Senior ServiceNow Platform Administrator

ServiceNow Platform Administrator Chicago IL Contract Role Overview

APN Consulting, Inc. is a progressive IT staffing and services company offering innovative business solutions to improve client business outcomes. We focus on high impact technology solutions in ServiceNow, Fullstack, Cloud & Data, and AI / ML. Due to our globally expanding service offerings we are seeking top-talent to join our teams and grow with us.

Key Responsibilities

Platform Ownership & Administration

• Own end-to-end ServiceNow platform administration across all instances (Dev, Test, Prod).
• Ensure platform reliability, availability, and performance.
• Define and enforce platform standards, governance, and best practices.

Instance Management (Cloning & Upgrades)

• Plan and execute instance cloning activities (Prod → Sub-prod environments).
• Define and manage clone strategies, schedules, and data sanitization.
• Ensure post-clone tasks are executed (user cleanup, integrations reset, license checks).
• Coordinate with stakeholders to minimize disruption during cloning activities.
• Lead ServiceNow version upgrades and patching activities.
• Perform impact analysis and regression planning for upgrades.
• Coordinate testing, defect resolution, and go-live readiness.
• Optimize upgrade cycles by reducing technical debt and customization footprint.

Configuration, Customization & Development Oversight

• Oversee configuration of modules such as ITSM, ITOM, CMDB, HRSD, etc.
• Review and guide: Business rules, workflows, UI policies, and scripts.
• Ensure adherence to out-of-box capabilities and minimize customizations.
• Provide technical guidance to developers and junior administrators.

Performance & Monitoring

• Monitor platform health, performance metrics, and usage.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Implement proactive monitoring and alerting strategies.

Security & Access Management

• Govern user access, roles, and security models.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise security standards and audit requirements.
• Manage data privacy and access controls across environments.

Integration Management

• Oversee integrations with external systems (APIs, middleware, third-party tools).
• Troubleshoot integration issues and ensure reliability.
• Guide integration design aligned with enterprise architecture.

Release & Change Management

• Own release management processes including: Update sets, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment strategies.
• Ensure controlled and auditable changes to the platform.
• Collaborate with change management teams for production releases.

CMDB & Data Governance

• Ensure CMDB data quality, completeness, and accuracy.
• Establish data governance standards and reconciliation processes.
• Align CMDB with business and operational needs.

Documentation & Governance

• Maintain architecture diagrams, SOPs, and platform documentation.
• Establish and enforce governance frameworks and coding standards.
• Conduct periodic platform health checks and audits.

Stakeholder & Team Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to business and IT stakeholders.
• Lead discussions on platform roadmap and enhancements.
• Mentor junior administrators and support team capability building.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Strong hands-on experience administering ServiceNow at scale.
• Proven experience in: Instance cloning and upgrade management, Platform performance tuning and monitoring, ITSM and at least one additional module (ITOM, HRSD, etc.)
• Strong scripting knowledge (JavaScript within ServiceNow).
• Experience with REST/SOAP APIs and integrations.
• Deep understanding of ITIL processes.
• Experience working in complex, enterprise environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) – mandatory.
• Additional certifications preferred: Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS), Certified Application Developer (CAD)
• Exposure to platform governance and architecture reviews.

Soft Skills

• Strong leadership and mentoring capability.
• Excellent stakeholder communication skills.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Experience

• Typically 6–8+ years of experience in ServiceNow administration/platform roles.
• Experience in handling enterprise-scale environments with multiple instances.

We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where individuals from all backgrounds feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences to join our team and help us build a culture of belonging.