Senior System Administrator I, Operational Technologies (OT)

RWE; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 127,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

401(k) match

Flexible Spending Accounts

EAP

Education Assistance

Parental Leave

Paid time off

Holidays

Short-term incentives

Job summary

RWE Americas, LLC is seeking a Senior System Administrator I to ensure reliability, security, and compliance of OT systems across renewable energy operations. The role offers autonomy, leads complex incident resolution, and provides technical guidance without formal people management.

The position focuses on on‑prem OT infrastructure (SCADA, control networks), Windows/Linux administration, security hardening, and readiness for Azure/AWS adoption, with a strong emphasis on lifecycle management

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server and Linux administration, virtualization, redundancy, backup and recovery, endpoint management, Active Directory, monitoring, and infrastructure lifecycle practices.
• Foundational knowledge of Microsoft Azure and AWS concepts for future cloud assessments and adoption.
• Strong documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for complex OT system administration issues and develop sustainable solutions.
• Design, deploy, and manage advanced on-prem OT environments supporting SCADA and secure remote operations; plan for potential Azure/AWS adoption.
• Act as Tier 3 escalation for Windows and Linux operating systems, virtualization, storage, and on‑premises infrastructure incidents.
• Lead high-availability, backup verification, failover testing, and disaster-recovery readiness for critical OT systems.
• Own configuration management for OT server platforms with baselines, version control, and comprehensive documentation.
• Develop and apply system-hardening baselines per NIST/CIS guidance, partnering with cybersecurity to remediate vulnerabilities.
• Lead OS migrations, hypervisor upgrades, and on-premises modernization; support cloud-readiness assessments.
• Manage lifecycle planning for Windows, Linux, and on-prem infrastructures with upgrade paths and vendor support.
• Collaborate with SCADA, cybersecurity, and operations teams to deploy services and ensure interoperability.
• Coordinate root-cause analysis and post-incident reviews; implement durable corrective actions.
• Standardize imaging, deployment, monitoring, patching, access control, and configuration procedures; preserve NERC CIP evidence.
• Mentor technicians and junior admins through knowledge sharing and documentation review.

Skills

Windows Server administration

Linux administration

Virtualization

Active Directory

Endpoint management

Monitoring

Infrastructure lifecycle

Cloud concepts (Azure/AWS)

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

NERC CIP compliance

Root-cause analysis

Education

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

Job description

RWE Americas, LLC
To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent

Functional area: IT / Digital
Remuneration: Exempt

The Senior System Administrator I ensures the reliability, availability, security, and compliance of operational technology systems used across renewable energy operations. Working with a high degree of autonomy, the role designs, deploys, secures, and optimizes critical OT infrastructure, leads complex incident resolution and lifecycle initiatives, and provides technical guidance to administrators while operating without formal people-management responsibilities.

Role Responsibilities:

• Serve as the technical lead for complex OT system administration issues, developing sustainable solutions that reduce recurring failures and infrastructure risk
• Design, deploy, and manage advanced on-premises OT system environments supporting SCADA, control networks, and secure remote operations; contribute to future-state planning and readiness for potential Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) adoption
• Act as the Tier 3 escalation point for complex Microsoft Windows Server and Linux operating system, virtualization, endpoint management, storage, backup, and on-premises infrastructure incidents
• Lead high-availability, redundancy, backup-verification, failover-testing, and disaster-recovery readiness activities for critical OT systems
• Own configuration management for OT server platforms, enforcing version control, approved baselines, and complete system documentation across environments
• Develop and apply system-hardening baselines based on approved NIST or CIS guidance, partnering with cybersecurity to remediate vulnerabilities and implement compensating controls
• Lead Windows and Linux operating system migrations, hypervisor upgrades, endpoint-management changes, and on-premises infrastructure modernization activities; support assessments, pilots, and transition planning for future Azure or AWS capabilities
• Manage lifecycle planning for Windows, Linux, and on-premises infrastructure platforms, identifying end-of-life risks, defining upgrade paths, and confirming vendor support coverage while considering future cloud integration requirements
• Collaborate with SCADA, field engineering, cybersecurity, and operations teams to deploy services, validate interoperability, and address systemic infrastructure gaps
• Coordinate root-cause analysis and post-incident reviews for critical outages or failures, then implement and track permanent corrective actions
• Standardize imaging, deployment, monitoring, patching, access control, and configuration procedures across Windows and Linux OT environments while preserving NERC CIP evidence and change-control requirements; help define cloud-ready standards for potential future Azure and AWS use
• Mentor technicians and junior administrators through technical knowledge sessions, troubleshooting guidance, and review of implementation plans and operational documentation

