SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR II, IS&T Systems Operations

About the role

Boston University Information Services & Technology (IS&T) is seeking a Linux Systems Administrator II to join our innovative and inclusive community. This position involves contributing to the implementation, operation, and support of IS&T Linux-based services, assessing client system needs, advocating for and implementing technology solutions, and refining existing processes and procedures to ensure the availability, reliability, and responsiveness of University systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain server operating systems, hardware, and core infrastructure to ensure reliability, performance, and security
• Maintain clear system documentation, standards, and recovery procedures
• Monitor systems proactively to identify issues, trends, and opportunities for improvement
• Troubleshoot and resolve incidents, partnering with teams and vendors for timely resolution
• Provide Level 2 support for complex technical issues escalated from the Help Desk
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation to support critical operations and incident response
• Apply system upgrades, patches, and maintenance to keep environments current and secure
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to test, implement, and transition systems into production
• Support business continuity and disaster recovery planning and testing
• Automate monitoring and operational tasks to improve efficiency and service quality
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance system performance and reliability
• Partner with vendors to troubleshoot issues and optimize support outcomes

Requirements

• 2+ years of relevant work experience or relevant post-secondary education, including a combination of these two.
• Experience with (CentOS/RHEL) Linux systems administration, demonstrating a good understanding of basic Linux utilities and infrastructure, with ability to diagnose Linux operating system and associated hardware & software issues.
• Experience with scripting in a Linux environment and comfortable with working in CLI.
• Experience with administration skills that include monitoring performance, patching, backup & restore, internal firewalls, and SSL certificate management of Linux servers, as well as the automation of any or all these tasks.
• Experience with installing, configuring, and upgrading Linux applications, various specialized third-party applications, and peripherals, and knowledge of TCP/IP LAN networking principles and application protocols (e.g., HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP and FTP).
• Experience with a variety of tools, leveraged in a complex enterprise environment, such as Configuration Management systems, Version Control Systems (e.g., git), remote assistance, image deployment, various native and centrally managed encryption solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience with, and understanding of, Linux virtualization and containerization technologies (e.g., VMWare, OpenShift, Kubernetes), infrastructure-as-code tools including Ansible and Terraform, and cloud-native deployment practices would be advantageous and would enhance the candidate's ability to contribute to ongoing infrastructure modernization initiatives.

Benefits

• Time Off: In addition to PTO and leave policy, BU employees have a paid intersession break and 13 paid holidays.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 2 years of eligible service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive tuition assistance program for yourself and family members.
• Wellness Programs: Boston University offers wellness programs including check out here.
• Professional Development: Boston University provides opportunities for professional development through lunch and learn sessions, an extensive library of online courses, Fun Advisory Board (FAB) arranges a number of events throughout the year and opportunities to engage with peers at NERCOMP and EDUCAUSE events.