Systems Administrator Lead

Job Title: Systems Administrator Lead

Duration: 6 months with the possibility of extension

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM- 4:30 PM

Supervisor: Manager of Infrastructure, Storage & Compute

Location: 100 East 11th Street, City Hall Annex, 37402, Chattanooga

Salary Range: $60,000 to $70,000

Job Descriptions

Classification Summary: The Systems Administrator Lead works under the supervision of the Manager of Compute & Storage Systems. The incumbent in this position acts as the senior technical expert on systems and database matters and takes a technical lead on projects that require specialized expertise. This is a non-supervisory position, and all reporting is directed exclusively to the Manager of Compute & Storage Systems. May also provide programmer/application support as necessary.

Essential Functions

(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

• Manage numerous concurrent tasks and assignments, with frequent interruptions.
• Serves as a senior technical escalation point and provides technical mentorship to IT staff during complex assignments, projects, or system outages.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for all systems and responsible for the maintenance, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems, servers, and virtualization.
• Install and upgrade computer components and software, manage virtual servers, and integrate automation processes.
• Troubleshoot hardware and software errors by running diagnostics, documenting problems and resolutions, prioritizing problems, and assessing impact of issues.
• Provide documentation and technical specifications to IT staff for planning and implementing new or upgrades of IT infrastructure.
• Perform or coordinate regular backup operations and implement appropriate processes for data protection, disaster recovery, and failover procedures. Responsible for capacity, storage planning, and database performance.
• Provides Google Workspace and Google Cloud Identity support; designs, implements, and maintains cloud identity management architectures, organizational units (OUs), access control policies, and Single Sign-On (SSO) integrations.
• Oversees infrastructure as code (IaC) and configuration management frameworks to automate cloud provisioning and deployment workflows.
• Performs database administration activities and application software support.
• Provides end-user support which includes answering technical questions related to operating systems, software products, and related items.
• Participates in writing bid specifications for new equipment, assessing bids, and evaluating new hardware and software.
• Must meet regular attendance requirements.
• Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co‑workers, managers, and citizens.
• Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Department Specific Duties

Including, but not limited to:

• Manage and monitor Google Cloud Platform (GCP) resource allocation, IAM permissions, cost optimization, and project governance.
• Perform regular audits of Google Drive external sharing policies and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules to protect sensitive city data.
• Collaborate with the security division to manage vulnerability remediation, container/VM security, and system patching cycles.
• Develop, maintain, and review comprehensive architectural diagrams, runbooks, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• The Systems Administrator Lead is a stand‑alone position.
• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Information Systems, Computer Science or Similar and four (4) years of professional experience in databases, network administration, or system administration experience, supplemented by the necessary years of education/technical training in data communications from a college or any combination of equivalent experience and education.

Supplemental Information

• Technical Knowledge & Skills: Advanced working knowledge of enterprise virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper‑V, or equivalent) and hybrid cloud infrastructure (Azure, AWS, or GCP). Strong knowledge of core networking protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs) and systems software. Expertise in scripting and infrastructure automation tools (PowerShell, Python, Ansible, or Terraform). Expert knowledge of security frameworks, identity governance (Active Directory/Entra ID), storage area networks (SAN/NAS), data protection, and modern disaster recovery/failover protocols.

Physical Demand

• Positions in this class typically require reaching, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Special Requirements

• Safety Sensitive: N
• Department of Transportation - CDL: N
• Child Sensitive: N
• The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Licensing and Certifications

• Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect – Desired
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP‑DCV) or equivalent enterprise virtualization certification – Desired
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) - Desired
• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) - Desired