System and Network Administrator

Dunhill Professional Search & Government Solutions; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Dunhill Professional Search & Government Solutions is seeking a versatile Systems and Network Administrator to design, secure, and maintain a hybrid enterprise infrastructure. The role covers on‑prem Cisco/Juniper networking, Palo Alto security, Windows Server administration, and Azure cloud environments.

The candidate should bridge local and cloud environments, ensuring a secure, reliable system lifecycle and seamless operations across on‑premises and cloud resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in IT/CS; advanced degree preferred.
• 8–15 years in Systems Engineering/Analysis required.
• Advanced computing certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Juniper and Cisco switches, routers, and wireless infrastructure.
• Administer and support Palo Alto firewalls, including security policies, NAT rules, VPNs, and threat prevention features.
• Manage site to site and remote access VPNs, ensuring secure and reliable connectivity.
• Monitor network performance, availability, and capacity using approved tools.
• Perform routine maintenance, firmware upgrades, and hardware lifecycle tasks for network devices.
• Install, configure, and maintain Windows Server operating systems (2016/2019/2022) across physical and virtual environments.

Skills

Windows Server

Azure

Cisco

Juniper

Palo Alto

Active Directory

Entra ID

IAM

VPNs

DNS/DHCP

PKI

SolarWinds

Wireshark

Azure Monitor

Event Viewer

Education

Bachelor's Degree in IT/CS or related

Master's Degree preferred

Tools

SolarWinds

Wireshark

Azure Monitor

Event Viewer

Job description

Seeking a versatile and highly skilled Systems and Network Administrator to design, secure, and maintain our hybrid enterprise infrastructure. In this role, you will serve as the technical backbone of our operations, taking ownership of everything from on-premises Cisco/Juniper networking and Palo Alto security systems to Windows Server administration and Microsoft Azure cloud environments. The ideal candidate is a proactive, well-rounded engineer who thrives on bridging the gap between local hardware and cloud services, ensuring a seamless, secure, and highly reliable environment across the entire system lifecycle.

Salary - $130,000 - 175,000

• Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Juniper and Cisco switches, routers, and wireless infrastructure.
• Administer and support Palo Alto firewalls, including security policies, NAT rules, VPNs, and threat prevention features.
• Manage site to site and remote access VPNs, ensuring secure and reliable connectivity.
• Monitor network performance, availability, and capacity using approved tools.
• Perform routine maintenance, firmware upgrades, and hardware lifecycle tasks for network devices.
• Install, configure, and maintain Windows Server operating systems (2016/2019/2022) across physical and virtual environments.
• Manage Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), including organizational units, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), user/group permissions, and hybrid identity synchronization.
• Administer core infrastructure services including DNS, DHCP, and PKI/cert management.
• Implement and monitor patching schedules, system backups, and disaster recovery procedures for server infrastructure.
• Support virtualization technologies, including Hyper-V and VMware ESXi, where applicable.
• Deploy, configure, and manage Azure cloud resources, including Virtual Machines (VMs), Virtual Networks (VNets), Network Security Groups (NSGs), Storage Accounts, and Key Vaults.
• Monitor cloud resource utilization, performance, and costs, implementing optimization strategies where appropriate.
• Support Azure-native backup, recovery, and logging tools (Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Azure Backup).
• Maintain secure hybrid connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and the Azure tenant.
• Implement and enforce system and network security policies, network segmentation, access controls, and Principle of Least Privilege.
• Manage Identity and Access Management (IAM) across local domains and cloud environments.
• Work alongside security teams to remediate vulnerabilities and maintain compliance with organizational standards.
• Maintain accurate documentation of firewall rules, server configurations, network diagrams, and cloud architectures.
• Provide Tier II/III support for network, server, and cloud-related incidents, outages, and performance issues.
• Diagnose and resolve complex, cross-functional issues involving routing, switching, OS performance, Active Directory replication, and cloud service disruptions.
• Maintain up-to-date configuration records in the CMDB.
• Follow established change management processes for all network, system, and cloud modifications.
• Assist in planning and executing infrastructure upgrades, migrations, and new deployments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, other relevant field, or equivalent relevant experience; Master's Degree preferred.
• Advanced computing certification preferred.
• 8-15 years of experience in Systems Engineering/Analysis.

Other Job Specific Skills

• Systems Experience: Strong experience administering Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and server security benchmarking.
• Cloud Experience: Hands‑on experience with Microsoft Azure administration (virtual machines, virtual networks, Entra ID, storage, and IAM).
• Network Experience: Solid working knowledge of Cisco networking (Catalyst/Nexus switches, routers, wireless) and Juniper switches.
• Firewall Experience: Direct experience configuring and supporting Palo Alto Networks firewalls (PAN-OS, Panorama preferred).
• Core Concepts: Solid understanding of TCP/IP, VLANs, routing protocols (OSPF, BGP), VPN technologies, and defense‑in‑depth security principles.
• Tools: Experience with network/system monitoring and troubleshooting tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Wireshark, Azure Monitor, Event Viewer).
• Documentation: Strong ability to read, update, and maintain detailed network/system diagrams and operational documentation.
• OS Support: Ability to support Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints connected to enterprise networks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cloud Certifications: Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or equivalent.
• Network & Security Certifications:
  • Palo Alto certifications (PCNSA, PCNSE).
  • Cisco certifications (CCNA, CCNP).
  • Juniper Networks certifications (JNCIA, JNCIS, or JNCIP).
• Scripting & Automation: Familiarity with PowerShell, Azure CLI, or infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform/ARM templates) for automation.
• Modern Security: Experience with Zero Trust concepts, Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-On (SSO), and modern security architectures.
• Soft Skills: Strong troubleshooting skills, excellent documentation/communication skills, and the ability to work independently on complex, multi‑site infrastructure tasks.