Systems Administrator / Cloud Engineer

CMA; City of Albany (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

CMA is seeking a skilled and motivated Systems Administrator / Cloud Engineer to join the Technology team. This mid-level role focuses on administering on-premises infrastructure while optimizing cloud-based solutions across AWS and GCP.

The ideal candidate has 3-5 years of experience, strong systems administration skills, and a hands-on approach to cloud technologies. Responsibilities include managing server environments, ensuring system availability, and automating operational tasks.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in systems administration, cloud engineering, or a related role.
• Hands-on experience with AWS and/or GCP cloud services.
• Proficiency with Windows Server and/or Linux administration.
• Experience with Active Directory, Group Policy, and identity management.
• Working knowledge of networking concepts including TCP/IP and VPN.
• Scripting skills in PowerShell, Bash, or Python.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain Windows and Linux server environments.
• Design and manage cloud infrastructure across AWS and GCP.
• Monitor system health, performance, and availability.
• Manage user accounts and permissions across various platforms.
• Administer Microsoft 365 services and manage tenant security.
• Implement and maintain backup and disaster recovery procedures.

Skills

Systems administration

Cloud engineering

AWS

GCP

Windows Server

Linux (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu)

Active Directory

Scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python)

Virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V)

Networking (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP)

Education

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

Tools

Terraform

Microsoft 365 services

VMware vSphere/ESXi

Job description

CMA is seeking a skilled and motivated Systems Administrator / Cloud Engineer to join the Technology team. This mid-level role is responsible for administering and maintaining on-premises infrastructure while designing, deploying, and optimizing cloud-based solutions across AWS and GCP. The ideal candidate bridges traditional systems administration with modern cloud engineering, ensuring high availability, security, and performance across the organization’s technology environment

Key Responsibilities

• Administer, configure, and maintain Windows and/or Linux server environments (on-premises and cloud-hosted).
• Design, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure across AWS (EC2, S3, VPC, IAM, RDS, Lambda) and GCP (Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, GKE, BigQuery, Cloud IAM) using infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform.
• Monitor system health, performance, and availability; respond to and resolve incidents in a timely manner.
• Manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls across Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), AWS IAM, and SaaS platforms.
• Administer Microsoft 365 services including Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and Intune; manage licensing, policies, and tenant security settings.
• Maintain and optimize VMware vSphere/ESXi virtualization environment including VM provisioning, resource management, and host maintenance.
• Implement and maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity procedures.
• Support network infrastructure including firewalls, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, and load balancers.
• Automate routine operational tasks using scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python) and infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Collaborate with the security team to ensure systems comply with organizational security policies and industry standards.
• Assist with patch management, vulnerability remediation, and compliance audits.
• Provide escalation support for helpdesk and end-user issues related to infrastructure and cloud services.
• Document systems architecture, configurations, runbooks, and operational procedures.

Required Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in systems administration, cloud engineering, or a closely related role.
• Hands‑on experience with AWS and/or GCP cloud services; familiarity with both platforms is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with Windows Server and/or Linux (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu) administration.
• Experience with Active Directory, Group Policy, and identity/access management.
• Working knowledge of networking concepts: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, firewalls, and routing.
• Scripting skills in one or more of: PowerShell, Bash, or Python.
• Experience with virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper‑V, or similar).
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills with a methodical approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to document technical work clearly

Preferred Qualifications

• AWS certification (Solutions Architect, SysOps, or DevOps) and/or GCP certification (Associate Cloud Engineer or Professional Cloud Architect).
• Knowledge of security frameworks and compliance standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST).
• Experience in a hybrid or multi‑cloud environment (on‑premises + AWS and/or GCP).

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field — OR — equivalent practical experience.
• Relevant industry certifications (AWS, GCP, CompTIA, Microsoft) are a strong plus.