Senior Systems Administrator

Daily Hive; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic media organization is looking for a Senior Systems Administrator to manage its hybrid infrastructure environment. The role involves administering VMware clusters, managing SQL Server environments, and supporting cloud operations on AWS. Candidates should have 5–8+ years of experience and proficiency in VMware and AWS services, along with strong troubleshooting skills. This position also offers a hybrid work environment and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Flexible paid time off

Professional and personal growth opportunities

Benefits package including dental and vision

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of experience as a Systems Administrator or Infrastructure Engineer.
• Strong hands-on experience with VMware ESXi/vSphere.
• Solid understanding of Windows Server and Active Directory.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server environments.
• Practical experience with AWS services.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain VMware vSphere/ESXi clusters.
• Support and maintain physical SQL Server environments.
• Implement and manage core AWS services.
• Provide Tier 3 support for escalated issues.
• Contribute to improvements in cybersecurity posture.

Skills

VMware ESXi/vSphere

Windows Server

Active Directory

SQL Server

AWS services

Networking

Infrastructure automation

Tools

PowerShell

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Location: Toronto, ON (Hybrid) Posted on: Dec 23

Role: Senior Systems Administrator

Location: Toronto, ON (Hybrid)

Salary Range: $80,000-110,000, depending on experience and fit

Who We Are

ZoomerMedia Limited is a dynamic and creative organization where employees have the opportunity to be part of a truly innovative collection of brands: blogTO, Daily Hive, The New ClassicalFM, Vision TV, to name a few.

Looking for a challenge and the opportunity to work with multiple technologies in an innovative environment?

We are looking for someone who can hit the ground running and help us with our continuous improvement of our IT infrastructure.

Who You Are

We are seeking a highly capable Senior Systems Administrator to take ownership of our hybrid infrastructure environment and support our next phase of modernization and cloud transformation. Our organization operates a mission‑critical technology stack including on‑prem VMware clusters, HP servers, SQL Server environments on a Windows domain environment. Additionally, we manage several AWS accounts that support our websites and digital platforms, with a strategic roadmap to migrate more core operations into the cloud.

This role is ideal for a hands‑on, solutions‑driven systems administrator who thrives in complex environments, understands both on‑prem and cloud architectures, and work collaboratively with IT leadership to enhance reliability, performance, and security.

What You'll Do

On‑Prem Infrastructure Windows / VMware / Storage / Networking

• Administer, maintain, and troubleshoot VMware vSphere/ESXi clusters (7.x), including host lifecycle management, VM provisioning, performance optimization, and backups.
• Manage and support physical HP ProLiant servers, SAN storage platforms, Dell Isilon storage devices and associated hardware.
• Maintain and optimize Windows Server infrastructure, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, file services, and domain security policies.
• Support and maintain physical SQL Server environments (including standalone servers and legacy cluster configurations).
• Perform patching, monitoring, capacity planning, and lifecycle management for all on‑prem systems ensuring availability and stability.
• Support existing AWS workloads (primarily websites and public‑facing apps).
• Work with IT leadership to expand cloud adoption, including evaluating which services should migrate from on‑prem to AWS.
• Implement and manage core AWS services such as EC2, RDS, S3, CloudFront, IAM, VPC networking, and backup strategies.
• Contribute to cloud architecture design, cost optimization, high availability planning, and security hardening.

User & Application Support

• Provide Tier 3 support for escalated system, network, and application issues.
• Support business‑line software stacks, ensuring uptime, integrations, and compatibility.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to improve workflows, automate routine tasks, and enhance system reliability.
• Maintain relationships with external vendors and service providers.

Security, Compliance & Reliability

• Contribute to improvements in cybersecurity posture, including identity management, patch compliance, endpoint protections, and vulnerability remediation.
• Participate in disaster recovery planning and support recovery operations when required.
• Maintain accurate system documentation, runbooks, asset records, and topology diagrams.

What You Have

• 5–8+ years of experience as a Systems Administrator or Infrastructure Engineer in an environment with a minimum of 50 servers and 200 end points.
• Strong hands‑on experience with VMware ESXi/vSphere, including host administration and VM lifecycle management.
• Solid understanding of Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, GPO, and domain security.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server environments (patching, performance basics, backups, clustering concepts).
• Familiarity with HP ProLiant servers and enterprise storage systems (SAN/iSCSI).
• Practical experience with AWS services and hybrid infrastructure environments.
• Strong troubleshooting ability across networking, systems, and application layers.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset.

Nice‑to‑Haves

• Experience with infrastructure automation (PowerShell, Terraform, Ansible).
• Experience migrating workloads from on‑prem to AWS.
• Knowledge of cloud governance, IAM best practices, and cost optimization.
• Exposure to security frameworks or compliance environments.

What We Offer

• Flexible paid time off policy to ensure you're able to get the break you need and work at an optimized level.
• Opportunity for both professional and personal growth.
• Hybrid work environment.
• Benefits package including dental, vision and extended health starting after 3 months.

***Please submit your resume in PDF format only. ***

We thank all applicants for applying; however, only successful candidates will be contacted.

ZoomerMedia Limited is an organization that values creativity, innovative thinking, inclusion and diversity. We offer a great opportunity to work alongside passionate and intelligent individuals, and are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require accommodations during the selection process, please contact us at [e-mail]