SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR 5

The Role

Maintains smooth operation of multi-user computer systems, including coordination with network administrators. Interacts with users and evaluates vendor products. Makes recommendations to purchase hardware and software, coordinates installation and provides backup recovery. Develops and monitors policies and standards for allocation related to the use of computing resources. Ancillary duties may include setting up administrator and service accounts, maintaining system documentation, tuning system performance, installing system wide software and allocating mass storage space.

Windows System Administrator (Level 5) / Team Lead. The Level 5 Windows System Administrator, or Team Lead, is a senior-level expert responsible for the strategic design, engineering, governance, and ultimate health of the organization’s enterprise Windows Server environment, spanning on-premises and multi-cloud infrastructure. This role provides technical leadership to a team of administrators, drives major projects, defines operational standards, and acts as a final escalation point for the most complex technical challenges.
 
Key Responsibilities
•    Architectural & Engineering Leadership
•    Lead the design, planning, and implementation of complex, large-scale Windows Server infrastructure projects and migrations.
•    Establish technical standards and governance policies for server deployment, configuration, hardening, and management.
•    Drive the adoption of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), advanced automation, and CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure deployment.
•    Team Leadership & Mentoring
•    Serve as the technical lead and mentor for Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 administrators, guiding professional development and fostering a culture of operational excellence.
•    Manage and prioritize team backlogs, allocate resources for operational tasks, and oversee on-call schedules.
•    Act as the final escalation point for major incidents, performing deep root cause analysis and leading remediation efforts.
 
Advanced System Management & Optimization
•    Own the team's capacity planning, performance tuning, and lifecycle management for critical infrastructure, including virtualization platforms (ESXi, Virtual Center) and enterprise storage solutions (SAN, converged/hyper-converged systems).
•    Spearhead comprehensive security and compliance initiatives, ensuring all systems meet stringent regulatory requirements (e.g., SOX, FedRAMP, etc.).
•    Develop and maintain the disaster recovery/business continuity strategy for the Windows Server environment.
 
Strategic Collaboration
•    Serve as the primary technical liaison with leadership, security, and development teams to align infrastructure strategy with business goals.
•    Manage team vendor relationships for key server, storage, and cloud technologies.

Must Have

Bachelor’s Degree and 14 years of relevant exempt experience; Master’s Degree and 12 years of relevant professional experience; Ph.D. and 9 years of experience.

One of the following may be used as an equivalent to Bachelor's Degree for Information Technology Related Positions Only:

• NNS Apprentice School graduate
• Navy Nuclear Power School (NNPS) graduate
• Associate's Degree or other formal 2 year program and 2 years of relevant exempt experience or 4 years of relevant non-exempt experience
• Military Paygrade E-5 or above military experience
• High School/GED and 4 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant exempt experience
• High School/GED and 8 years combined of Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Trades, Military experience or other relevant non-exempt experience
• A relevant professional certification can be substituted for a Bachelor's Degree.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline.

Nice to Have

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION
•    Technical Expertise
o    Expert-level knowledge of all components of Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, and enterprise identity management systems.
o    Demonstrated mastery of advanced scripting and automation using PowerShell and other relevant tools to manage infrastructure at scale.
o    Deep expertise in VMware ESXi, vSphere, and advanced features such as vSAN or similar enterprise virtualization solutions.
o    Significant experience designing and managing resources within at least one major public cloud platform (Azure preferred).
•    Leadership & Soft Skills
•    Proven ability to lead technical projects from inception through deployment and optimization.
•    Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to manage complex problem resolution under pressure and act decisively.
•    Outstanding communication skills, capable of presenting complex technical information clearly to both technical staff and executive management.
 
Additional Requirements:
•    On-Call Rotation: Required to participate in an on-call rotation and perform planned after-hours work.
•    Security Clearance: Capable of obtaining and maintaining a U.S. Security Clearance.
•    Travel Requirements: Periodic travel may be required for team meetings and data center operations.