Sr. System Administrator, Data Centers

Dialpad Japan; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 106,500 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Growth opportunities

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

Dialpad is seeking a Sr. System Administrator for Data Centers – Infrastructure Engineering in Vancouver, Canada. You will own the company’s hardware and cloud infrastructure, focusing on reliability, scalability and operational excellence across a global server fleet.

You will drive automation, observability and performance initiatives, design data‑center deployments, mentor engineers, and collaborate with Security on hardening and incident response. Occasional on‑site travel is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in systems administration or similar roles.
• Strong Linux expertise both on-prem and in the cloud, with automation focus.
• Experience with data center operations, networking, and monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Own hardware and cloud infrastructure for reliability and scalability.
• Design and deploy data center and cloud expansion strategies.
• Develop automation for large fleets of servers, VMs and containers.
• Set up monitoring, alerts and SLO‑oriented metrics for data centers.
• Lead troubleshooting, fault analysis, and post‑incident reviews.
• Mentor other engineers and collaborate on security hardening.

Skills

Linux

Systems Administration

Networking

Automation

Cloud (GCP/AWS)

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

GCP

AWS

Linux automation

Job description

Sr. System Administrator, Data Centers – Infrastructure Engineering, Vancouver, Canada.

Role Overview

The Sr. System Administrator on the Data Centers team owns both the company's hardware and cloud infrastructure, focusing on reliability, scalability, and operational excellence. The role includes managing the lifecycle of the global server fleet, leading initiatives in automation, observability, and performance, and collaborating with stakeholders across Engineering.

Responsibilities

• Scout, evaluate, and compare hardware options and colocation facilities, partnering with Engineering to align decisions with performance and cost objectives.
• Design and deploy a cloud expansion strategy that balances reliability, performance, and efficiency across providers and regions.
• Steer capacity planning and expansion/upgrade strategy, using data to anticipate growth and proactively mitigate bottlenecks.
• Design and deploy servers at scale into data centers worldwide, ensuring consistent standards and automation from day one.
• Develop and maintain automation for a large fleet of servers, VMs, and containers, reducing toil and improving consistency across environments.
• Work with vendors to obtain quotes, make purchases, and schedule services, including coordinating logistics for data center installations and maintenance.
• Set up and evolve monitoring for server, network, and data center health, including alerting, dashboards, and SLO‑oriented metrics.
• Develop and maintain proper documentation for engineering staff, including runbooks, standards, and architectural diagrams.
• Participate in a rotating on‑call schedule within the larger Infrastructure Engineering division, helping drive rapid incident response and robust post‑incident reviews.
• Lead complex systems and network troubleshooting, fault analysis, and resolution, acting as an escalation point for the broader team.
• Provide technical mentorship to other System Administrators and engineers, sharing best practices around Linux, automation, and operational excellence.
• Partner with Security and other stakeholders on initiatives such as system hardening, compliance, and intrusion detection/prevention.
• Occasionally travel for on‑site work when remote hands are not available; an active passport is required.

Qualifications & Skills

• Background in Systems and/or Software Engineering with a strong focus on infrastructure and operations.
• Extensive experience with Linux, both on‑premise and in the cloud, including performance tuning, troubleshooting, and automation at scale.
• Familiarity with networking technologies: TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, routing, firewalls, and load‑balancing concepts.
• Data center setup and deployment experience, including racking/stacking, cabling standards, and remote management.
• Exposure to cloud platforms such as GCP or AWS and experience working in hybrid environments.
• Demonstrated ability to stay abreast of industry standards and trends and translate them into practical production improvements.
• Proven senior or lead experience (typically 5+ years in systems administration or similar roles), driving cross‑team initiatives and mentoring others.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with distributed teams.

Salary Range

Ontario Pay Transparency Range: $106,500—$135,000 CAD (base salary only).

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.
• Real opportunities for growth within a rapidly evolving AI‑driven platform.
• Inclusive workplace culture recognized as a Great Place to Work.

Scrappy, Curious, Optimistic, Persistent, Empathetic traits are highly valued.

Dialpad is an equal‑opportunity employer. We are dedicated to creating a community of inclusion and an environment free from discrimination or harassment.