Systems Administrator

Rockwater Tax; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with matching

Paid time off and holidays

Year-end company closure

Job summary

Rockwater Group is seeking a hands-on Systems Administrator to keep our Microsoft 365/Azure environment secure and running for office and remote users. You will manage identity, endpoints, and business systems while supporting a growing, tax-focused professional services group in Carlsbad.

You’ll work closely with the VP of Technology to implement IT initiatives, improve processes, and build an internal knowledge base.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in IT support or systems administration.
• Hands-on administering Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Intune in a cloud-based environment for in-office and remote users.
• Experience with Intune device management, including Autopilot and app deployment.
• Experience in regulated or professional services environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Administer Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, Exchange Online, and Azure environment; manage licensing and security.
• Manage identity and access: SSO, MFA, conditional access, provisioning, and lifecycle.
• Own endpoints from procurement to retirement; imaging, Autopilot, patch policy, and security.
• Enforce security policies; support vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, incident response, and disaster recovery planning.
• Administer Salesforce, HubSpot, Box, QuickBooks Online, document management, and tax/financial software; manage access and integrations.
• Provide first-line IT support with SLAs for tickets, onboarding, and deprovisioning.
• Manage network gear and on-site equipment; support cloud telephony.
• Maintain approved-tool list and acceptable-use standards for AI and third-party software.
• Build internal knowledge base and security awareness trainings.
• Partner with VP of Technology on planning, vendor evaluation, and new implementations.

Skills

Microsoft 365

Entra ID

Intune

SSO

MFA

Azure

Networking

Security

RMM tools

PowerShell

Salesforce admin

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IS or equivalent

Tools

MD-102

MS-102

AZ-104

Autopilot

Azure AD

Job description

Rockwater Group is a management company that provides Finance, Human Resources, Technology, Marketing, and other shared services to Rockwater Tax, our technology-enabled professional services business delivering tax and accounting services, and TaxRock, our technology business that provides innovative solutions that modernize how tax services are delivered.

Together, our businesses combine deep industry expertise with technology to create better, more efficient ways to serve our customers.

The Role

Rockwater Group is looking for a hands-on Systems Administrator who isn't afraid to dig in! You'll keep our technology humming day to day: Microsoft 365 and Azure, identity and access, laptops and networks, security tools, and the business systems our teams live in. You'll report directly to our VP of Technology.

We're building out IT from the ground up and want someone who brings curiosity, follow-through, and a “let me take a look” attitude. You know the person who hears “the printer's acting weird” and is already behind it with a flashlight before anyone finishes the sentence? That's who we're looking for.

This role is on-site in our Carlsbad office five days a week, Monday through Friday.

Most of our team works in the office, so you'll be the go-to tech person down the hall, while also supporting a smaller group of remote teammates across the country.

Because we handle taxpayer data, security isn't a side project here. It's part of the job. This is a great next step for a systems administrator, MSP engineer, or senior IT support specialist who's ready to own an environment, not just a ticket queue. As we grow, this role can grow with you, with a clear path toward a senior systems or IT operations position.

What You'll Do

• Administer our Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, Exchange Online, and Azure environment, including configuration standards, licensing, and tenant security.
• Manage identity and access: SSO, MFA, conditional access, provisioning, and the full account lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding.
• Own endpoints from procurement to retirement, including imaging and Autopilot, Windows Update and patch policy, endpoint protection, and RMM coverage on every corporate device.
• Enforce our security policies, manage email security filtering, and support vulnerability assessments, outside penetration testing, incident response, and disaster recovery planning.
• Administer our business systems, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Box, QuickBooks Online, document management, and our tax and financial software, managing access, integrations, and license optimization.
• Be the first call (and the friendly face) for IT questions, running a consistent help desk with clear SLAs for tickets, onboarding, and deprovisioning.
• Manage the network, managed switches, and on-site equipment in Carlsbad, as well as our cloud telephony platform.
• Maintain the approved-tool list and acceptable-use standards for AI and other third-party software, including what firm and client data may be entered into outside systems.
• Build an internal knowledge base so the same question never has to be answered twice, and help deliver security awareness training for all employees.
• Partner with the VP of Technology on technology planning, vendor evaluation, and new implementations.

What Success Looks Like

First 90 days: open every closet and close the gaps. You will:

• Complete a Microsoft 365 tenant audit and a full device and license inventory.
• Review our security and RMM platforms, and use Intune to find where software deployment has drifted.
• Review Windows Update and patch management policies and bring them to standard.
• Get endpoint protection and RMM agents deployed consistently across every corporate device, so we know exactly what we own and what is protected.

Months 4–6: learn how the business actually runs. You will:

• Come up to speed on Salesforce, HubSpot, document management, and our tax and financial software, with dedicated time and support from our VP of Technology.
• Map how work moves between departments and where our systems hand off to one another, and identify where the friction is.

Months 7–12: go from fixing to improving. You will:

• Shift from maintaining to improving through documentation, project work, new implementations, and user training.
• Contribute ideas to our technology roadmap alongside the VP of Technology, bringing what you have learned about our systems and our people.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years in IT support or systems administration, in roles such as Systems Administrator, MSP Engineer, Senior IT Support Specialist, or Help Desk Lead.
• Hands-on experience administering Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Intune in a cloud-based environment supporting both in-office and remote users.
• Hands-on experience with Intune device management, including Autopilot and app deployment.
• Working knowledge of networking (switching, VLANs, firewalls, VPN), endpoint security, and RMM tools.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting skills across devices, accounts, and applications.
• Sound judgment about data handling and privacy, including what is and is not appropriate to put into third-party tools.
• Clear communication with both technical and non-technical people.
• Experience in a regulated or professional services environment (tax, accounting, legal, healthcare) is a plus.
• PowerShell or other scripting and automation experience is a plus.
• Salesforce administration experience is a plus.
• Microsoft certifications such as MD-102, MS-102, or AZ-104 are a plus.

Who You Are

• Not afraid to dig in. A tangled switch closet or a half-documented Intune policy doesn't scare you. You roll up your sleeves and figure it out.
• An owner. When you find a gap, you close it and leave good notes for whoever comes next.
• Security-minded. You treat client data like it's your own and build guardrails people can actually follow.
• A translator. You can explain an MFA rollout to a tax partner without anyone's eyes glazing over.
• Curious about the business. You want to know how work actually gets done, not just how the systems are configured.
• Calm under pressure. When every laptop in the office decides to update at 8:59 a.m., you're the steady one in the room.
• Service-oriented. A remote teammate across the country gets the same level of support as the person at the next desk.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance. The company pays 75% of employee premiums.
• 401(k) with a safe harbor match: 100% of the first 3% and 50% of the next 2%
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Paid company closure the final week of the year