System Administrator

Summary:Cosm is looking for a Senior Systems Administrator to keep our creative infrastructure running - render farms, remote VFX/post workstations, and large-scale media asset management and archival systems, alongside the broader storage, network, and compute environment that supports them. This is a hands-on role covering local and cloud systems as well as employee workstations, with primary focus on the high-performance infrastructure our creative and production teams depend on daily.We're looking for someone methodical and detail-oriented under pressure, organized enough to manage complex systems independently, and collaborative enough to work cross-functionally with production, creative, and IT teams.This role may require nights and/or weekends for scheduled maintenance, deployments, and emergency response, and requires the ability to maneuver around a server room and lift up to 50 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation. This is a hybrid role based in El Segundo, CA, with a minimum of 3 days per week on-site.Temporary Position: This is a six-month temporary assignment supporting Cosm. The selected individual will be employed and paid by a third-party staffing partner.Responsibilities:

Perform system imaging, software deployment, patching, and OS hardening across servers, virtual infrastructure, and remote workstations (Windows, Mac, Linux).Administration of render, storage, network, and virtual infrastructure devices and core services (e.g. AD, DNS, DHCP).Monitor and optimize performance and security for real-time creative workflows and high-speed data transfer.Support and optimize industry-standard creative applications (e.g., Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini) for artists and production teams.Develop and maintain automation/scripts to reduce manual administration overhead.Manage backup and disaster recovery for critical media assets and pipeline infrastructure.Provide Tier 2 assistance with multi-site ticket escalations and incident resolution that may include on-call rotation.

Experience:

Education: BS/BA in a technical field Is preferred but overall experience will be considered.Experience: 5+ years in infrastructure/system administration, preferably in media production, animation, or VFX environments.Expert knowledge of Windows, Mac, and Linux administration; comfortable in terminal/shell environments across all three.Experience with system imaging and deployment tools (e.g., WDS, WSUS, SCCM/ECM, PDQ Deploy).Scripting/automation proficiency: PowerShell, Bash, or Python.Advanced understanding of remote access protocols/platforms used in creative pipelines (e.g., HP Anyware, Parsec, Splashtop, Jump Desktop).Hands-on support experience with VFX/post creative tools (Nuke, Resolve, Cinema 4D, Houdini, or similar).Advanced understanding of high-performance unstructured storage, compute, and networking (protocols, architectures, and models relevant to media workflows).Intermediate to advanced understanding of hyper-converged virtual infrastructureRender farm administration experience (e.g., Thinkbox Deadline, AWS Deadline Cloud, RenderMan).Familiarity with system monitoring platforms (e.g. LogicMonitor, Grafana)Familiarity with AWS services (e.g. S3, EC2, VPC)Familiarity with network configuration management tools (e.g. Cisco Prime, Arista CloudVision, Aruba Central, Ruckus SmartZone)

Preferred Experience:

Working knowledge of Windows and Apple device management platforms (e.g. Intune, Apple Business, JAMF Pro)

The hourly pay range for this position in California is $60.00-$70.00. The hourly rate offered will depend on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other relevant factors.