Senior Systems Administrator (Information Systems Specialist 7)

Initial Posting Date:
06/11/2026

Application Deadline:
06/24/2026

Agency:
Water Resources Department

Salary Range:
$6,846 - $10,344

Position Type:
Employee

Position Title:
Senior Systems Administrator (Information Systems Specialist 7)

Job Description:

Working Title: Senior Systems Administrator

Classification: Information Systems Specialist 7

Position Type: Limited Duration, Full-time

Representation: Service Employees International Union ( SEIU)

FLSA Status: Exempt, ineligible for overtime or compensatory time.

Monthly Compensation: The monthly salary range before PERS* will be $6,846-$10,344 | after PERS* will be $7,323-$11,070.

Work Location: North Mall Office Building, 725 Summer St. NE Suite A, Salem Oregon 97301.


Hybrid/Remote Work: Hybrid work eligible. 1-2 days per week in office, hybrid schedule agreed upon by manager. Quantity of office days may be adjusted based on business need with notice.

Duration: This position is a limited duration job rotation anticipated to last until June 30, 2027.

This position may be extended beyond June 30, 2027, or decreased due to business/funding need. Either management or the employee can terminate the rotation at any time.

Job Rotation Considerations:

You must be a current State of Oregon employee in a permanent position to apply for this job rotation.

• You keep your base job and return to it at the end of the rotation.
• If either you or the manager decides the rotation isn't the right fit, it can end early.
• Your pay will not decrease; if your current salary is higher than the rotation range, it stays the same.
• You may receive additional pay if the rotation is at a higher salary range.
• Experience gained can strengthen your résumé and competitiveness for future opportunities.
• To apply as a job rotation, you must be a current State of Oregon employee in a permanent position. Supervisor approval is required and should be attached to the application.

About the Oregon Water Resources Department

The Oregon Water Resources Department is committed to creating a workplace culture that understands and appreciates differences among people and is welcoming and inclusive to all. By fostering fairness and equity in its work culture, the Department strives to improve services for all Oregonians. We acknowledge that not all people have experienced equitable opportunities or fair treatment. We are committed to increasing our awareness and understanding of historic injustices and building a foundation for meaningful change. We value a wide range of professional and lived experiences, and people of underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.


Our Vision


The vision of the Oregon Water Resources Department is to assure sufficient and sustainable water supplies are available to meet current and future needs.


Our Mission

The Department's mission is to serve the public by practicing and promoting responsible water management through two key goals:

• To directly address Oregon's water supply needs
• To restore and protect streamflows and watersheds in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of Oregon's ecosystems, economy, and quality of life

Core Values

• Integrity - We are accountable for all that we do. We act with honesty and promote transparency.
• Service - We are dedicated to providing outstanding service and treating everyone equitably in our management and stewardship of state resources.
• Technical Excellence - We base our resource decisions on law, science, and expertise.
• Teamwork - We are united in our mission, relying on one another and working together with the communities we serve.
• Forward-Looking - We seek innovative and practical solutions to the water challenges of today and tomorrow.

Current OWRD Strategic Plan Priorities

The Oregon Water Resources Department's strategic priorities are to:

• Modernize our management of Oregon's surface water and groundwater resources to meet instream and out-of-stream uses
• Work to secure Oregon's instream and out-of-stream water future in the face of increasing water scarcity
• Foster a forward-looking team dedicated to serving Oregonians with integrity and excellence.

About our Team/Division

The Information Technology section is a relatively small but mighty team of professionals who are critical to the optimal functioning of the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD).

The information technology team is also responsible for supporting a smaller agency called Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). OWEB is in close vicinity of Oregon Water Resources Department main office in Salem, Oregon.

The IT team is comprised of the following main areas:

1) Application Development Unit (Including a GIS Team)

2) Service Desk Unit

3) Infrastructure Unit (Network, Systems, and Database Management).


About the Position


The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an expert level consultant on the infrastructure unit to be the Senior Systems Administrator and assist with networking, security and compliance, troubleshooting & performance optimization, backup and disaster recovery to management.

The Senior Systems Administrator identifies opportunities along with our resident system administrator (ISS6) to coordinate and lead efforts internally and work with Enterprise Information Services (EIS) to increase our effectiveness and stabilize our IT Infrastructure setup.

As systems grow more complex and cybersecurity requirements intensify, this position is essential to ensure the reliability, security, and performance of these foundational systems. This role provides advanced technical expertise, leads infrastructure planning and modernization, and ensures the agency's systems remain stable, compliant, and resilient.

Some Key Responsibilities:

• Ensures secure, reliable operation of agency-wide systems, networks, servers, and cloud systems
• Provides advanced troubleshooting and rapid incident response to minimize downtime
• Supports compliance with statewide cybersecurity, data protection, and Continuity of Operations (COOP) requirements
• Leads infrastructure upgrades, modernization efforts, and long-term capacity planning

Minimum Qualifications

(a) Six (6) years of information systems experience in:
(Systems administration, networking, security, troubleshooting, and backup/recovery);

OR

(b) An Associate's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field, OR completion of a two (2) year accredited vocational training program in information technology or related field;

AND

four (4) years of information systems experience in:
(Systems administration, networking, security, troubleshooting, and backup/recovery);

OR

(c) A Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field
AND
two (2) years of information systems experience in:
(Systems administration, networking, security, troubleshooting, and backup/recovery);

OR

(d) Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field may substitute for all of the above.


