Systems Administrator

Systems Administrator Patch Managment, Vulnerability Expert
Costa Mesa, CA- Primarily Onsite w/some flex days remote
6 Month Contract to possible hire
$48- $58 an hour

We are seeking an experienced Systems Administrator to join the Infrastructure team and support the day-to-day administration, maintenance, and reliability of a primarily on-premises, Windows-based IT environment. This is a hands-on role for a technically curious, service-oriented administrator who can take ownership of assigned systems, investigate issues independently, and work effectively with senior infrastructure staff and vendors when escalation is required.

The environment includes approximately 200 servers, 330 users, 20 locations, and three data centers, with a majority of infrastructure hosted on-premises and select SaaS applications. The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining a secure, stable, and well-supported environment while helping the team reduce routine operational workload and focus on larger infrastructure initiatives.

The initial engagement is a six-month contract with potential conversion to a full-time position, based on business workload and budget. This role is primarily on-site in the Costa Mesa area, with scheduled work-from-home flexibility when appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

• Windows Server Administration: Administer, maintain, troubleshoot, and support Windows Server environments, currently including Windows Server 2016 and newer.

• Patch Management: Own the end-to-end server patching process, including planning, testing, deployment, troubleshooting, SLA management, and rollback considerations. Participate in the monthly Patch Tuesday cycle and coordinate production patching based on system criticality and severity.

• Vulnerability Remediation: Review vulnerability reports, determine appropriate remediation approaches, and resolve vulnerabilities through patching and configuration changes. Work with Information Security as needed to address findings and maintain compliance.

• Patch Troubleshooting: Investigate failed or incomplete patch deployments across Windows systems and the patch management platform, including reviewing relevant logs and resolving underlying issues.

• VMware Administration: Support the VMware environment, including vCenter administration and upgrades, VM provisioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, and general virtualization operations. The environment currently includes approximately 12 VMware hosts across three data centers.

• Active Directory & Core Infrastructure: Administer and troubleshoot Active Directory and related services, including DNS, DHCP, and Microsoft Entra ID.

• Enterprise Application Support: Provide infrastructure-level support for enterprise applications and end-user services, working with internal teams and vendors to troubleshoot and resolve issues.

• SQL Server Support: Perform or assist with Microsoft SQL Server administration, troubleshooting, maintenance, and operational support.

• Backup & Data Protection: Support backup, recovery, and data protection processes and assist with troubleshooting and recovery activities when required.

• System Monitoring & Operations: Monitor system health and performance, respond to operational issues, and proactively identify potential problems before they impact users or business operations.

• Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Maintain accurate technical documentation and identify opportunities to improve operational processes, reliability, security, and efficiency.

• Escalation Support: Work closely with senior infrastructure personnel and vendors on complex issues while developing the knowledge and independence to resolve an increasing range of issues without escalation.

• After-Hours Support: Participate in occasional after-hours maintenance and patching activities, including scheduled production maintenance windows.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on Systems Administration experience supporting Microsoft-based infrastructure environments.

• Strong practical experience administering and troubleshooting Windows Server environments.

• Demonstrated experience owning or participating in server patch management, including planning, testing, deployment, troubleshooting, and rollback considerations.

• Experience with vulnerability remediation, including interpreting vulnerability findings and determining whether remediation requires patching, configuration changes, or other corrective action.

• Experience troubleshooting failed patch deployments and familiarity with reviewing system and application logs to identify root causes.

• Working knowledge of VMware vSphere, including vCenter, VM provisioning, upgrades, and general virtualization administration.

• Experience supporting Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Microsoft Entra ID.

• Experience supporting enterprise applications and infrastructure-related end-user services.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server administration and troubleshooting.

• Understanding of backup, recovery, and disaster recovery concepts.

• Ability to learn unfamiliar systems and technologies in depth and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.

• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills, with the ability to investigate issues independently, ask informed questions, and know when to escalate.

• Experience working in a regulated, audited, or compliance-driven environment preferred.

• Ability to participate in an after-hours/on-call environment as required.

Preferred / Bonus Skills

• Experience with Automox or similar patch management platforms.

• Experience with Rapid7, Tenable, SCCM, PDQ, or similar vulnerability and systems management technologies.

• Familiarity with Microsoft Failover Clustering (MSFC).

• Experience with enterprise backup technologies and data protection platforms.

• Experience supporting infrastructure across multiple data centers.

• Industry-recognized certifications, or active pursuit of certifications, related to Microsoft administration, VMware virtualization, or SQL Server.

• Experience in financial services or banking.

• VMware VCP certification is a plus but not required.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 90 days, the successful candidate will have developed a strong working knowledge of the server environment, assigned tools, and operational processes. They will increasingly take ownership of routine systems administration, patching, vulnerability remediation, and VMware responsibilities while requiring progressively less assistance from senior infrastructure staff.

The ideal candidate is not simply familiar with the technologies listed on their resume—they can explain how they work, describe how they have used them in practice, troubleshoot problems, and demonstrate sound operational judgment.

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