System Administrator, IT Services

Job Description

Job Description

At AmaWaterways, we believe meaningful careers begin with purpose, passion and a shared commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences. For those who value curiosity, connection and personal enrichment, AmaWaterways offers the opportunity to help craft meaningful river journeys that invite travelers to follow their own current. Built on a foundation of heartfelt hospitality, we treat our guests—and each other—with genuine care, warmth and respect. AmaWaterways fosters a collaborative environment both onboard our ships and across our global network of offices, where team members grow together, support one another and take pride in upholding the high standards and thoughtful service our company is known for.

We invite talented, motivated professionals to explore our career opportunities and begin their journey with AmaWaterways today.

SUMMARY: The System Administrator, IT Services is responsible for the day-to-day administration, support, and reliability of AmaWaterways’ core infrastructure and end-user computing environment — including the on-premises VMware virtualization platform, Citrix Cloud applications and virtual desktops, Microsoft 365 and Active Directory / Entra ID identity services, Microsoft Azure and AWS cloud workloads, 8x8 telephony, and Cisco-based networking. Reporting to the Manager, System Administration, this role keeps AmaWaterways’ employees productive at our Calabasas headquarters and across our global offices, supporting Reservations, Sales, Marketing, Commercial, Accounting, Guest Services, Operations, and Executive teams. The System Administrator combines hands-on technical work with strong customer service — completing assigned tickets and projects, documenting solutions, and partnering with the rest of IT to keep the environment secure, current, and easy to use.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide Tier 2/Tier 3 end-user and infrastructure support for AmaWaterways employees across the Calabasas headquarters and global offices, including escalations from the Help Desk, working tickets through the IT Service Management (ITSM) ticketing system to resolution within agreed SLAs.
• Administer and maintain the on-premises (Colocation Data Center) VMware vSphere environment (ESXi hosts, vCenter), including virtual machine provisioning, resource allocation, snapshots, datastore and storage management, host patching, capacity monitoring, and performance troubleshooting.
• Administer the Citrix Cloud environment, including published applications and virtual desktops (Citrix DaaS / Virtual Apps and Desktops), session management, delivery groups and machine catalogs, image/golden master updates, StoreFront/Workspace configuration, and resolution of end-user session and performance issues.
• Administer Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and related collaboration tooling — mailbox management, distribution lists, shared mailboxes, Teams configuration, SharePoint site provisioning, and license assignment.
• Administer Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD), including user and group lifecycle management, organizational units, Group Policy, Conditional Access policies (with guidance), multi-factor authentication, and hybrid identity / directory synchronization between on-premises AD and Entra ID.
• Provision, patch, monitor, and maintain Windows Server and select Linux servers (both on-premises on VMware and in Azure/AWS), including backup verification and routine maintenance.
• Support and administer 8x8 telephony and contact-center services, including user and extension provisioning, handset/headset and softphone configuration, call-flow and call-routing changes, ring groups, voicemail, number management, and troubleshooting of call-quality and redirect issues.
• Support Cisco network infrastructure, including switches, routers, wireless, and VPN — VLAN and port configuration, basic routing and switching changes, firmware updates, and first-line troubleshooting, partnering with the Network team and managed service providers for changes that exceed the role’s scope.
• Support core office infrastructure — LAN, Wi-Fi, VPN, firewalls, and structured cabling — and maintain reliable connectivity at the Calabasas headquarters and remote offices.
• Own user onboarding and offboarding from an IT perspective: account creation, license assignment, group and AD membership, virtual desktop entitlements, equipment provisioning and imaging, mobile device setup, and timely deprovisioning of access for departing employees.
• Manage Windows and macOS endpoints using Microsoft Intune (or comparable MDM/UEM), including device enrollment, compliance and configuration policies, software deployment, patch management, and remote remediation; administer mobile devices (iOS and Android) via Intune.
• Support audiovisual and meeting-room technology (Microsoft Teams Rooms, conference room AV, digital signage) at the Calabasas headquarters and other AmaWaterways office locations.
• Perform regular patching and vulnerability remediation across the hypervisor, servers, network devices, and endpoints in accordance with the IT patch management standard, working with Security on prioritization and validation.
• Manage backup and recovery jobs (virtual machines, Microsoft 365, file servers, and key endpoints), verify successful completion, and perform periodic restore tests.
• Maintain accurate IT asset records: hardware inventory, software and cloud licensing, warranty and lifecycle tracking, and decommissioning of retired equipment in accordance with data sanitization policy.
• Coordinate with vendors and managed service providers (VMware/Broadcom, Citrix, 8x8, Cisco, Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, ISPs, and AV integrators) for procurement, warranty service, support cases, and field work.
• Document procedures, runbooks, and knowledge base articles in the IT knowledge base; keep documentation current as the environment evolves.
• Partner with Security to enforce IT hygiene standards: MFA enrollment, endpoint protection (EDR/AV), USB and removable media policy, encryption, phishing remediation, and least-privilege access.
