Systems Administrator (Server Administration & Security)

For years,  Stream Data Centers has been a trusted partner in providing world-class data center solutions. With a focus on sustainable, secure, and reliable infrastructure, Stream empowers businesses to scale their digital operations while prioritizing environmental and social responsibility. 

Stream Data Centers continues to set new standards for innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability in the data center industry, having provided premium data center services since 1999. Now, with 90% of its inventory leased to Fortune 100 customers, the company has acquired, developed and managed more than 27 data center projects nationally, while leadership has remained consistent for over two decades. 

From site selection to data center construction and operations, Stream develops wholesale colocation capacity and build-to-suit facilities for hyperscale and enterprise users in major markets across the United States. Additionally, Stream sources and develops low-risk land sites for optimum data center development and provides energy procurement services with a focus on reducing market risk and providing low-cost renewable energy options.

Information Technology Department: 

Stream’s IT team delivers modern, secure technology solutions that power our global operations. We combine proactive management, rigorous cybersecurity, and agile software development to drive business growth. By aligning technology strategy with business goals, we keep Stream at the forefront of innovation and operational excellence. 

The Role: 

The Systems Administrator (Server Administration & Security) is responsible for the day-to-day administration, availability, and performance of Stream’s server environments across data center and cloud/hosted platforms. This role operates in the Day-2 operational space—monitoring, patching, hardening, troubleshooting, and continuously improving server reliability—while ensuring systems are installed and maintained to meet stringent security requirements. 

You will partner closely with the Cybersecurity team to implement and validate security controls aligned to NIST guidance and CIS Benchmarks, maintain audit-ready evidence, and remediate vulnerabilities within defined service levels. Success requires strong Windows/Linux administration skills, disciplined change management, and the ability to balance operational uptime with secure-by-default configuration standards. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Operate and maintain server platforms (Day-2): Administer Windows and/or Linux servers, including provisioning support, configuration, monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning inputs, and lifecycle maintenance. 

• Harden servers to approved baselines: Implement secure configuration standards and golden images aligned to CIS Benchmarks and internal hardening guides; ensure deviations are documented and risk-accepted where applicable. 

• Patch and vulnerability management: Plan and execute OS and firmware patching, coordinate maintenance windows, validate outcomes, and remediate vulnerabilities identified by scanning tools within defined SLAs. 

• Access control and privileged administration: Manage server access using least privilege, MFA where applicable, and privileged access workflows; perform periodic access reviews and ensure secure credential handling. 

• Endpoint/security tooling on servers: Deploy and maintain required security agents (e.g., EDR, configuration management, vulnerability scanners, logging collectors) and troubleshoot agent health and coverage gaps. 

• Monitoring, alerting, and incident response support: Maintain monitoring/alerting for server health and critical services; respond to incidents, perform triage and root-cause analysis, and coordinate recovery actions. 

• Configuration management and automation: Use scripting and automation to standardize builds, enforce desired state, and reduce operational toil (e.g., PowerShell, Bash, Ansible, SCCM/Intune, or similar). 

• Change, release, and maintenance governance: Follow change management processes; create implementation and rollback plans; document changes and ensure stakeholders are informed of risk and impact. 

• Compliance alignment (NIST/CIS/internal standards): Implement and validate required controls (logging, time sync, encryption, secure services, firewall rules, etc.); support audits by producing evidence and remediation plans. 

• Backup, restore, and disaster recovery readiness: Ensure backups are configured, tested, and monitored; perform periodic restore tests and participate in DR exercises for server services. 

• Standard documentation and runbooks: Create and maintain build standards, hardening checklists, operational runbooks, and troubleshooting guides; keep CMDB/inventory details current. 

• Continuous improvement of server security posture: Identify and remediate insecure configurations, reduce attack surface, implement baseline drift detection, and partner with Cybersecurity on new controls and security initiatives. 

Success Metrics & KPIs:

• Server availability and operational health: Improved service uptime, reduced recurring incidents, and consistent performance against monitoring/alerting targets. 

• Patch and vulnerability remediation performance: High patch compliance and timely remediation of critical/high vulnerabilities within agreed SLAs; minimal exception backlog. 

• Baseline hardening and configuration drift: Servers deployed and maintained to CIS/internal baselines; reduced drift and faster correction of non-compliant settings. 

• Security control coverage: High coverage/health of required security agents (EDR, logging, vulnerability scanning) and consistent log delivery to centralized platforms. 

• Audit readiness and compliance outcomes: Audit requests fulfilled with complete evidence; reduced repeat findings; clear remediation plans and documentation for exceptions. 

Requirements

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• 5–8+ years of hands-on Systems Administration experience supporting Windows and/or Linux server environments in production (data center and/or cloud). 

• Strong knowledge of server fundamentals: OS installation and configuration, services, storage, networking basics (DNS/DHCP/NTP), virtualization concepts, and troubleshooting methodologies. 

• Demonstrated experience implementing server hardening and secure configuration baselines; familiarity with CIS Benchmarks and applying controls mapped to NIST guidance. 

• Experience with patching, vulnerability remediation, and operational change management; able to create implementation/rollback plans and execute within maintenance windows. 

• Scripting/automation skills (PowerShell and/or Bash) and experience with configuration management/automation tooling (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Chef, SCCM/MECM, Intune, or similar). 

• Experience supporting security tooling on servers (EDR/AV, vulnerability scanning, centralized logging) and working with Security teams on findings and control requirements. 

• Comfort operating in regulated or audit-driven environments; ability to produce evidence, document exceptions, and maintain control validation artifacts. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication; proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and mentor others. 

• Ability to work across multiple U.S. locations and travel to data center sites as needed; after-hours availability for high-priority server/security incidents when required. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Windows Server and/or Linux (RHEL/Ubuntu or similar)
• Experience with Active Directory/Entra ID integration
• Experience with virtualization platforms (VMware/Hyper-V) and/or cloud IaaS
• Experience with patching and configuration management (WSUS/SCCM/MECM/Intune/Ansible or similar), monitoring (e.g., SCOM, Splunk, Sentinel, Prometheus/Grafana, or similar), vulnerability scanning and compliance reporting tools
• Experience with EDR/AV agents, backup/restore platforms, scripting (PowerShell/Bash), Git-based workflows, and ITSM/ticketing systems
• Familiarity with CIS Benchmarks and NIST-aligned security control implementation

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Wellness Resources

The pay range for this role is between $100,000 – 125,000 (base). Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, experience, qualifications, location, and other job-related reasons. Stream Data Centers offers annual bonus, benefits, flexible time off (vacation), 401k and a variety of other perks and benefits.

Stream is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, military status, or any other reason prohibited by law. Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.