Senior System Administrator - Cecil College

About Us:

Founded in 1968 to meet the post-secondary and continuing education needs of Cecil County residents, Cecil College has been serving the community and shaping its future for more than 50 years. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the governor. The College’s fifth president, Dr. Mary Way Bolt, reports directly to the Board of Trustees.

Cecil College is centrally located in Maryland’s most northeastern county, just one half mile from Interstate 95. It is easily accessible from Philadelphia and Baltimore, as well as from Wilmington, Delaware.

With a diverse student population, Cecil College enrolls approximately 2,500 credit students and 3,400 non-credit students. Cecil offers associate degrees, certificate programs and non-credit classes. Cecil offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs.

Through its open admissions policy, Cecil College provides learning opportunities for all who have the desire and ability to benefit from its courses and programs, regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status.

Employees of Cecil College, including instructors for online and virtual courses, must be residents of Maryland or the contiguous states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US, as the College does not offer Visa sponsorships.

Job Summary/General Responsibilities:

The Senior System Administrator serves as the backbone of the College's technological stability and security. This pivotal role involves collaborating closely with other departments within Information Technology Services Division to oversee, install, configure, and safeguard the infrastructure, encompassing physical, virtual, and cloud server systems, storage, backups, directory services, group policies, sign-on services, identity and access management and network file sharing. The responsibilities extend to maintaining these systems and spearheading the implementation of innovative projects.

Additionally, as a crucial part of the College's incident response team, the Senior System Administrator ensures the efficacy and readiness of technology disaster recovery plans. By leveraging expertise in system administration, this role guarantees high availability of infrastructure while upholding stringent security measures.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Maintain storage systems, virtualization, and data center operations, including computer and storage for complex enterprise systems.
• Install, configure, maintain, and support Windows/VMware network and virtual environments including hardware, operating system software, and related applications.
• Manage backup operations; SAN/NAS/cloud environments and backup and restore activities, configure and maintain file shares, database, and application backups, regularly test and verify that the restore process is functional.
• Manage Active Directory, SSO Services & other authentication services, domain controllers, DNS, DHCP, share permissions, and group policies.
• Manage Microsoft 365 Platforms including Azure, Entra ID, and OneDrive.
• Manage and monitor server operating systems ensuring all servers are properly updated and patched with the latest security releases.
• Assist with the development and implementation of project plans/contingency plans for all server hardware and software.
• Assist with hardware, firewall, switch, and software vendor evaluations and recommendations.
• Maintain and update technical documentation and disaster recovery information.
• Research, evaluate, and recommend new server hardware and related software, and coordinate with departments and outside vendors/agencies to obtain quotes and product details.
• Perform administrative tasks associated with department activities and projects, collaborate with IT staff, and individuals/departments to resolve technical issues, and communicate resolutions via ticket system.
• Ensure the reliability, performance, and security of critical systems and services, including network infrastructure, data storage, and server environments.
• Implement best practices for disaster recovery, business continuity, and cybersecurity to safeguard college data and assets.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory requirements, industry standards, and college policies related to IT infrastructure and cybersecurity.
• Participate in regular risk assessments and implements controls to mitigate potential threats and vulnerabilities.
• Coordinate with vendors as needed.
• Serve on College committees and/or external committees as directed by the supervisor and/or Chief Information Officer.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Experience with Microsoft Windows architecture, SQL Server, Windows Server 2016/2022, Active Directory, Group Policies, SSO authentication, ADFS, DNS/DHCP, SAN/NAS, and VMware.
• Knowledge of LAN routing, subnetting, and VLAN design.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure cloud computing.
• In-depth knowledge of standards and practices related to IT Infrastructure security, and state and federal regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, FERPA, PCI, GLBA, and risk management.
• Technical expertise to enable direct oversight and problem-solving for all server infrastructure implementations, upgrades, and operational activities.
• Knowledge of network management and monitoring tools.
• Knowledge of incident and change management processes.
• Knowledge of emerging network technologies, cloud technologies, and related strategies.
• Understanding of a higher education organization, including goals and objectives, and policies and procedure.
• Understanding of Federal and State information security policies and best practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, customer service, interpersonal relationships, leadership and management principles and decision-making abilities.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Associate’s degree
• Four (4) years of related experience.
• Proven experience with on-premise and cloud infrastructure administration and large scale project management.
• Microsoft certification (MCSA, MCSE) or other network certification preferred.

SCHEDULING:

• Ability to work a varied schedule during critical periods including evenings Saturdays, and Sundays.
• Due to the need of interaction with students, employees and the college community this position requires in-person presence. This position is eligible for telework of one day per week.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as office or meeting and training rooms, e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire and building safety regulations, and traffic signals when driving.
• This position supports information technology at Cecil College’s main campus in North East, MD, its additional location in Elkton, MD and all additional instructional sites. Travel between these locations is required.

Based upon the budgeted hours of a position, contribution to the Maryland State Retirement Pension System may be required.

*We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all hiring and employment practices. Cecil College will not discriminate against any individual by reason of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic status, genetic information, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.