Senior Systems Administrator - Consultant

University of Pennsylvania

About The Position

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing the core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services upon which Penn’s numerous Schools and Centers build their unique tools and capabilities. ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations in order to create, deliver and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as a trusted advisor to Penn’s IT community, faculty, staff and students in support of an environment of discovery and progress. ISC’s focus on customer service and the high-quality, cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutions advances the mission of the University, as well as that of each individual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom and departmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISC supports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogent counsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ their distinct strengths in support of their goals. Learn more about us by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/. The Senior Systems Administrator-Consultant will be responsible for managing virtual desktop images in accordance with our clients' needs. This includes interfacing with university-wide clients to understand their requirements and working with the virtual desktop service manager to develop efficient, cost-effective solutions. The role requires experience with PowerShell, Active Directory, and Azure Windows Desktop Solutions (AVD, Azure Labs, Cloud PC) at an enterprise level. Proficiency in desktop imaging is preferred. This position will report to the manager of the Virtualization Technologies team and work closely with other teams such as Systems Engineering, HireIT, Unified Communications, Data Center Operations, and Network Engineering.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Must have a solid understanding of Azure virtualization technologies, operating systems and communications packages
Strong interest in developing new methods and procedures for addressing problems
Ability to participate in strategic planning; establishing policies and procedures; and working with new and emerging technologies, storage subsystems, and data center infrastructure
Experience with Scripting (PowerShell, Perl or Python) and automating processes required.
Experience with Azure Desktop Solutions, Windows Desktop is required.
Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate through written business communications and documentation.
Excellent customer service skills and communication skills

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with Windows Servers , Active Directory, Group Policy, and Microsoft Office 365 is preferred

Responsibilities

Manage virtual desktop solutions in conjunction with the client’s requirements.
Communicate important service details to clients, including billing
Maintain virtual machines in Azure and On Prem via enterprise endpoint management solutions
Perform daily maintenance including changes, modifications, or improvements as part of the ongoing administration of deployed images. This includes Helix work orders and incident response
Monitor, analyze and optimize virtualization performance of virtual desktops
Perform endpoint management of images; contribute to the development of endpoint management configuration and administer endpoint management tools
Maintain, administer, and configure virtualization toolset
Work with service owner to define standards, best practices, and plans for the future of the service
Work closely with school/center IT staff to gather requirements. Configure solutions based on these needs
Troubleshoot, patch, and configure software toolsets within the Technology Services portfolio
Communicate regularly on status, progress to supervisors, project teams
Stay current with technology through research and training. Identify emerging security threats and misconfigurations and making recommendations for improvement
Maintain regular contact with Local Support Providers, Customer Care, and key vendors via technical support channel
Training and mentoring

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.