Systems Analyst III

Iowa State University - College of Design; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Onsite childcare

Job summary

Iowa State University Information Technology Services seeks a Systems Analyst III to lead the design, implementation, and operation of computing infrastructure supporting research, instruction, and administration within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

You will manage Linux systems, virtualization, storage, networking, and cybersecurity-focused instructional environments; collaborate with faculty, researchers, and campus partners to deliver scalable, secure computing solutions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experience.
• Strong Linux systems administration experience (RHEL/Ubuntu).
• Experience with virtualization platforms and enterprise storage solutions.
• Experience in higher education or research computing environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage servers for file sharing, licensing, web, and storage.
• Administer OS patching, security controls, and performance tuning.
• Design and manage high-performance storage and backup systems.
• Support enterprise virtualization platforms (VMware vSphere, Proxmox VE).
• Collaborate with faculty and researchers to design computing environments for projects and cybersecurity exercises.

Skills

Project leadership

Customer-focused service

Verbal & written communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Linux

VMware vSphere

Proxmox VE

Omnissa VDI

ZFS

NFS/SMB

Ansible

Job description

Position Title: Systems Analyst III

Job Group: Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experience

Job Description

Information Technology Services (ITS) at Iowa State University is excited to accept applications for a Systems Analyst III position. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Systems Analyst III to lead the design, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of the computing infrastructure that supports research, instruction, and administrative operations. This position serves as a senior technical resource responsible for Linux systems engineering, virtualization platforms, storage and networking infrastructure, cybersecurity-focused instructional environments, and technology solution design. The successful candidate will work closely with faculty, researchers, students, departmental leadership, and campus technology partners to develop innovative, scalable, and secure computing solutions that advance the department's academic and research mission. This position requires a strong combination of technical expertise, project leadership, business analysis, and customer-focused service. An ideal candidate should have excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work with a variety of clients while managing multiple projects simultaneously. A person must be willing to take the initiative and possess strong organizational and self-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the servers for the file sharing, licensing, web, and storage needs of the department
• Manage operating systems, patching, configuration standards, security controls, authentication services, and performance optimization.
• Administer departmental server room infrastructure.
• Design and manage high-performance storage solutions and backup/recovery systems.
• Design, implement, and support enterprise virtualization platforms including VMware vSphere and Proxmox VE.
• Support instructional and research computing environments requiring complex virtualization architectures.
• Design and manage the virtual environment for the Department and College VDI pools.
• Design, implement, and support web applications and the development, test, and production environments.
• Recommend technology solutions that improve efficiency, reliability, security, and user experience.
• Assist researchers in areas like A.I. and machine learning by recommending, configuring, and maintaining GPU servers/hardware.
• Collaborate with faculty and research groups to design computing environments that support research projects, simulations, cybersecurity exercises, and specialized instructional needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Linux (RHEL, Alma, Ubuntu) systems administration including server management, scripting, and computer management systems such as Ansible.
• Experience with the management of server room physical infrastructure including storage, networking equipment, power, and environmental systems.
• Experience with Windows systems administration, Active Directory, networking, GPU-based computing, access management, and knowledge of cloud platforms.
• Experience in higher education, research computing, and academic technology environments.
• Experience with the management and administration of virtual environments such as VMware vSphere, ESXi, Proxmox VE, and Omnissa VDI.
• Experience with the development and support of controlled environments for cybersecurity engineering instruction including cyber testbeds, virtual lab environments, isolated networks, and simulations.
• Experience with the management of enterprise storage platforms, file systems such as ZFS, TrueNAS, NFS and SMB, and backup and disaster recovery solutions.
• Experience in DevOps and WebOps including development and maintenance of web applications that support the operational needs of the department, including the design and maintenance of the development, test, and production environments.

Additional Information

For more information about Information Technology Services, please visit: Information Technology Services

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University?

• Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program

Appointment Information

Appointment Type: Regular

Number of Months Employed Per Year: 12 Month Work Period Time Type: Full time

Pay Grade: PS811

Original Posting Date: October 5, 2026

Posting Close Date: October 11, 2026

Job Requisition Number: R19991

Equal Opportunity Statement

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. [phone], email [e-mail].

Iowa State US provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email [e-mail] or call [phone] or Toll-Free: [phone]. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or [phone].

All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check. General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website. Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.