System Administration Lead Specialist

Job Title: System Administration Lead Specialist Location: Billings, Montana Experience Required: 12+ Years Employment Type: Contract Interview Type: In-Person or Webcam Job Description We are looking for an experienced System Administration Lead Specialist to oversee and manage enterprise-level IT infrastructure, systems performance, and operational reliability. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience leading system administration teams, managing complex environments, and ensuring the security, availability, and efficiency of business-critical platforms. This role requires strong leadership capabilities, deep hands-on technical expertise in infrastructure, and a proactive approach to problem-solving and service delivery. Key Responsibilities Lead and manage system administration operations for servers, storage, virtual environments, and network-connected platforms. Oversee system performance, capacity planning, monitoring, and incident response. Implement and maintain security standards, access controls, system hardening, and compliance requirements. Manage installation, configuration, patching, and upgrades of operating systems and infrastructure services. Administer virtualization platforms such as VMware, Hyper-V, or similar technologies. Provide technical leadership and mentorship to system administrators and support engineers. Collaborate with cross-functional IT and business teams for solution planning and issue resolution. Develop and maintain system documentation, operational procedures, and runbooks. Support disaster recovery planning, implementation, and scheduled testing. Troubleshoot high-level technical issues and ensure minimal downtime and optimal performance. Required Skills and Qualifications 12+ years of professional experience as a System Administrator or similar role, including leadership experience. Strong hands-on experience with Windows and Linux server environments. Expertise with virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V, or equivalent Experience managing enterprise backup, recovery, and storage solutions. Knowledge of networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, routing, firewalls Strong understanding of IT security, user access management, and system compliance standards. Proficiency in monitoring and automation tools such as PowerShell, Bash, Ansible, or similar scripting environments. Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud (preferred Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.