Systems Administration Manager (Oakland, CA - US)

Systems Administration Manager

Oakland, California, United States

Interested in joining a growing company where you will work with talented colleagues, enhance a supportive and energetic culture, and be part of the climate solution? At Energy Solutions, we focus on the big impacts. And we believe that market-based programs can be a powerful force to deliver large-scale energy, carbon, and water-use savings. Since 1995, we've harnessed that power to offer proven, performance-based solutions for our utility, government, and institutional customers.

Energy Solutions is seeking a proactive and technical Systems Administration Manager to oversee our day-to-day IT operations. In this role, you will manage the implementation, support, and maintenance of our core platforms—including corporate networks, telephony, and enterprise software—to ensure a secure and efficient environment for our hybrid workforce.

As a hands-on manager, you won't just oversee the sidelines; you will supervise a small team balancing delegation with direct technical contribution. You will be responsible for prioritizing workloads, mentoring staff, and stepping into the trenches to resolve tickets or provide backup support whenever necessary.

This is a hybrid role, and the selected candidate will be required to work from our office in Downtown Oakland, California, for 3 days a week onsite.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Supervise the Systems Administration team, providing ongoing guidance, feedback, and coaching to foster professional growth and high-quality performance.
• Set clear workload goals to ensure the timely resolution of service requests and operational tasks.
• Author and maintain comprehensive processes, procedures, and technical documentation.
• Track and manage a portfolio of IT-related projects and initiatives within the systems administration function.
• Ensure corporate networks, telephony systems, alarm systems, and security cameras are properly maintained, monitored, and secured.
• Continuously evaluate system health, addressing technical issues in partnership with the team.
• Validate and deploy operating systems, firmware, and software updates across both Windows and Mac environments.
• Evaluate and offer improvements to maintenance efforts related to cloud infrastructure, specifically within Microsoft Azure environments.
• Resolve or escalate complex technical issues by working directly with team members and peer IT leaders.
• Serve as a backup administrator, providing direct support when team members are unavailable.
• Review open tickets and incidents to identify recurring problems or trends.
• Partner with IT Security Management to ensure systems and processes adhere to SOC 2, NIST, and internal security standards.
• Maintain backup and recovery of readiness, including rigorous documentation and periodic testing.
• Evaluate system administration workflows to identify opportunities for automation and process enhancement.
• Support vendor engagement (contracts/licenses) and assist in IT operations budget planning.
• Provide regular updates to IT leadership on system performance, project progress, and significant issue resolution.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience in IT systems administration with 2 years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience implementing, maintaining, and supporting enterprise networks and infrastructure.
• Experience configuring a variety of software platforms and enterprise-level systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading systems administration projects and coordinating work across technical teams.
• Experiencing managing vendor relationships and supporting technology procurement activities.
• Experience with business continuity planning and data recovery and protection practices.
• Advanced knowledge of Windows and macOS environments, including system configuration, patching, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with systems such as Datto RMM, Intune, Slack, Zoom, Tableau, and MS Azure.
• Functional understanding of IT security protocols and compliance requirements, including SOC 2 and NIST standards.
• Excellent troubleshooting, interpersonal communication, and technical documentation skills.
• Experience developing and reporting IT operational metrics and dashboards.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating within a team-based environment.
• Demonstrated ability to support a guide team member while maintaining accountability for outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• ITIL certification or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Certification in Microsoft technologies, including Azure, desktop VMs, SharePoint, and Exchange Online.
• Project management certification such as PMP or Agile/Scrum (CSM, SAFe, or equivalent).
• Experience managing infrastructure environments on cloud platforms.
• Hands-on experience supporting remote work environments.
• Experience participating in system modernization, automation initiatives, or platform migrations.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Power Automate.
• Ability to apply scripting or automation concepts to improve operational efficiency and system reliability.

The salary range for this role is $122,600–$159,400, with a target compensation of $122,600 - $140,000 based on experience and qualifications.

Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes a generous retirement package. Energy Solutions provides an excellent benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, other pre-tax contribution plans and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).