Your future position: Systems Administrator (IT Professional III)
Location: Crystal Lake, IL
Why you should join our team! Why Baxter & Woodman?
At Baxter & Woodman, both seasoned professionals and recent graduates find more than a job; they uncover a long-lasting, fulfilling career with a distinguished leader in technology and innovation. Our work environment is extraordinary and being honored as one of the 2026 Zweig Best Firms to Work For exemplifies our appreciation and respect for our dedicated staff.
About the role, Your Impact
Baxter & Woodman is hiring a Systems Administrator (IT Professional III) to support and improve the systems our staff rely on every day across our Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, and Florida offices. This is a hands-on role for someone who has moved past break/fix and wants ownership: the technical side of IT projects and integrating newly acquired offices into our environment, plus endpoint management. You will also support identity administration and security response. Escalations that our support technicians can't resolve land with you. So do the projects that make those escalations less frequent. We back our staff with flexible work schedules, a strong 401K match, and a comprehensive benefits package.
What your day-to-day will look like
- Serve as the escalation point for complex endpoints, applications, identity, and connectivity issues that front-line support cannot resolve.
- Administer and improve endpoint management through Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot, and Configuration Manager, including OS deployment, application packaging, patching, and compliance policy.
- Administer Microsoft 365 and Entra ID: user lifecycle, group and license management, Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
- Support identity and access security in partnership with our security team, including Conditional Access policy, MFA enrollment and recovery, and privileged access hygiene.
- Support response to security alerts from our managed detection provider and Microsoft Defender. Investigate, document, contain, and escalate to the security team as appropriate, including occasional after-hours response.
- Build and maintain automation and scripting (PowerShell, Microsoft Graph) to reduce manual administrative work and standardize repeatable tasks.
- Own technical workstreams on IT projects: office moves and network cutovers, system migrations, hardware refreshes, and new location standups.
- Provide technical integration support for acquired firms, including account migration, device onboarding, network connectivity, and application access.
- Support office network infrastructure including switching, wireless, SD-WAN, VPN, and DNS/DHCP, working with our managed service and carrier partners.
- Maintain accurate documentation, runbooks, and asset records. Create and update knowledge base content for IT staff and end users.
- Own escalated requests in our ticketing system, meeting response and resolution expectations, and identifying recurring issues for permanent fixes.
- Mentor IT Support Technicians and interns; review their work and help build their technical judgment.
- Evaluate new technologies and make recommendations to IT leadership with a clear view of cost, risk, and operational impact.
Must-haves, what you will bring
- 7+ years of progressive experience in information technology, or a bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related field and a minimum of 5 years of experience.
- Strong hands-on experience with Windows 11, Windows Server, and Microsoft 365 in a multi-site business environment.
- Working administration experience with Entra ID and on-premises Active Directory, including Group Policy, Group Management, and Conditional Access concepts.
- Practical understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, switching, wireless, VPN, and firewall concepts sufficient to isolate and escalate network problems accurately.
- Experience working on a ticket/ITSM platform with documented SLAs.
- Relevant certifications preferred (Microsoft 365, Azure/Entra, Security+, CCNA, or equivalent).
- Ability to explain technical issues clearly to non-technical staff and to write documentation that others can follow.
- Ability to prioritize competing requests across multiple offices and work independently without daily direction.
- Physically capable of lifting to 50 lbs. (monitors, networking hardware, etc.), with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to travel throughout Baxter & Woodman's service area with own transportation, including occasional overnight travel to branch offices.
- Available as needed on night and weekends for major incidents, cutovers, and scheduled maintenance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated administration experience with Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot. Configuration Manager (MECM/SCCM) experience preferred.
- PowerShell scripting ability for administration and automation. Microsoft Graph experience is a plus.
- Experience supporting or responding to endpoint and identity security alerts. Familiarity with Microsoft Defender, EDR/MDR tooling, or SIEM output is strongly preferred.
Compensation The pay range for this role is $80,000-$110,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, and certifications.
You matter! Our outstanding benefits - At our organization, we prioritize the holistic well-being of our employees through a comprehensive range of benefits. This commitment is evident in our healthcare offerings, including medical, dental, and vision plans, alongside an Employee Assistance Program and dedicated benefit advisors for personalized support. Financial well-being is enhanced through our financial planning program, life and disability insurance, tax savings plans, and coverage for accidents and cancer. Balancing work and life, we provide generous paid time off, paid holidays, parental leave, and flexible work arrangements, including the option to work from home and/or work a flexible schedule on eligible positions. Additionally, we lead the industry by offering 401k plans, supported by expert financial advisors, and an Employee Stock Ownership program, ensuring our employees are not just part of a workplace but a thriving, supportive community dedicated to their well-being, financial security, and happiness.
Baxter & Woodman is an equal opportunity - Vet/Disability employer.