Sr. Cloud Systems Administrator

Dairy Farmers of America•Kansas City, KS

About The Position

Provide advanced system administration support for an enterprise server environment spanning cloud and on-premises platforms, including VMware, Hyper-V, and Nutanix. Responsibilities include planning, analysis, design, integration, installation, configuration, operations, and maintenance of server operating systems and infrastructure. Ensure the long-term requirements for systems operations and administration are incorporated into overall organizational IT strategy and information systems planning. Lead the design, implementation, and operation of infrastructure using Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) methodologies, leveraging tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and Azure DevOps pipelines. Drive automation, standardization, and scalability through the development and continuous improvement of infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, and deployment processes. Ensure infrastructure is deployed and maintained using repeatable, version-controlled practices to enhance consistency, reliability, and performance. Maintain responsibility for the integrity, security, and performance of systems and software, implementing operating system and platform enhancements to improve availability and efficiency. Troubleshoot and resolve highly complex technical issues, performing in-depth analysis that requires evaluation of multiple variables and delivering creative, effective solutions. Provide technical leadership in IaC strategy, automation architecture, and DevOps practices. Recommend best practices, advise on complex technical challenges, and guide infrastructure modernization initiatives. Work independently with minimal guidance, leading functional teams and projects while mentoring less experienced system administrators. Ensure system reliability, scalability, and operational excellence through innovative, automated solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, with a technical major, such as computer science with 5+ years’ system administration or transferable technical experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
Experience with various virtualization technologies and multi-tenant, private, and hybrid cloud environments
Experience with scripting and automation tools such as Power Shell, OpenTofu, Ansible, ADO, Azure CLI
Knowledge of the following technologies: Windows OS, Active Directory, File and Print services, VMWare, Nutanix, Server Networking, Azure
Working knowledge of the following protocols: TCP/IP, UDP, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, SMB and CIFS
Work with migration from on premises to cloud services such as Azure or AWS
In-depth knowledge of virtual technology including VMWare, Nutanix and Hyper-V environments
In-depth knowledge of Remote Desktop and other virtual desktop technologies
Able to communicate and translate complex technical topics into easy-to-understand concepts
Able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing
Skill in analytical thinking and problem solving
Able to identify and troubleshoot problems, take appropriate steps to find solutions to problems, and implement recommended solutions
Able to learn changing technologies and determine appropriate application within the infrastructure
Able to adapt and manage to change effectively
Able to multi-task and problem solve
Able to react calmly and effectively in stressful situations
Able to work independently and as part of a team
Able to interact positively and work effectively with others (interpersonal skills)
Able to work with accuracy and attention to detail
Must be able to read, write and speak English

Nice To Haves

Certification and/or License – N/A

Responsibilities

Manage the rollout of various virtualization technologies and multi-tenant, private, and hybrid cloud environments
Determine tooling, tool identification, and approaches for scripting and automation. Tools include Power Shell, OpenTofu, Ansible, ADO, Azure CLI
Lead integration efforts with third-party SaaS and development partners
Understanding new infrastructure costs, present the difference in costs between options for deployment of infrastructure
Provide oversite and roll up of daily system monitoring to include verifying the integrity and availability of all hardware, server resources, systems, and key processes; reviewing system and application logs; and verifying completion of scheduled jobs, such as backups.
Oversee the installation of new and/or rebuild of existing servers and configure hardware, peripherals, services, settings, directories, storage, etc., in accordance with standards and project/operational requirements
Provide oversite for the installation and configuration of systems such as Active Directory, DFS, and File and Print services
Set direction for standards in the installation and configuring of all software running within DFA controlled environments. Ensure maintenance of documentation for all configurations for IT utilities and business applications
Provide expert guidance on virtual technologies including but not limited to VMWare, Nutanix and Hyper-V
Provide expert guidance on RDS and other virtual desktop technologies. Advise the Desktop Support team with options for this technology and assist in how it should be deployed
Set direction for the development and maintenance of installation and configuration procedures
Set direction for maintaining system standards and ensure the accuracy of this documentation
Work with the Operations team in implementing automation and orchestration of infrastructure tasks
Work with the Assurance team to help set direction for security monitoring to identify any possible intrusions
Set direction in the design and management of Active directory including Organizational Unit (OU), Group, and User related tasks
Provide systems administration related solutions for various project and operational needs
Participate in technical research and development to enable continuing innovation within the infrastructure
Study existing information processing systems to evaluate effectiveness and supply information to the senior team for improvement roadmap
Set direction for daily backup operations, ensuring all required file systems and system data are successfully backed up to the appropriate media, recovery tapes or disks are created, and media is recycled and sent off site as necessary
Provide Tier I/advanced support. Investigate and troubleshoot issues
Repair and recover from hardware or software failures. Coordinate and communicate with impacted business group(s)
Set direction to ensure the following tasks are properly handled: apply operating system (OS) patches and upgrades on a regular basis, upgrade administrative tools and utilities, configure / add new services as necessary
Audit hardware/software to ensure compliance with organization guidelines
Maintain a database/library of all supporting documentation for hardware and software, including all operational SOPs, configuration, or other procedures
Supply periodic performance reporting to support capacity planning
Set direction for ongoing performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and resource optimization as required. Configure CPU, memory, and disk partitions as required
Maintain data center environmental and monitoring equipment
Work directly with management to set direction for the install and support of cloud infrastructure (e.g., Azure, AWS)