Systems Administrator 1 or 2

UConn Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking a Systems Administrator 1 or 2 to support and coordinate system operations for the College of Engineering. This position reports to ITS but splits time between ITS and the College of Engineering, working closely with both teams to ensure reliable and secure IT services.

About the Role

The successful candidate will help manage Microsoft 365 services, automate business processes, support data integrations, and assist with ongoing cloud and service migrations.

Responsibilities

Duties shared by both levels:

• Collaborate with College of Engineering faculty, researchers, and ITS colleagues to resolve technical issues and meet project objectives.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and standard operating procedures.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and best practices in systems administration.
• Perform other related tasks to support the broader enterprise systems as assigned.

Systems Administrator 1 specific duties:

• Assist with routine patching, software installation, and hardware maintenance of Windows and Linux servers.
• Run and perform minor updates to existing PowerShell scripts to maintain operational workflows for Engineering services.
• Assist with the administration of Office 365 user services, including basic troubleshooting of Teams sites and management of distribution lists.
• Monitor system health and security alerts; follow established protocols to remediate common vulnerabilities.
• Provide Tier 1 technical support for faculty and staff, escalating complex issues to senior administrators.

Systems Administrator 2 specific duties:

• Design, author, and maintain advanced PowerShell code and automation modules for Engineering and Office 365 services (e.g., automated Teams provisioning).
• Lead vulnerability management efforts for the college; develop and enforce local security policies in alignment with university-wide standards.
• Review and analyze existing departmental services for potential centralization or migration to cloud-based infrastructure.
• Lead small-to-medium IT projects from conception to completion, ensuring system reliability and high-level performance for critical infrastructure.

Requirements

Minimum qualifications for Systems Administrator 1:

• Six (6) years of directly related IT experience, OR
• Associate’s degree plus four (4) years of related experience, OR
• Bachelor’s degree plus two (2) years of related experience.
• Demonstrated ability to use PowerShell for routine administrative tasks and the capacity to read and update existing scripts.
• Understanding of Microsoft 365 services including Teams, SharePoint, Exchange Online, Distribution Lists, or related technologies.
• Demonstrated understanding of how systems and applications interact and interest in learning system workflows.

Minimum qualifications for Systems Administrator 2:

• Eight (8) years of directly related IT experience, OR
• Associate’s degree in a relevant field plus six (6) years of related experience, OR
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus four (4) years of related experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage existing PowerShell code and create new scripts as needed.
• Experience administering Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, distribution lists, shared mailboxes, room resources, or related cloud services.
• Experience administering Windows-based systems including installation, patching, upgrades, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Skills

Preferred qualifications for Systems Administrator 1:

• Familiarity with SQL concepts, such as running basic queries or understanding relational database structure.
• Exposure to version control concepts (like Git) or understanding of the basic software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Familiarity with Linux package management and configuration (e.g., using Yum/Apt) or exposure to centralized management tools.
• Understanding of networking protocols (TCP/IP, DNS), firewalls, and security practices like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
• Previous experience in a structured office environment, customer service role, or student-worker position within an IT department.

Preferred qualifications for Systems Administrator 2:

• Experience with data management and reporting.
• Experience fully managing Windows and Linux servers.
• Knowledge of Microsoft SQL database management.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and repositories.
• Experience with RedHat Satellite or Puppet.
• Knowledge of intermediate/advanced infrastructure and security topics including networking, firewalls, threat detection, configuration management, vulnerability analysis, and multifactor authentication.
• Experience with Ansible or Ansible Automation Platform.
• Previous experience in a higher education IT environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary.
• Employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn.
• Additional rights, terms, and conditions of employment as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement between the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA).