Systems Administrator III

Dairy Farmers of America; Kansas City (KS); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Dairy Farmers of America is seeking a Systems Administrator to oversee and maintain our server environment, ensuring stability, security, and high availability across data centers and cloud services. You will administer and support hardware and software, perform patches and updates, manage backups, on-call rotations, and drive best practices in monitoring, documentation, and disaster recovery.

This role requires 5–8 years in IT, strong networking knowledge, virtualization expertise

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in computer science, information technology, or related curriculum.
• 5–8 years of IT experience including hardware/software support, backups, and performance tools.
• Certification and/or license may be required during course of employment.

Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain the systems environment.
• Provide installation, configuration, and support services.
• Perform patches, firmware, and operating system updates.
• Monitor and manage system backups and recovery.
• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues related to physical servers.
• Manage user access and security settings.
• Maintain a disaster recovery plan.
• Coordinate with vendors for system upgrades and troubleshooting.
• Implement, and maintain a comprehensive monitoring and alerting process.
• Document system processes and procedures.
• Deploy and maintain high availability across multiple server locations.
• Research and implement appropriate system administration best practices and tools.
• Provide support and guidance to less experienced staff.
• Audit hardware/software to ensure compliance with organization guidelines.
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation, responding promptly to urgent issues outside regular working hours.
• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required.Other duties may be assigned as required

Skills

Networking principles

Backup technologies

Automation and scripting

Data center familiarity

Documentation and communication

Education

Undergraduate degree in computer science, information technology, or related curriculum

Tools

VMware

Hyper-V

Nutanix

Rubrik backups

Azure cloud

PowerShell

Job description

Oversee and maintain maximum availability of our physical and virtual server environment. Ensure the stability, integrity, and efficient operation of the information systems that support core organizational functions. Participate in hardware design and layout, develop and perform maintenance activities, make system improvement recommendations to management, and participate in system initiatives.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain the systems environment. Support vendor products, hardware, and other applications as assigned


• Provide installation, configuration, and support services


• Perform patches, firmware, and operating system updates


• Monitor and manage system backups and recovery


• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues related to physical servers


• Manage user access and security settings


• Maintain a disaster recovery plan


• Coordinate with vendors for system upgrades and troubleshooting


• Implement, and maintain a comprehensive monitoring and alerting process


• Document system processes and procedures


• Deploy and maintain high availability across multiple server locations


• Research and implement appropriate system administration best practices and tools


• Provide support and guidance to less experienced staff


• Audit hardware/software to ensure compliance with organization guidelines


• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation, responding promptly to urgent issues outside regular working hours


• The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required.Other duties may be assigned as required

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree in computer science, information technology, or related curriculum (or equivalent combination of experience and education)


• 5 to 8 years of information technology, application hosting, or related experience that includes experience with the supported hardware/software, backup and recovery techniques, software installation and maintenance, problem isolation and resolution, system migrations and conversions, and performance tools and analysis


• Certification and/or License - may be required during course of employment

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must be willing to travel 25-50% of the time (up to one week per month)


• Strong understanding of managing supported systems in a large-scale environment


• Understanding of networking principles and protocols


• In-depth knowledge of virtual technology including VMWare, Hyper‑V and Nutanix


• Working knowledge of the following protocols: TCP/IP, UDP, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, SMB and CIFS


• Strong understanding of backup technologies, with experience in Rubrik solutions preferred


• Solid understanding of cloud technologies, with experience in Microsoft Azure preferred


• Proficiency in automation and scripting, with PowerShell experience strongly preferred


• Proven experience in data center cabling with a focus on precision, tidy execution, and consistent, repeatable standards


• Strong communication and documentation skills


• Strong problem solving and analytical skills with the ability to quickly isolate problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions


• Skill in critical thinking, analysis, mathematical calculations, and statistical evaluations


• Able to present ideas using language that is relatable to business and end‑users


• Able to present to diverse audiences from front line team members to senior management


• Able to prioritize, multi‑task, and meet deadlines


• Must be able to read, write and speak English

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans