System Administrator

Cosm; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Cosm is seeking a Senior Systems Administrator to manage render farms, remote workstations, and large-scale media storage in a hybrid El Segundo, CA environment. The role includes Windows/Mac/Linux administration, automation, and DR planning for creative pipelines.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in media infra, hands-on with Nuke/Resolve/Cinema 4D/Houdini, and strong scripting skills. This six-month assignment supports Cosm with on-site presence three days weekly.

Qualifications

• BS/BA in a technical field preferred but overall experience will be considered.
• 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: PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Remote access protocols/platforms used in creative pipelines (HP Anyware, Parsec, Splashtop, Jump Desktop).
• Hands-on support with VFX/post tools (Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini).
• High-performance storage, compute, and networking for media workflows.
• Hyper-converged virtual infrastructure.
• Render farm administration: Thinkbox Deadline, AWS Deadline Cloud, RenderMan.
• Monitoring: LogicMonitor, Grafana; AWS: S3, EC2, VPC; network tools: Cisco Prime, Arista CloudVision, Aruba Central, Ruckus SmartZone.
• Preferred: Intune, JAMF Pro.

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 (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.

Skills

Windows Admin

Mac Admin

Linux Admin

PowerShell

Bash

Python

HP Anyware

Parsec

Splashtop

Jump Desktop

Nuke

Resolve

Cinema 4D

Houdini

Thinkbox Deadline

RenderMan

AWS Deadline Cloud

LogicMonitor

Grafana

S3

EC2

VPC

Cisco Prime

Arista CloudVision

Aruba Central

Ruckus SmartZone

Education

BS/BA in 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.