Systems Administrator (18-24)

The Place: Known for its quality academic programs and its hands-on approach to learning, Humboldt State University has a well-earned reputation as one of the best primarily undergraduate public universities in the United States. The residential and rural campus of 8,200 students is nestled between mountains, giant redwood trees, and breathtaking Pacific Ocean beaches. The local area offers many outdoor recreation opportunities as well as a full range of dining, cultural, and entertainment opportunities, all without the hassle and expense of a major metropolitan area. Local K-12 schools consistently rank in the top 10% in the state, and the local produce is second to none. Humboldt State University also benefits from being part of the world’s largest university system, the 23-campus California State University (CSU).

Position Summary: Humboldt State University invites applicants for the position of Systems Administrator. We are seeking a self-starter with exceptional technical skills to support our current predominantly Linux based systems as well as to design, develop, and deploy new systems to meet the needs of our end users. HSU runs a heavily virtualized server environment and is starting to blend cloud based services into our portfolio. The successful candidate for this position will join a team responsible for the ongoing administration and development of HSU’s central IT systems and services. This is an exciting time to come and work on this team. Upcoming and on- going initiatives include:

• Task automation and system deployment with Ansible and Git
• Expanding Infrastructure into the cloud for disaster recovery and peak loads
• Redesigning services to take advantage of failover and High Availability

Duties: The Systems Administration and Development team is responsible for managing the University’ s critical enterprise infrastructure, ensuring that it is functional for a diverse set of business and user needs. This infrastructure includes but is not limited to: compute (servers), storage (storage area network), network (load balancing) and virtualization (hypervisors) stacks in on-premise and off-premise datacenters and how they are related.

The Systems Administrator will proactively analyze and solve problems with systems and services, nurture professional and constructive working relationships, and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical staff across campus. This position will also assist with any other questions or problems needing immediate response during business hours as well as after hours when on call. A strong commitment to customer service, quality workmanship, and continuous technical improvement are essential to the position.

Minimum Qualifications: A basic foundation of knowledge and skills in operating systems programs, maintenance, and systems administration features. This basic foundation may be obtained through EITHER a bachelor’s degree in computer science, mathematics, or equivalent technical training and/or experience; (2) a working knowledge of the assigned computer operating systems, systems analysis, and systems-level programming; plus the ability to (3) demonstrate competence in independently applying technical judgment to standard and nonstandard applications and systems, solving a wide range of problems and developing practicable and thorough solutions; and
(4) effective communication and listening skills.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong enterprise troubleshooting skills involving systems, network, storage and software
• Significant knowledge and skills with administering contemporary Linux server operating systems (e.g. RHEL, CentOS, Oracle Linux)
• Extensive knowledge and skills with server virtualization using VMware, Hyper-V, or KVM
• Strong working knowledge of backup and disaster recovery systems
• Strong working knowledge of scripting (e.g. powershell, bash, perl, python or php)
• Knowledge of information security best practices
• Demonstrated experience with enterprise systems optimization and performance tuning
• Ability to manage time effectively even under stress
• Demonstrated ability to support, modify, and enhance solutions developed by others.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others in a team
• Ability to use performance monitoring software (e.g. chk_mk) and interpret results
• Ability to perform preventative and remedial maintenance to operating system(s)
• Ability to interface/integrate campus defined operating system(s) with software and other systems
• Ability to evaluate existing and proposed systems and recommend upgrades and/or modifications
• Ability to research and survey new products and/or releases, such as productivity tools
• Ability to establish and document operations procedures
• Knowledge of applications programming techniques and procedures
• Knowledge and understanding of job control and production procedures with an ability to troubleshoot and isolate production problems and applications code
• Knowledge of network operating system and network architecture, configuration, and protocols
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a diverse population.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with cloud hosted solutions and migrations including AWS & Azure
• Experience with host based firewalls and networking protocols
• Experience with Single Sign On Infrastructure (CAS, Shibboleth, Azure ADConnect)
• Experience with high availability and load balancing technologies
• Experience with Storage Area Networks
• Experience with configuration/orchestration managers like ansible, puppet, chef or terraform
• Experience with cross platform integration (Linux, Windows)
• Experience with managing Windows Servers
• Experience with Directory Services (Active Directory, LDAP, and/or Kerberos)

-Ability to think in a logical and systematic fashion – particularly when troubleshooting or planning server resources.

• Experience in a Higher Education environment
• Experience supporting and providing Linux virtual desktops (VDI)
• Experience with Management of template based Virtual Server Deployments

Application Procedure: To apply, qualified candidates must electronically submit the following materials through Interfolio:

http://apply.interfolio.com/50205

• Letter of Interest
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for at least three professional references
• HSU Employment History Form (https://forms.humboldt.edu/employment-history-form) (NOTE: This form replaces the HSU Employment Application form, which should no longer be used. Download the HSU Employment History Form and save it as a PDF file prior to filling it out. If the form is filled out on line (accessed via a web browser), content WILL NOT be saved.)

The Human Resources & Academic Personnel Services office (located in Siemens Hall room 212) has a computer station and front office staff available for applicants requiring assistance.

Application Deadline: The deadline to submit application materials is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 30, 2018. To be notified in the event this recruitment re-opens for a subsequent review of applications, send an email to careers@humboldt.edu that includes the job number (18-24) and applicant’s last name in the subject line of the message.

HSU is committed to enriching its educational environment and its culture through the diversity of its staff, faculty, and administration. Persons with interest and experience in helping organizations set and achieve goals relative to diversity and inclusion are especially encouraged to apply.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide complete and accurate employment information. Incorrect or improperly completed applications will not be considered for vacancies. Any reference in this announcement to required periods of experience or education is full-time activity. Part-time experience or education-or activities only part of which are qualifying-will receive proportionate credit. In accordance with applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements, preference may be given to the campus applicants covered by these agreements. However, positions are open to all interested applicants, both on and off campus.
Evidence of required degree(s), certification(s), or license(s) is required prior to the appointment date. A background check (including a criminal records check, employment verification, and education verification) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Certain positions may also require a credit check, motor vehicle report, and/or fingerprinting through Live Scan service. Adverse findings from a background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.
Humboldt State University is committed to achieving the goals of equal opportunity and endeavors to employ faculty and staff of the highest quality reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state. Additional information about Humboldt State University can be found at www.humboldt.edu.
Humboldt State University is a Title IX/Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
Compliance with the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) and CSU Executive Order 1083 Revised July 21, 2017 (EO 1083) is a condition of employment. CSU employees in positions with duties that involve regular contact with children or positions which supervise such employees are designated as Mandated Reporters under CANRA and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in EO 1083. Upon appointment to this position, the successful candidate(s) will be notified of and required to acknowledge their CANRA reporting status.
Additionally, all CSU staff and faculty receive training annually on their obligations in responding to and reporting incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence. You will be notified by email when you are required to take this mandated training.