Job Requirements and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Minimum 5 years of relevant IT experience and 5 years of relevant OT experience
• Mid-level and advanced industry certification(s) relevant to systems administration, virtualization, infrastructure, or cybersecurity preferred
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Windows Server and Linux administration, virtualization, redundancy, backup and recovery, endpoint management, Active Directory, monitoring, and infrastructure lifecycle practices
• Foundational or developing knowledge of Microsoft Azure and AWS concepts, including virtual machines, identity and access controls, networking, monitoring, backup, tagging, and policy-based governance, with the ability to support future cloud assessments and adoption
• Ability to design and implement standardized, secure, supportable on-premises infrastructure while maintaining NERC CIP controls for access, configuration, patching, logging, evidence retention, incident response, and recovery; ability to apply the same compliance principles to future cloud designs
• Ability to diagnose high-complexity incidents, lead root-cause analysis, and translate findings into durable technical improvements
• Strong documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills, including the ability to guide junior technical staff
• Ability to travel to field or office locations and perform work around production infrastructure in accordance with established safety practices

Complexity & Problem Solving:

Resolves complex incidents, leads root-cause analysis, and designs sustainable solutions to mitigate systemic OT infrastructure issues

Knowledge & Application:

Dem onstrates advanced administration expertise across Windows, Linux, virtualization, redundancy, hardening, lifecycle management, and NERC CIP compliance enforcement, with developing knowledge of Azure and AWS for future-state readiness

Collaboration & Interaction:

Collaborates across IT, OT, cybersecurity, SCADA, and field operations

Mentors junior team members and leads technical knowledge transfer

Scope & Supervision:

Functions autonomously with high accountability for technical decisions

Provides technical leadership without formal people management

Work Environment:

This position is primarily office-based and may require travel to other RWEA offices and field locations. The employee must be able to sit, walk, or stand for extended periods and perform supervised work around server, rack, and endpoint equipment in accordance with established safety practices.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RWE Americas is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Pay range:

The annual base salary range for this position in Illinois or New York is $127,000 - $171,000. The listed salary range represents our good faith estimate for this position and represents the range for new hire salaries across all U.S locations. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. RWE considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s education & work experience, training & certifications, and key skills as well as market and business considerations at the time of the offer.

Benefits offered:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• 401(k) match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• EAP
• Education Assistance
• Parental Leave
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary

We look forward to meeting you. Of course, you can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Xing, too.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

RWE Americas, a subsidiary of RWE, is a US-based energy company that is helping to meet the growing demand for energy across the United States. Backed by RWE’s 125-year global legacy of managing diverse power assets, RWE Americas operates approximately 13 GW of power projects across 27 states. With a talented workforce of 2,000 employees, RWE Americas develops, constructs and operates wind, solar and battery storage projects that safely deliver affordable, reliable electricity to our customers. Committed to responsible development, RWE Americas invests in local and rural communities, creating jobs and partnering with stakeholders to support and strengthen the places where we live and work. Learn more about how RWE Americas is generating impact at americas.rwe.com.

At RWE Americas, we foster a culture defined by our Essential Behaviors – Have Courage, Create Impact and Actively Collaborate. We encourage bold thinking and continuous learning, and we value ownership, resilience and inclusion in everything we do. When you join us, you become part of a team that supports your development, respects your contributions and celebrates shared success. This is a place where you can grow your career and make a meaningful difference.