Enterprise Server Lead — High Availability & DR Expert

PingWind; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 88,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Medical Insurance

Dental and Vision Insurance

401k with matching

Education assistance

Job summary

PingWind, a federal-focused IT services provider, seeks a Server Lead to direct system administration, virtualization, and disaster-recovery for enterprise systems in Huntsville, AL. Lead and validate backups, ensure 24/7 availability, and provide hands-on technical leadership to sustain secure platforms.

The role requires senior-level experience with ESXi/vCenter, Windows/Linux, OpenShift, and enterprise backup tools; a SECRET clearance is required and a Bachelor's degree is preferred.

Qualifications

• Advanced systems administration experience with VMware ESXi, vCenter/vSphere, vSAN, virtual machines, and enterprise VDI technologies.
• Strong administration skills with Windows Server and Linux/RHEL environments; OpenShift experience is highly relevant.
• Experience with enterprise SAN/storage, backup, recovery, replication, and disaster-recovery technologies in mission-critical environments.
• Hands-on experience with Cohesity and/or Dell PowerProtect Data Manager or comparable enterprise backup platforms, including NFS/SMB and application-aware protection.
• Experience troubleshooting complex server, virtualization, storage, backup, and restoration issues and documenting repeatable technical procedures.
• Knowledge of high availability, redundancy, RPO/RTO, system recovery, patching, hardening, and operational monitoring practices.
• Ability to lead technical staff, coordinate maintenance windows, communicate risk, and support after-hours or on-call mission requirements when authorized.
• SECRET security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems administration and maintenance for environments that include ESXi hosts, virtual machines/appliances, Red Hat OpenShift, VDI desktops, Windows Server, Linux/RHEL, file systems, and system-level applications.
• Direct hardware installation, troubleshooting, maintenance, system updates, patching, backups, and operational support while maintaining highly secure and available systems on a 24/7 basis.
• Perform or oversee system analysis and design, establish and sustain virtual infrastructure, and provide technical input for system administration SOPs and user/administrator documentation.
• Operate and maintain enterprise backup and recovery capabilities supporting Linux NFS, Windows SMB, Enterprise SAN, Cohesity, Dell PowerProtect Data Manager, VMware Replication, and vSAN.
• Administer or support protection services and protocols such as vProxy, DD Boost, NDMP, REST APIs, S3-compatible object storage, VMware vCenter/vSphere integration, and application-aware backup agents for SQL Server and other enterprise applications.
• Regularly test and validate backup, recovery, replication, and restoration procedures; investigate backup failures; verify recoverability, system integrity, and achievement of defined RPO/RTO objectives.
• Support disaster-recovery and contingency planning by providing technical data on backup security, software, procedures, media/storage, schedules, audit records, trusted recovery, and restoration capabilities.
• Support COOP events and exercises, including reconstitution of IT infrastructure, recovery of systems/software/databases, and troubleshooting of restoration issues.
• Coordinate server, storage, backup, and recovery activities with the CIO, Government team leads, cybersecurity personnel, developers, network staff, and other designated stakeholders.

Skills

VMware ESXi/vCenter/vSphere

Windows Server

Linux/RHEL

OpenShift

Storage/Backup/Recovery

Disaster Recovery planning

Technical leadership

High availability

SECRET clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT/CS/Systems administration/engineering

Tools

Cohesity

Dell PowerProtect Data Manager

VMware vCenter/vSphere

Job description

PingWind, a federal-focused IT services provider, seeks a Server Lead to direct system administration, virtualization, and disaster-recovery for enterprise systems in Huntsville, AL. Lead and validate backups, ensure 24/7 availability, and provide hands-on technical leadership to sustain secure platforms.

The role requires senior-level experience with ESXi/vCenter, Windows/Linux, OpenShift, and enterprise backup tools; a SECRET clearance is required and a Bachelor's degree is preferred.