client Communication & Consulting: Act as a trusted technical advisor for our clients.
You’ll regularly communicate with IT managers and sometimes executives at client organizations – providing status updates, explaining solutions in layman’s terms, and advising on improvements or new services.