• Participate in IT projects (office moves, hardware refreshes, virtualization and VDI initiatives, cloud migrations, network upgrades, M365 changes, security rollouts, and telephony migrations) under the direction of the Manager, System Administration.
• Participate in an after-hours on-call rotation for critical IT incidents, as required.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports.
• May provide informal guidance and knowledge transfer to Help Desk staff, contractors, or interns assigned to IT Services projects.
• Carries out responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Industry certifications strongly preferred, such as: VMware Certified Professional (VCP-DCV); Citrix Certified Associate – Virtualization (CCA-V); Cisco CCNA; CompTIA A+, Network+, and/or Security+; Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Identity and Access Administrator Associate (SC-300); AWS Certified SysOps Administrator or Solutions Architect – Associate; ITIL 4 Foundation.
• Computer skills required: VMware vSphere (ESXi, vCenter); Citrix Cloud / Virtual Apps and Desktops (DaaS); Microsoft 365 administration (Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive); Active Directory, Group Policy, and Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD; Microsoft Azure and AWS; 8x8 telephony / UCaaS administration; Cisco switching, routing, wireless, and VPN; Windows Server and basic Linux administration; Microsoft Intune (or comparable MDM/UEM); Windows 10/11 and macOS; ITSM ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Freshservice); remote support tools; PowerShell scripting; Microsoft Office Suite; collaboration platforms; and modern AI-assisted productivity tooling.
• Other skills required:
• 3–5 years of professional experience in system administration, infrastructure support, or comparable roles, including hands-on responsibility beyond Tier 1 Help Desk.
• Hands-on experience administering VMware vSphere (ESXi and vCenter) in a production environment, including VM lifecycle, storage, and host maintenance.
• Hands-on experience administering Citrix Cloud / Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (DaaS), including published applications, virtual desktops, and end-user session troubleshooting.
• Hands-on experience administering Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive) and Active Directory / Microsoft Entra ID, including hybrid identity, in a corporate environment.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure and AWS for routine server, identity, networking, and storage administration.
• Hands-on experience administering 8x8 (or comparable cloud telephony / UCaaS / contact-center) platforms, including user provisioning and call-routing changes.
• Working knowledge of Cisco networking — switching, routing, wireless, and VPN — with the ability to perform VLAN, port, and basic configuration changes and first-line troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of Windows Server administration (Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, file/print services) and basic experience with Linux servers.
• Working knowledge of networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, Wi-Fi, VPN, and firewall concepts.
• Working knowledge of endpoint management (Microsoft Intune or comparable UEM/MDM) and endpoint security tooling: EDR/AV, disk encryption (BitLocker/FileVault), and MFA.
• Familiarity with PowerShell scripting for routine administration and automation.
• Familiarity with backup and recovery tooling (Veeam, Microsoft 365 backup, or equivalent), including virtual machine backup.
• Familiarity with ITIL processes (incident, request, problem, change, asset, knowledge management).
• Strong customer-service orientation, with the ability to communicate clearly with non-technical employees and executives.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to document procedures, runbooks, and knowledge-base articles.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tickets and projects in parallel.
• Ability to lift and move IT equipment (up to 25 lbs frequently, up to 50 lbs occasionally with assistance) for equipment setup, office moves, and equipment-room work.
• Hospitality, travel, cruise, or comparable customer-experience industry exposure is a plus but not required.
• Familiarity with audiovisual and meeting-room technology (Microsoft Teams Rooms) is a plus.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Ethics & Integrity

Leads with integrity, transparency, and professionalism; honors commitments; builds trust through consistent actions; upholds AmaWaterways’ values and standards.

Dependability

Takes ownership of responsibilities; follows through on commitments; meets deadlines; communicates proactively when circumstances shift.

Quality & Accountability

Delivers accurate, thoughtful work; applies feedback to improve outcomes; maintains high standards while balancing efficiency.

Analytical Thinking

Synthesizes complex information; leverages data, experience, and sound judgment to design practical and effective solutions.

Collaboration & Teamwork

Partners effectively across teams and functions; values diverse viewpoints; build trust; advances shared goals and collective success.

Communication

Communicates clearly and thoughtfully; adapts messaging; listens actively; presents ideas with confidence and purpose.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Occasionally required to stand
• Occasionally required to walk
• Continually required to sit
• Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Occasionally required to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel or crawl
• Frequently required to talk or hear
• Frequently required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds (computers, monitors, networking equipment, peripherals)
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with assistance (servers, UPS units, larger equipment)
• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; occasional exposure to higher noise levels in server/equipment rooms
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close Vision and Color Vision (for cable and indicator identification)

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.