Senior Technical Support Specialist

State of Maine•Augusta, ME

About The Position

The Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) Office of Information Technology (MaineIT) provides information technology support to over 13,000 employees. MaineIT oversees large-scale enterprise applications that support the critical and diverse business needs of the State and its agencies. If you are an analytical, detail-oriented thinker who enjoys solving complex technology challenges and have a passion for building innovative solutions that drive business success, we want to talk to you. Help us shape technology solutions at the State of Maine. This position is part of the State’s Linux team, a highly technical team within the Office of Information Technology. The program is essential for building and administering robust, high-performing Linux systems that enable the State to innovate, grow, and operate efficiently in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. In addition to day-to-day Linux system administration, this role will focus significantly on identifying and implementing solutions to automate everything from routine sysadmin tasks to infrastructure as code in government cloud environments. In this role, you will collaborate with technical teams to ensure investments in technology provide the best overall value for the State while maintaining scalability, security, and high-performance solutions that align with industry best practices. MaineIT is seeking a highly talented individual who will represent our C.A.R.E. values in all that they do. At MaineIT we: Practice Customer-focus, ensuring that our customers are heard, and their needs are met. Hold ourselves to a high level of Accountability by being transparent with our stakeholders. Maintain an effective level of Responsiveness by providing timely updates in a proactive manner. Strive to provide Empathy driven, people-focused services by applying emotional intelligence skills and behaviors.

Requirements

Strong understanding of mainstream Linux operating systems, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting techniques
Strong understanding of system automation approaches and techniques
Strong system troubleshooting skills
Cloud Computing & Infrastructure – Familiarity with cloud platforms (For example Oracle, Azure, AWS, etc.) and hybrid cloud strategies.
Automation & Integration – Understanding of automation design, development methodologies, APIs, and system integration best practices.
Cybersecurity & Compliance – Familiarity with security frameworks and ability to apply policy when designing system configurations and automation processes
Proven experience with all aspects of Linux system administration, ideally Red Hat and/or Oracle.
Proven success with Ansible development, including writing custom playbooks, roles, and modules.
Proven experience administering Linux systems in both local and cloud data centers.
Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python or Bash.
Proven ability to learn and integrate code with external APIs to support system integration
Experience with infrastructure-as-code principles and tools.
Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
Innovate & Adapt to Change – ability to stay ahead of technology trends and adjust skills to meet evolving technology needs.
Analyze & Interpret Data – Ability to assess system performance metrics, propose and implement solutions for improvement.
Manage Complexity – Navigate large-scale enterprise IT environments with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
Ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Ensure Compliance & Security – Maintain IT solutions that adhere to legal, regulatory, and security standards.
A minimum of 8 years of a combination of related post-secondary education, technical certifications, or technology related work experience.
Related training, internship experience etc. may be credited as related experience on a month-per-month basis.

Nice To Haves

Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Oracle Linux
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Networking fundamentals
Ansible architecture and development techniques
Source code control techniques
Identity & Access Management principles
Infrastructure vulnerability management
Data & Storage fundamentals

Responsibilities

Develop, test, and maintain Ansible playbooks, roles, and modules for infrastructure automation.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define automation requirements and implement effective solutions.
Optimize existing Ansible-based solutions for performance and scalability.
Produce detailed documentation for system artifacts, workflows, and processes.
Troubleshoot and resolve issues in Linux systems, Ansible scripts and automation workflows.
Contribute to infrastructure as code integration and automation initiatives.

Benefits

Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($11,857.68-$13,950.24 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 14.11% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive forty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.