IT Systems Administrator

Employment Type: Full-Time
Location: Patterson, NY On-Site
Compensation: $70,000 $90,000 Base
Work Authorization: U.S. Citizenship Required; this position does not offer employment sponsorship.
Background Check: Required

About the Role

Our client is seeking an IT Systems Administrator to provide hands-on, on-site IT support and help keep day-to-day technology operations running smoothly across office, engineering, and production environments.

This role will serve as the primary on-site resource for end-user support while also taking ownership of recurring systems, network, endpoint, and infrastructure tasks. A managed service provider (MSP) handles much of the Tier 2/Tier 3 support, so this position will work closely with the MSP while owning the hands-on work performed on-site.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on IT professional with solid networking and systems administration fundamentals who can work independently, manage a varied IT queue, and troubleshoot issues across both users and infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

End-User & On-Site IT Support

• Serve as the primary on-site contact for users across office, engineering, and production environments.
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, printing, connectivity, and workstation issues.
• Own the day-to-day IT support queue and prioritize competing requests.
• Install, configure, patch, and maintain workstations, laptops, servers, and business applications.
• Provision and manage endpoints, including imaging, patching, endpoint protection, and asset tracking.

Network & Infrastructure Administration

• Administer and troubleshoot FortiGate firewalls, Cisco switches, and 802.1X/NAC.
• Perform routine network changes and troubleshooting under the direction of the IT Director.
• Support core networking technologies including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, and Wi-Fi.
• Support VMware ESXi environments, hyperconverged infrastructure, and backups, escalating complex issues to the MSP or IT Director.

Microsoft & User Administration

• Administer users, groups, and access within a Microsoft 365 environment.
• Manage employee onboarding and offboarding.
• Support Windows desktop and Windows Server environments, Active Directory, and related systems.

Security & IT Operations

• Review patching reports and vulnerability scan results and address routine findings.
• Help maintain endpoint security, patching, backups, and system health.
• Follow and support security practices aligned with NIST 800-171 Rev. 2.
• Maintain accurate documentation, equipment inventories, and IT records.
• Coordinate effectively with the remote MSP on escalated systems and infrastructure issues.

Required Qualifications

• 3 5 years of hands-on IT support or systems administration experience, preferably in a small-to-mid-sized organization.
• Hands-on experience administering FortiGate firewalls and Cisco switches, including 802.1X/NAC.
• Working knowledge of Windows desktop, Windows Server, Active Directory, and Microsoft 365.
• Strong networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
• Experience installing, configuring, and patching operating systems and software.
• Experience with endpoint management, patching, endpoint protection, backups, and asset tracking.
• Ability to work independently on-site, manage a mixed IT queue, and coordinate effectively with a remote MSP.
• Strong documentation and communication skills.
• One or more relevant certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Cisco CCNA, or Fortinet, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• High school diploma required; associate degree in IT or a related field preferred.
• Ability to work on-site and lift/move IT equipment.
• U.S. citizenship required.
• Ability to successfully complete a background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering VMware ESXi and hyperconverged or software-defined storage environments.
• Experience administering a Microsoft 365 tenant or similar controlled/cloud environment.
• Familiarity with NIST 800-171 Rev. 2, CMMC, or comparable security/compliance frameworks.
• CCNA or Fortinet certification.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, engineering, or other operational environments.
• Familiarity with ERP systems; Odoo experience is a plus.
• PowerShell or other scripting/automation experience for routine IT tasks.

Why This Role?

• Hands-on ownership across end-user support, networking, systems, endpoints, and infrastructure.
• Opportunity to work directly with an IT Director while partnering with an established MSP.
• Exposure to enterprise networking, virtualization, Microsoft 365, endpoint security, and compliance.
• A role with meaningful day-to-day responsibility rather than a narrowly defined help desk function.
• $70,000 $90,000 base salary bonus eligible with a fully on-site work environment.