IT Officer - Systems Administrator

SOCIT is an Information Services team, managed by Pembroke College, that provides IT services to a consortium of Oxford Colleges. The IT Officer is part of the SOCIT team; specifically, part of a small team of IT Officers managing, monitoring, maintaining and automating the systems for all the SOCIT colleges, providing 2nd and 3rd line support for the support team, and providing high level technical input to projects.
The job-holder reports to the Head of Infrastructure and must possess strong networking and system administration skills, having a background in this area to serve various business needs. The post-holder is confidently able to develop and recommend new systems using the latest technologies.
The role specialises in networking, VMware virtualization and has good knowledge of Windows/Linux server and database management. Knowledge sharing is encouraged within the team.
Responsibilities
System Administration:
· Manage and maintain servers, networks, and related infrastructure.
· Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and network issues.
· Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for systems and processes.
· Manage user accounts, permissions, and access controls.
· Enhance, update, maintain the system infrastructure.
· Maintain server system software and hardware.
· Roll out and maintain server hardware as required.
· Organise and plan for system, network and firewall upgrades.
· Advise on system matters and maintain high-level skills.
· Provide 2nd and 3rd line support to users and systems
Support:
· Provide 2nd and 3rd line support for the support team and providing high level technical input to projects.
· At busy times it may be necessary to provide general technical support and advice to college staff and students as well.
· Provide advice on and manage Active Directory and be one of the go-to gurus for all things AD, file sharing, and web-based systems such as the intranet, and other webauth/shibboleth protected platforms.
· Be part of the team that prevents virus and malware infections and security breaches through the use of software and patching, and report on risks of known exploits.
Experience
Essential Skills:
· Extensive experience of managing IT systems and staff in a service-oriented environment including
· Proven experience as a System Administrator, Network Administrator, or similar role.
· Administrative experience of a VMware (or equivalent) virtualised server environment.
· Significant hands-on experience of high-level system administration on Windows or Linux operating systems in a complex large environment.
· Strong knowledge of TCP/IP networking including routing, switching, firewall configuration and network security.
· Hands-on experience with security best practices and tools (firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, etc.).
· Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
· The ability to prioritise work effectively while working under pressure.
· Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Desired Skills:
· Professional certifications such as CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, MCSE, CCNA.
· Experience with scripting languages (PowerShell, Python, Bash).
· Knowledge of containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
· Experience with database administration (SQL, MySQL).
· Familiarity with ITIL practices and principles.
· Experience with system tools (Wazuh, Zabbix, etc).
· Understanding of disaster recovery and business continuity planning