System Administrator

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in the hands-on implementation of new systems, improvements, and maintenance of existing systems with minimal oversight
• Be capable of implementing solutions for a diverse range of complex technical problems under minimal technical supervision
• Anticipate risks and collaborate with senior team members and project leadership to develop effective mitigation strategies
• Independently research and evaluate relevant information to perform assigned tasks and propose improvements to the existing infrastructure
• Complete complex tasks within the service desk, including necessary customer communication to ensure high-quality and timely task completion
• Execute new hire onboarding tasks and provide support to vendors, IT clients, and off-site client operations with minimal oversight
• Contribute to the enhancement of working practices and infrastructure quality across the studio
• Support more junior staff, providing assistance and advice as needed, and acting as a technical role model
• Educate, guide, and mentor other team members in their technical specialty
• Proactively communicate progress and risks related to work, keeping leads and senior staff informed of developments and issues

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a hands-on Systems Administration, IT Operations, or a similar high-performance computing/DevOps role
• Proven experience working in an environment that demands high-availability and performance (e.g., Media & Entertainment, VFX, or similar high-intensity production environments)
• Operating Systems: Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Server (Active Directory, Group Policy) and Linux-based Operating Systems (Rocky, Ubuntu)
• Networking: Expertise in enterprise-level networking concepts and hardware (Cisco, FS, Unifi), including VLANs, routing, VPNs, and firewall management (Sophos, Cisco Meraki)
• Virtualization: Deep proficiency with virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM).
• Configuration Management: Proficiency with configuration management tools (Ansible, SaltStack, Puppet, or Chef)
• Storage: Advanced understanding of Storage Area Networks (SANs), Network Attached Storage (NAS), and related protocols (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SMB, NFS)
• Render Farm & HPC: Experience in the build-out, administration, and operation of high-performance computing (HPC) environments or render farms (Deadline, Tractor, OpenCue)
• Containerization: Working knowledge of container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) for development, application deployment, and scaling
• Cloud Infrastructure: Experience implementing and maintaining services within major cloud platforms (e.g., Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS, Azure), including Identity & Access Management (IAM), virtual networking, and Infrastructure as Code 
• Endpoint Protection: Expertise in implementing, configuring, and managing next-generation endpoint security solutions and technologies (EDR/XDR, anti-malware)
• Vulnerability Management: Experience in the operation and remediation of vulnerability scanning tools, patch management, and security hardening practices for servers and workstations
• Access Control: Advanced knowledge of Identity and Access Management (IAM) best practices, including Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and role-based access control (RBAC)
• Auditing & Compliance: Ability to perform routine audits of systems and software, analyze system logs, and implement controls to maintain compliance with security policies
• Hardware Maintenance: Proven experience with server, storage, and workstation hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair (e.g., HP, Dell, Supermicro)
• Desktop Management: Proficiency in managing fleets of Windows, macOS, and Linux workstations using centralized deployment and Mobile Device Management (MDM): tools (Intune, Jamf, SCCM, Jumpcloud)
• Demonstrates clear, patient, and effective verbal and written communication with all team members and other disciplines
• Possesses an insatiable desire to continue growing an understanding of new and emerging technologies in the systems and network fields