System Administrator

Cosm Inc.; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 82,656 - 96,432; Full time

Job summary

Cosm is looking for a Senior Systems Administrator to keep our immersive infrastructure running—render farms, remote VFX workstations, and large-scale media asset management. This hands-on role spans local and cloud systems, and requires managing the high-performance environment our creative and production teams rely on daily.

We value a methodical, detail-oriented candidate who can work independently yet collaborate across production, creative, and IT.

Qualifications

• BS/BA in a technical field preferred, but experience considered.
• 5+ years infrastructure/system administration experience.
• Expert knowledge of Windows, Mac, and Linux administration.
• Experience with imaging/deployment tools (WDS/WSUS/SCCM/PDQ).
• Scripting/automation: PowerShell, Bash, or Python.

Responsibilities

• Imaging, software deployment, patching, and OS hardening across servers and workstations.
• Administer render, storage, network, and virtual infrastructure devices.
• Monitor and optimize performance and security for real-time workflows.
• Support creative applications (Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini).
• Develop and maintain automation scripts to reduce manual tasks.

Skills

Windows Admin

Mac Admin

Linux Admin

Scripting

Automation

Remote Access

Render Farm

Nuke/Resolve

Education

BS/BA in a technical field

Tools

WDS

WSUS

SCCM

PDQ Deploy

Job description

Cosm is a global technology company that brings experiences to life in immersive environments. We help our partners create spaces and content that blur the lines of real and virtual across three primary markets: Sports and Entertainment, Science and Education, and Parks and Attractions. Cosm was born from the fusion of some of the greatest innovators in the history of technology. Evans & Sutherland, Spitz, Inc., and Cosm Immersive combined forces to power the immersive experiences of the future as Cosm. Innovation is in our DNA.

Summary

Cosm is looking for a Senior Systems Administrator to keep our creative infrastructure running — render farms, remote VFX/post workstations, and large-scale media asset management and archival systems, alongside the broader storage, network, and compute environment that supports them. This is a hands‑on role covering local and cloud systems as well as employee workstations, with primary focus on the high-performance infrastructure our creative and production teams depend on daily.

We're looking for someone methodical and detail-oriented under pressure, organized enough to manage complex systems independently, and collaborative enough to work cross-functionally with production, creative, and IT teams.

This role may require nights and/or weekends for scheduled maintenance, deployments, and emergency response, and requires the ability to maneuver around a server room and lift up to 50 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation. This is a hybrid role based in El Segundo, CA, with a minimum of 3 days per week on-site.

Temporary Position: This is a six-month temporary assignment supporting Cosm. The selected individual will be employed and paid by a third-party staffing partner.

Responsibilities

• Perform system imaging, software deployment, patching, and OS hardening across servers, virtual infrastructure, and remote workstations (Windows, Mac, Linux).
• Administration of render, storage, network, and virtual infrastructure devices and core services (e.g. AD, DNS, DHCP).
• Monitor and optimize performance and security for real-time creative workflows and high-speed data transfer.
• Support and optimize industry-standard creative applications (e.g., Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini) for artists and production teams.
• Develop and maintain automation/scripts to reduce manual administration overhead.
• Manage backup and disaster recovery for critical media assets and pipeline infrastructure.
• Provide Tier 2 assistance with multi-site ticket escalations and incident resolution that may include on‑call rotation.

Experience

• Education: BS/BA in a technical field Is preferred but overall experience will be considered.
• Experience: 5+ years in infrastructure/system administration, preferably in media production, animation, or VFX environments.
• Expert knowledge of Windows, Mac, and Linux administration; comfortable in terminal/shell environments across all three.
• Experience with system imaging and deployment tools (e.g., WDS, WSUS, SCCM/ECM, PDQ Deploy).
• Scripting/automation proficiency: PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Advanced understanding of remote access protocols/platforms used in creative pipelines (e.g., HP Anyware, Parsec, Splashtop, Jump Desktop).
• Hands‑on support experience with VFX/post creative tools (Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini, or similar).
• Advanced understanding of high‑performance unstructured storage, compute, and networking (protocols, architectures, and models relevant to media workflows).
• Intermediate to advanced understanding of hyper‑converged virtual infrastructure
• Render farm administration experience (e.g., Thinkbox Deadline, AWS Deadline Cloud, RenderMan).
• Familiarity with system monitoring platforms (e.g. LogicMonitor, Grafana)
• Familiarity with AWS services (e.g. S3, EC2, VPC)
• Familiarity with network configuration management tools (e.g. Cisco Prime, Arista CloudVision, Aruba Central, Ruckus SmartZone)

Preferred Experience

• Working knowledge of Windows and Apple device management platforms (e.g. Intune, Apple Business, JAMF Pro)

The hourly pay range for this position in California is $60.00–$70.00. The hourly rate offered will depend on job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and other relevant factors.

All applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of employment. This requirement is in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local labor laws. Cosm is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.