Desired Attributes & Leadership Skills

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across Infrastructure, Database Administration, Service Desk, Application Development, Security, and Leadership teams to drive operational excellence and address technical debt across previously under-supported environments.
• Clear communication skills, including written, verbal, visual, and active listening capabilities, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences and improve cross-functional alignment, escalation quality, and stakeholder engagement.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills with a structured troubleshooting methodology, strong attention to detail, and the ability to identify root causes and implement sustainable solutions within complex infrastructure environments.
• Strong customer-focused mindset combined with excellent prioritization, time management, and service delivery practices, ensuring high-quality support while reducing operational burden on frontline support teams.
• Proven adaptability, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to continuous learning, with the ability to rapidly acquire expertise across infrastructure domains including systems, identity and access management, networking, cloud platforms, security, and automation.
• Ability to mentor junior administrators and contribute to the development of operational standards, documentation, and best practices that improve team effectiveness and organizational resilience.

Technical Competencies

• Infrastructure & Systems Administration:
  • Extensive experience administering enterprise server environments, operating systems, virtualization platforms, patch management processes, and core infrastructure services with a focus on reliability, scalability, and lifecycle management.
  • Ability to architect, maintain, and optimize infrastructure platforms while identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, and technical debt reduction.
• Networking
  • Strong understanding of networking principles, including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, switching, VPN technologies, firewalls, and network troubleshooting.
  • Ability to diagnose complex connectivity and performance issues across hybrid and multi-site environments.
• Security, Identity & Compliance
  • Experience implementing and supporting security best practices, vulnerability management programs, identity and access management, privileged access controls, and compliance initiatives.
  • Ability to assess risk, remediate security findings, and contribute to organizational security posture improvements.
• Troubleshooting, Monitoring & Performance Optimization
  • Advanced troubleshooting skills across infrastructure, operating systems, cloud services, applications, and network layers.
  • Experience leveraging monitoring, logging, and observability tools to proactively identify issues, optimize performance, and reduce recurring incidents.
• Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity
  • Strong knowledge of enterprise backup and recovery solutions, disaster recovery planning, storage lifecycle management, and business continuity strategies.
  • Experience validating recovery objectives through testing, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Cloud & Hybrid Infrastructure
  • Experience supporting cloud platforms and hybrid environments, including governance, cost optimization, security controls, resource provisioning, and operational support.
  • Understanding of cloud architecture principles, automation opportunities, and platform modernization initiatives.
• Automation & Scripting
  • Experience developing and maintaining automation solutions through scripting and infrastructure management tools to improve operational efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
  • Ability to automate routine administrative tasks, reporting, provisioning, and system maintenance activities.

Working Conditions

Office environment with the following conditions:

• High volume of quality work must be accomplished within tight timeframes with minimal supervision

• Requires concentration while working on highly technical information in an open office environment where there are frequent interruptions

• Requires managing multiple and competing priorities

• May require irregular work hours, including night and/or weekend work

• Requires frequent and extended periods of desktop or laptop computer use

• Requires excellent oral and written communications skills

• Requires conflict resolution skills

• Requires constant use of computer input/output devices

• Occasional light lifting of under 50lbs.

• Occasionally travel around the state using a state vehicle.

What's in it for you?

In addition to offering a culture of care and inclusivity and working among a highly skilled team to dive into meaningful work, we also offer a competitive benefits package that includes:

• PEBB Insurance with exceptional medical, vision and dental plans with employees paying 1 to 5% of the total premium.

• Leave accrual starting at 8 hours of sick and 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years.

• Access to an additional four days of discretionary leave - 3 days of personal business leave and one day of Governor's Leave each year.

• Eleven paid holidays per year.

• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) including a pension and employer contributions to the Individual Account Program.

• Optional benefits (such as term life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, long-term care, health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, enrollment in the Oregon Savings Growth Plan, a deferred compensation program with a wide variety of investment options).

• The opportunity to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (must qualify).

Application Requirements

• Provide a resume.
• If you are an internal State of Oregon employee who is interested in a job rotation, please attach your manager's approval of pursuing a job rotation with our agency.

Please monitor both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment. You may be asked to submit additional information after initial application. If you have questions about this job posting, please contact Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io.


Current State of Oregon employees must apply through your employee Workday account.


Important Information

PERS Salary Information


The salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect the additional 6.95%. Review the Classification and Compensation page for more details on the classification. *NON-PERS ELIGIBLE (Includes most new hires to state government. Employees typically gain PERS eligibility after six months of state service.

Accommodations


If you need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the American with Disabilities Act, we invite you to contact the recruiter for accommodation requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), application questions or job-specific questions please contact our HR team at View email address on click.appcast.io.


Future Vacancies


This applicant pool may be used to fill additional vacancies as they occur over the next three (3) months.


Work Authorization


The Oregon Water Resources Department does not offer visa sponsorships. Within three days of hire, all applicants will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States.


Veterans


If you are an eligible veteran and you meet the qualifications, veterans' preference points will be added to your score. For more information on veterans' preference points visit and select Veterans resources under Resources. Please do not attach veteran documentation to your initial application, after you have applied you will be sent a task in your Workday account to provide your veteran documentation at that time.


Application Review Process


In addition to your related work experience and education, we will use both the minimum and desired qualifications above to determine whom to interview. Please make sure all your relevant qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials. Your application materials may be evaluated on spelling, grammar, punctuation, attention to detail, and presentation.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage


The use of outside resources such as Artificial Intelligence software during the application process (cover letter and resume) and applicant skill assessments, examinations, and/or interviews is prohibited unless otherwise stated by the hiring agency. Unauthorized use of outside resources during the hiring process will result in immediate disqualification.


HB3187 Statement

The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an educational institution during the application process.

Equal Pay

The information in your application will be used to complete an Equal Pay Analysis to determine salary placement upon hire. Visit the Department of Administrative Services Equal Pay Analysis Webpage for more information.

The Oregon Water Resources Department is an Equal Opportunity; Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Workforce Diversity.