Support System Administrator

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Job Title: Support System Administrator

Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid)

Interview Mode: Through Microsoft Teams

Position Overview

The Support System Administrator will support migration and modernization of end-of-life systems, including legacy Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. The role focuses on upgrading systems to supported OS versions through fresh installs/reinstallation as the primary method, with in-place upgrades only as a last resort, to improve security, performance, and operational continuity.

Key Responsibilities

System Assessment & Planning

• Assess legacy Windows Server (2012 and older) and RHEL 5/6/7 systems.
• Prioritize migration based on system criticality, security risk, and operational needs.
• Develop migration strategies with risk assessments, upgrade paths, and timelines.

System Migration

• Migrate legacy RHEL and Windows systems to supported versions, including RHEL 8/9 and Windows Server 2022/2025.
• Perform reinstallation as the primary upgrade approach; use in-place upgrades only as a last resort.
• Implement data backup and recovery strategies before, during, and after migration.
• Validate post-upgrade functionality, including performance, compatibility, services, and networking.

Configuration Management

• Reconfigure system services and settings after OS upgrade.
• Use Ansible for RHEL and PowerShell for Windows to maintain consistency.
• Write and maintain automation scripts for repetitive tasks across Windows and Linux.

Security Enhancements

• Perform system hardening before and after migration.
• Apply patches and updates to bring systems to current patch levels.
• Run vulnerability scans and remediate issues discovered during migration.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and standards such as CIS Benchmarks, NIST, and STIGs.

Troubleshooting and Support

• Serve as the escalation point for migration issues, especially on legacy RHEL 5/6 and older Windows systems.
• Provide post-migration support for system, performance, and compatibility issues.
• Troubleshoot OS-level and application-level problems to maintain high availability.

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain detailed migration documentation, including steps taken, configuration changes, and issues resolved.
• Update system configuration records in the CMDB and TRP list.
• Provide regular progress reports on status, challenges, and milestones.

Collaboration and Coordination

• Work with networking, database, and application teams for smooth integration.
• Coordinate with vendors for legacy or proprietary system issues.
• Communicate downtime, changes, and disruptions to stakeholders and end users.

Training and Knowledge Transfer

• Create internal documentation and user manuals for updated systems.
• Share lessons learned to support future migration efforts.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

• Ensure backup solutions are in place for Windows and RHEL systems.
• Update disaster recovery plans and test recovery procedures after migration.

Post-Implementation Review

• Conduct post-migration audits to confirm systems are functional, secure, and compliant.
• Identify opportunities for optimization and additional enhancements.

Candidate Skills and Qualifications

• 8 years hands-on upgrades of systems for both Windows and RHEL.
• 8 years RHEL and Windows OS administration, upgrade, migration, and modernization experience.

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience with RHEL 5/6/7/8/9 and Windows Server 2008-2022.
• Proficiency in system administration for Linux and Windows environments.
• Advanced troubleshooting skills for legacy systems.
• Experience with in-place upgrades and fresh installs for RHEL and Windows systems.
• Familiarity with configuration management tools such as Ansible, PowerShell, and SCCM.
• Proficient in system automation and scripting using Bash, PowerShell, and Ansible.
• Strong security knowledge, including patch management, system hardening, and vulnerability scanning.
• Experience with backup and recovery solutions.
• Experience with virtualization technologies such as VMware.
• Experience with STIG-based hardening for RHEL and Windows systems.
• Experience with audit log management, vulnerability remediation, and automated compliance enforcement.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with STIG remediation and continuous compliance checks.
• Experience using OpenSCAP, Nessus, OpenVAS, or other vulnerability/compliance scanning tools.
• Experience automating hardening and remediation using Ansible, Puppet, or PowerShell.
• Experience supporting virtual machine-based upgrades, as the majority of systems are VM upgrades.

Deliverables

• Migration plans and timelines for legacy systems.
• Weekly upgrade plans scheduled through change control.
• Backup and disaster recovery strategies.
• Post-migration configurations and updates.
• Regular migration status reports and post-migration review reports.
• System documentation, SOPs, and internal training materials.

Workload Expectations

• Minimum of 3 servers per week to be addressed for conversion through planning, testing, and delivery.
• Expected minimum of 1 EOL system converted/lifted per week per FTE through change control.