Senior System Administrator

The USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies in Playa Vista, is seeking a highly skilled Senior System Administrator to join its IT department. This role requires advanced expertise in systems administration, networking, cloud computing, virtualization, and Linux/macOS environments. Join us in a dynamic, fast-paced setting where innovation and collaboration drive success.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Administration & Networking

• Maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot the Institute’s back-end systems and networks.
• Oversee, administer, and optimize computer networks, including hardware, software, and configurations.
• Monitor system performance and security, adjusting as needed.

Technical Project Leadership

• Lead IT projects from inception to completion with minimal supervision.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance IT services and capabilities.

Security & Compliance

• Ensure system compliance with security frameworks (NIST 800-171, CMMC, ISO-27001).
• Manage data backups, disaster recovery operations, and security access protocols.

User Support & Documentation

• Provide mentorship to junior system administrators and handle escalated helpdesk tasks.
• Develop and maintain system documentation and user training materials.
• Plan, design, and conduct specialized end-user training for groups or individuals.

Preferred Qualifications

Education & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Advanced knowledge of Linux system administration and cloud services (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Strong troubleshooting skills in complex, heterogeneous environments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Technical Expertise

• Five or more years of advanced Linux administration experience.
• Familiarity with enterprise storage systems (NetApp, EMC, Tegile).
• VMware ESX administration and Ansible configuration management.
• Experience supporting HPC systems and LAMP stacks.
• Technical writing experience for engineering guides and how-to documentation.

Security & Compliance

• Understanding of PCI, PII, HIPAA, DFARS compliance standards.
• Knowledge of security assessment tools (SentinelOne, NMAP, Nessus, Rapid7).

Additional Preferred Experience

• Enterprise storage management experience.
• Backup system architecture experience (preferably Rubrik).
• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, SVN, Git, JAMF, Zendesk.

The annual base salary range for this position is $125,000 to $140,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Why Join Us?

This position offers an opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative environment at the forefront of research and technology. You will contribute to advancing IT services, ensuring the success of the Institute’s cutting-edge projects.

Security Clearance

This position may require a security clearance. Applicants must be eligible to obtain a security clearance if required.

If you’re passionate about solving complex IT challenges and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, we encourage you to apply!

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 5 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Expert understanding and strong technical knowledge of and experience with systems administration, backups, operating systems programming languages and associated hardware platforms. Possesses the required knowledge to build, configure, load and restore a system from the ground up. Previous systems administration experience required.