IO Datasphere, Inc. has been providing project management, software development and IT staff augmentation services to our clients in the Midwest and throughout the U.S. since 1996. We are an approved vendor on contract to provide software development and IT staff augmentation services for the States of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. We also provide these services to businesses, as well as local and county governments, in the Midwest and nationwide.

Our client is looking for a Windows System Engineer. This position will be responsible for managing and maintaining the client Windows-based server infrastructure, managing centralized and distributed IAM, and setting up best practices for system administration.

This role will be responsible for ensuring the availability, performance, and security of the client s IT systems. This role will partner closely with Systems Administrators and other teams, as well as in-house developers, engineers, analysts, and support staff. There is an emphasis on performance tuning, cost optimization, security, backups, disaster recovery, and continuous improvement.

The client is exploring containerization (RedHat OpenShift) and cloud solutions for a variety of use cases as the organization continues to modernize rapidly, this role is an exciting opportunity to learn, mature, and grow individually and as an organization.

Tasks

• Support, monitor, and maintain servers, applications, and databases, minimizing downtime and data loss.
• Patch software on Windows Servers using manual or automated methods.
• Help facilitate data lifecycle management in AWS and/or other cloud storage providers.
• Plan, design, and request server infrastructure that aligns with project requirements and future scalability.
• Monitor and optimize system performance, troubleshoot issues, and ensure seamless access to applications and databases.
• Implement and enforce best practices for system security, access control, and data protection, including backups, patch management, and encryption.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including database administrators, application developers, and network engineers, to ensure system integration and data consistency.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation of system configurations, procedures, and policies.
• Automate routine system administration tasks to enhance efficiency and reliability.
• Engineer integrations and workflows between cloud-based systems with existing on-premises infrastructure, ensuring seamless data transfer and other operations between the two environments.
• Stay updated with Microsoft technologies and industry best practices, making recommendations for system improvements.
• Perform regular system audits to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
• Become quickly familiarized with commercial of the shelf applications in the client Application Portfolio to support application patching and various integrations.
• Monitor and optimize performance, troubleshoot issues, and ensure the availability of data to end-users.
• Implement and enforce best practices for data security and access control, including backups, encryption, and access permissions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including application developers and database administrators, support staff, and power-users.
• Create and maintain documentation of system configurations and procedures.
• Automate routine maintenance tasks to improve efficiency and reliability.
• Perform periodic audits of systems to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
• Implement best practices and operational standards in support of core organizational functions.
• Development of technical documentation and subsequent revisions
• Participate in cross-functional teams in needs assessment, gathering business requirements, design, testing, implementation and post-production support and evaluation.
• Administer authentication and authorization through Single Sign On (Entra ID) for Cloud and SaaS solutions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Knowledge of industry best practices and a commitment to implementing them.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Outstanding communication and collaboration skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to conduct research into systems issues and products as required.
• Ability to communicate ideas in both technical and user-friendly language.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Ability to quickly master new technologies.
• Passion for optimizing system performance, automation, security.
• Ability to support multiple lines of business at a multi-faceted organization.

Location: Madison, WI (Hybrid)

Contract: 1 year

Skills Required:

• 5 years - Experience with Windows Server Administration, software patching.
• 5 years - Experience with MS SQL database backups and management.
• 5 years - Experience Scripting and automation skills (e.g., PowerShell)
• 5 years - Experience with M365 /Teams products
• Experience with SharePoint
• Experience with Power Platform
• Experience with network and security principles, including firewall configurations and access controls
• Experience with Windows Server operating systems and Active Directory
• Experience with Cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure
• Experience with security principles, including encryption, authentication, and authorization
• Experience with RedHat OpenShift

Skills Desired A plus to have:

• Experience implementing SAML based SSO technology (Entra ID) with SaaS and onpremise systems
• Experience with Google Workspace Administration
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and storage (e.g., Azure, AWS)

***Rate depends on experience

*** Local candidates preferred, not mandatory

*** Candidates authorized to work in the US are encouraged to apply. We are not sponsoring H1B candidates at this time.

*** Companies submitting candidates should only submit direct W2 employees for this position.

Please submit your resume by using the "URL" below