System Administrator

Smiley Technologies•Little Rock, AR

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The IT Systems Administrator is responsible for owning and maintaining systems across a complex hybrid environment supporting internal infrastructure, customer environments, and platforms used by software development teams. This role combines hands-on operational support with full lifecycle ownership of system changes, including design, testing, deployment, and ongoing support. The ideal candidate is a strong technical operator who takes accountability for system outcomes while working within a shared-responsibility model alongside Platform Engineering, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Development teams. They are comfortable navigating varying ownership boundaries across environments and can effectively troubleshoot issues spanning multiple domains. This role operates across two primary support models: contributing technical expertise during structured production incidents affecting core platforms and independently resolving complex Tier 2–3 issues within customer environments. This is an on-site position in our Little Rock, AR office.

Requirements

Associate degree in a technical field with 5+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent practical experience
Demonstrated experience owning production systems and supporting infrastructure lifecycle management
5+ years of operating system administration in an enterprise environment
5+ years of VMware virtualization experience
Experience supporting hybrid on-prem and cloud-integrated environments
Strong experience administering Windows Server (2016–2022), with working knowledge of Linux (Red Hat, Ubuntu, CentOS) and familiarity with enterprise platforms such as IBM i
VMware vSphere, ESXi, vCenter (compute, storage, networking)
Active Directory, Entra ID (Azure AD), Group Policy, conditional access
Intune, domain-joined and cloud-managed endpoints
Veeam, Barracuda, Unitrends or similar platforms
Hybrid DNS environments (on-prem and cloud-integrated)
Enterprise patching strategies and tools (WSUS, SCCM, or equivalent)
MFA (Duo/Microsoft), SAML, OAuth, OpenID
Experience supporting Microsoft SQL / PostgreSQL Server from a systems or application perspective
Configure and troubleshoot application connectivity to SQL Server
Perform or support database backup and restore operations
Monitor SQL Server health, availability, and basic performance indicators
Collaborate with DBAs or application vendors for advanced database administration and optimization
Focus is on infrastructure-level support rather than database design or query optimization
Strong troubleshooting skills across systems, network dependencies, identity, and application layers
Ability to isolate root cause in complex, interdependent environments
Comfortable working within structured operational and incident management processes
Ability to operate effectively across multiple environments with varying levels of ownership and standardization
Ability to work effectively across multiple engineering teams with shared responsibilities
Capable of translating technical issues into clear, actionable information for both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Maintains composure and effectiveness during high-pressure situations
Strong sense of ownership and accountability for system outcomes
Adaptable and able to navigate shifting priorities and ambiguous boundaries
Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy, documentation, and compliance
Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
Familiarity with regulatory and security frameworks such as GLBA, NIST, CIS, FFIEC, and PCI

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting infrastructure for custom-developed applications
Experience in financial services or regulated environments
Experience supporting multiple environments or external clients (MSP model)

Responsibilities

Own the lifecycle of assigned systems, including architectural changes, testing, deployment, and validation
Ensure systems meet performance, availability, security, and supportability requirements
Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT) and validate system changes prior to production release
Maintain accountability for systems post-deployment, including ongoing optimization and support
Participate in a structured incident management process for production systems impacting core infrastructure and hosted platforms
Provide system-level analysis, troubleshooting, and remediation during incidents as part of a coordinated response team
Communicate findings and escalate appropriately within the incident management framework
Participate in a team on-call rotation.
Provide advanced Tier 2–3 support for complex issues across customer and internal environments
Take ownership of troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and resolution for escalated technical issues
Support a variety of environments with differing architectures, standards, and operational expectations
Diagnose issues spanning systems, network, identity, and application layers
Collaborate with Network, Platform Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Development teams to resolve cross-domain issues
Identify root cause and ensure proper ownership alignment when issues extend beyond system boundaries
Monitor system performance, availability, and capacity; proactively identify risks and issues
Participate in backup, disaster recovery, and data protection planning and execution
Recommend and implement improvements to enhance reliability, security, and operational efficiency
Maintain clear and accurate documentation of systems, configurations, and procedures