Senior Server Administrator

Caliberly; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational institution in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Senior Server Administrator to ensure the reliability and security of its server infrastructure. The role involves managing both on-premises and cloud-based servers, overseeing backups, and collaborating with IT teams. Candidates should have at least 5 years of experience in server administration, strong skills in Windows Server and Linux, and an ability to support educational needs. Competitive salary and professional development opportunities are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary aligned with the UAE education sector

Opportunity for professional development

Supportive environment focused on educational excellence

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in server administration or similar role.
• Knowledge of backup and disaster recovery technologies.
• Strong understanding of network services (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP).
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft, VMware) are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, configure and maintain server environments.
• Monitor server performance and resource utilization.
• Implement patch management and security hardening.
• Administer backup and disaster recovery solutions.
• Provide on‑call support for server outages.

Skills

Server administration

Windows Server and Linux experience

Virtualization technologies

Scripting or automation skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

VMware

Hyper-V

Job description

About the Role

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Senior Server Administrator to ensure the reliable operation, performance, and security of our schools server infrastructure. You will be responsible for managing on-premises and possibly cloud-based servers, overseeing backups, maintaining business continuity, and working closely with IT staff to support teaching, administration, and student needs.

Key Responsibilities

Design, deploy, configure and maintain server environments (Windows, Linux, virtualized) to support school applications, file services, and databases.

Monitor server performance, system health, capacity, and resource utilization; proactively tune and optimize to ensure high availability.

Implement patch management, OS updates, and security hardening for servers; ensure systems are protected from vulnerabilities.

Manage Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy services to support user access, authentication and network infrastructure.

Administer backup and disaster recovery solutions; plan and test restore procedures to ensure business continuity.

Provide on‑call support and manage incidents, including server outages, critical system failures, and disaster recovery activation.

Lead or assist in server‑related projects: new hardware rollouts, virtualization, migration to cloud or hybrid environments.

Develop and maintain technical documentation: system configurations, standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and infrastructure diagrams.

Mentor and support junior system administrators or IT staff, providing technical guidance and knowledge transfer.

Ensure compliance with IT security policies, school regulations, and data protection requirements.

Collaborate with other IT teams (network, helpdesk, educational tech) to deliver integrated infrastructure solutions.

Evaluate and recommend new technologies, tools, or practices to improve infrastructure stability, performance, and efficiency.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

5+ years of experience in server administration, systems engineering or a similar role, preferably in an education, enterprise, or managed services environment.

Strong experience with Windows Server (Active Directory, DNS, Group Policy) and/or Linux servers.

Experience in virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper‑V, or similar).

Knowledge of backup and disaster recovery technologies and practices.

Scripting or automation skills (e.g., PowerShell, Bash) is a plus.

Good understanding of network services (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP).

Strong problem‑solving, analytical, and project management skills.

Excellent communication and documentation skills.

Ability to work under pressure, on‑call, and manage incidents effectively.

Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft, VMware) are a plus.

Competencies & Behaviours

Reliability & Resilience: Ensures high infrastructure uptime and responds promptly to critical issues.

Strategic Thinking: Aligns server infrastructure planning with schools long‑term IT and educational goals.

Detail‑Oriented: Maintains accurate system documentation, security settings, and configuration records.

Mentorship: Guides and supports junior IT staff to ensure team growth and capacity building.

Collaboration: Works well with cross‑functional IT teams and stakeholders (teachers, admin, network).

Integrity & Security Focus: Upholds data protection, access control, and compliance.

What We Offer

Competitive salary and benefits aligned with the UAE education sector.

Opportunity to manage and shape the schools core IT infrastructure.

Professional development through exposure to critical infrastructure projects and cross‑team collaboration.

A supportive, mission‑driven environment where IT plays a key role in enabling educational excellence.

Apply now!