Position Summary/Mission

Hope College is seeking a System Manager for Servers with a broad technical background to help us with the administration, management, and support of a wide range of internal systems and applications. We want someone who is earnest about tech, systems, and process, and finds joy in helping their teammates and colleagues. While primarily responsible for the integrity of the servers, this position will be cross-trained, and serve as additional support for lower-level network tasks.

Responsibilities and Outcomes
Support Technical Infrastructure

In this position you’ll be involved with:

• Provisioning and maintaining an overall server environment that hosts applications used by the Hope College community.
• Administering a variety of accounts and systems as people come and go from Hope College, in conjunction with your team.
• Implementing systems that archive and allow for the recovery of data due to accidental deletion, system failure, or other possible loss scenarios.
• Collaboratively creating and maintaining documentation and standard operating procedures for how the Systems Team works.
• Upgrading core system applications with other members of CIT.
• Protecting Hope College server infrastructure and seeking to continue your education in this area.
• Monitoring server performance using software like Xymon, and providing input on what the next generation of server monitoring may look like.
• Working on a team that plans and implements the next version of our campus server infrastructure.
• Understanding the server backup process and participating in executing backups and restorations.

Demonstrated Outcomes:

• With guidance from Project Managers, Software Managers, and others, install, configure, and maintain server-based applications. An example in the past have been applications based in Oracle.
• Using existing scripts and the Google Admin console, maintain Hope accounts when changes are needed.
• During an event of data loss, ability to restore any system that we have backed up to a previous state.
• Perform regular operational tasks within the college’s LMS including, but not limited to, building Moodle instances, course creation/copying, and user account management.
• When new patches/upgrades are released for Hope’s ERP (Banner), work with the Banner team to deploy those updates.
• Continually ensure that servers are operating within appropriate capacity/performance standards. Identify subpar conditions and bring them to the team for remediation.
• Maintain server operating system updates/patches schedules.

Relationships

• You will teach others in CIT what you know and be willing to learn new things from other knowledge experts.
• You will be able to help mentor, train, support, and work with student employees who are embarking on their career of system administration. Supervise students as requested by the Manager of Infrastructure.
• You will serve as a limited backup for CIT Network Support Staff.

Demonstrated Outcomes:

• Be part of ad-hoc teams led by Project Managers, Software Managers, and others to architect and design new and replacement systems.
• For assigned tasks, ensure appropriate level of knowledge-sharing with colleagues. Ensure that others are ready to perform regular and time-sensitive jobs.
• Look for opportunities to assist team members as time permits.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The office is climate controlled. A remote work option of up to two days a week may be available after initial orientation and training.

Qualifications and Core Competencies

• You have experience maintaining/building Linux and Windows Servers. If this occurred in a VMware environment, even better.
• We would love to see someone who has worked with Active Directory as a platform and is knowledgeable in its best practices for implementation and use. If not, you can expect to learn more about this on the job.
• We use a variety of Authentication methods such as LDAP, SAML/Shibboleth, WSO2 for use with Oracle systems, and Active Directory. If you have heard of these things before, that is a plus to your skillset.
• You are comfortable with one or more programming languages such as perl, java script, python, power shell, php, bash and css. You are able to navigate through a Linux command line.
• While not required for this position, if in the past you have worked with High Performance Computing Clusters and software such as Singularity or Docker, you will be an asset to other members of the systems team.
• Your experience with ERP systems and supporting the servers that those ERP systems are hosted on, especially Banner by Ellucian, will help Hope be successful with supporting how the college does its work.
• Your experience in the Higher Education industry is not required, but will be considered when we review candidates.
• As an academic institution, we have Learning Management Systems (LMS) that help our students in the classroom. If you have experience with a LMS like Moodle, that is a plus.
• Analytical Skills: You are able to structure and process qualitative or quantitative data and draw insightful conclusions from it. You have a curious mind that seeks to understand a problem and provide insights to others.
• Attention to Detail: You have a handle on the little things and don’t let details derail or slow down a project..
• Communication: You are consistent in written and spoken words. You care about being articulate and clear.
• Creativity/Innovation: When thinking about a problem, you approach the issue in a way that is innovative and new.
• Efficiency: You care about your time and Hope’s time, you are able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort.
• Enthusiasm: This kind of work excites you. You are passionate about your work and are willing to take initiative on both tasks assigned and problems that you recognize.
• Flexibility/Adaptability: You are agile. When the work calls for it, you can pivot quickly and adjust your priorities as well as cope with change.
• Honesty/Integrity: You do not cut corners, are ethical and earn trust as well as maintain confidence. You do what is RIGHT, not just what is politically expedient. Speaking plainly and truthfully is important to you.
• Intelligence: Your grasp of new information is quick and you are able to retain/understand new knowledge in a fast paced environment.
• Listening skills: It is important to you to let others speak first. Understanding their viewpoints is critical. You listen to understand instead of listen to debate.
• Openness to criticism and ideas: You often solicit feedback and react calmly to criticism or negative feedback.
• Organization and planning: You’re a master planner, organizer, scheduler, and budgeter. It is important to you that you are efficient and productive while focusing on key priorities.
• Persistence: You demonstrate tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
• Strategic thinking/Visioning: You are able to see and communicate the big picture in an inspiring way.
• Teamwork: You are not an island. You reach out to peers and cooperate with supervisors to establish an overall collaborative working relationship.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Flexible schedule with the ability to work some weekends or nights.
• Basic technology proficiency.