Senior Systems Administrator - Consultant

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Job Description Summary

The Senior Systems Administrator-Consultant will be responsible for managing virtual desktop images in accordance with our clients' needs. This includes interfacing with university-wide clients to understand their requirements and working with the virtual desktop service manager to develop efficient, cost-effective solutions. The role requires experience with PowerShell, Active Directory, and Azure Windows Desktop Solutions (AVD, Azure Labs, Cloud PC) at an enterprise level. Proficiency in desktop imaging is preferred.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage virtual desktop solutions in conjunction with the client's requirements. Communicate important service details to clients, including billing
• Maintain virtual machines in Azure and On Prem via enterprise endpoint management solutions
• Perform daily maintenance including changes, modifications, or improvements as part of the ongoing administration of deployed images. This includes Helix work orders and incident response
• Monitor, analyze and optimize virtualization performance of virtual desktops
• Perform endpoint management of images; contribute to the development of endpoint management configuration and administer endpoint management tools
• Maintain, administer, and configure virtualization toolset
• Work with service owner to define standards, best practices, and plans for the future of the service
• Work closely with school/center IT staff to gather requirements. Configure solutions based on these needs
• Troubleshoot, patch, and configure software toolsets within the Technology Services portfolio
• Communicate regularly on status, progress to supervisors, project teams
• Stay current with technology through research and training. Identify emerging security threats and misconfigurations and making recommendations for improvement
• Maintain regular contact with Local Support Providers, Customer Care, and key vendors via technical support channel
• Training and mentoring

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Must have a solid understanding of Azure virtualization technologies, operating systems and communications packages
• Strong interest in developing new methods and procedures for addressing problems
• Ability to participate in strategic planning; establishing policies and procedures; and working with new and emerging technologies, storage subsystems, and data center infrastructure
• Experience with Scripting (PowerShell, Perl or Python) and automating processes required.
• Experience with Azure Desktop Solutions, Windows Desktop is required.
• Prior experience with Windows Servers , Active Directory, Group Policy, and Microsoft Office 365 is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate through written business communications and documentation.
• Excellent customer service skills and communication skills