Systems Administrator (Server Administration & Security)

Stream Data Centers•Dallas, TX

1d•$100,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

Stream Data Centers is seeking a Systems Administrator (Server Administration & Security) to manage and maintain their server environments across data center and cloud platforms. This role focuses on Day-2 operations, including monitoring, patching, hardening, troubleshooting, and enhancing server reliability while adhering to strict security requirements. The Systems Administrator will collaborate with the Cybersecurity team to implement and validate security controls, maintain audit evidence, and remediate vulnerabilities within service level agreements. The position requires strong Windows/Linux administration skills, disciplined change management, and the ability to balance operational uptime with secure configurations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
5–8+ years of hands-on Systems Administration experience supporting Windows and/or Linux server environments in production (data center and/or cloud).
Strong knowledge of server fundamentals: OS installation and configuration, services, storage, networking basics (DNS/DHCP/NTP), virtualization concepts, and troubleshooting methodologies.
Demonstrated experience implementing server hardening and secure configuration baselines; familiarity with CIS Benchmarks and applying controls mapped to NIST guidance.
Experience with patching, vulnerability remediation, and operational change management; able to create implementation/rollback plans and execute within maintenance windows.
Scripting/automation skills (PowerShell and/or Bash) and experience with configuration management/automation tooling (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Chef, SCCM/MECM, Intune, or similar).
Experience supporting security tooling on servers (EDR/AV, vulnerability scanning, centralized logging) and working with Security teams on findings and control requirements.
Comfort operating in regulated or audit-driven environments; ability to produce evidence, document exceptions, and maintain control validation artifacts.
Excellent written and verbal communication; proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and mentor others.
Ability to work across multiple U.S. locations and travel to data center sites as needed; after-hours availability for high-priority server/security incidents when required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Windows Server and/or Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu or similar)
Experience with Active Directory/Entra ID integration
Experience with virtualization platforms (VMware/Hyper-V) and/or cloud IaaS
Experience with patching and configuration management (WSUS/SCCM/MECM/Intune/Ansible or similar), monitoring (e.g., SCOM, Splunk, Sentinel, Prometheus/Grafana, or similar), vulnerability scanning and compliance reporting tools
Experience with EDR/AV agents, backup/restore platforms, scripting (PowerShell/Bash), Git-based workflows, and ITSM/ticketing systems
Familiarity with CIS Benchmarks and NIST-aligned security control implementation

Responsibilities

Operate and maintain server platforms (Day-2): Administer Windows and/or Linux servers, including provisioning support, configuration, monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning inputs, and lifecycle maintenance.
Harden servers to approved baselines: Implement secure configuration standards and golden images aligned to CIS Benchmarks and internal hardening guides; ensure deviations are documented and risk-accepted where applicable.
Patch and vulnerability management: Plan and execute OS and firmware patching, coordinate maintenance windows, validate outcomes, and remediate vulnerabilities identified by scanning tools within defined SLAs.
Access control and privileged administration: Manage server access using least privilege, MFA where applicable, and privileged access workflows; perform periodic access reviews and ensure secure credential handling.
Endpoint/security tooling on servers: Deploy and maintain required security agents (e.g., EDR, configuration management, vulnerability scanners, logging collectors) and troubleshoot agent health and coverage gaps.
Monitoring, alerting, and incident response support: Maintain monitoring/alerting for server health and critical services; respond to incidents, perform triage and root-cause analysis, and coordinate recovery actions.
Configuration management and automation: Use scripting and automation to standardize builds, enforce desired state, and reduce operational toil (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Ansible, SCCM/Intune, or similar).
Change, release, and maintenance governance: Follow change management processes; create implementation and rollback plans; document changes and ensure stakeholders are informed of risk and impact.
Compliance alignment (NIST/CIS/internal standards): Implement and validate required controls (logging, time sync, encryption, secure services, firewall rules, etc.); support audits by producing evidence and remediation plans.
Backup, restore, and disaster recovery readiness: Ensure backups are configured, tested, and monitored; perform periodic restore tests and participate in DR exercises for server services.
Standard documentation and runbooks: Create and maintain build standards, hardening checklists, operational runbooks, and troubleshooting guides; keep CMDB/inventory details current.
Continuous improvement of server security posture: Identify and remediate insecure configurations, reduce attack surface, implement baseline drift detection, and partner with Cybersecurity on new controls and security initiatives.