IT Operations Manager and Systems Administrator

IT Operations Manager and Systems Administrator

Hands-On IT Operations, Help Desk, Identity, Access, SSO, and Security Administration

Role Summary

The IT Operations Manager and Systems Administrator is a hands-on role responsible for running day-to-day IT operations while improving the company's systems, access controls, support processes, and security posture.

The right person must be comfortable personally doing the work: resolving tickets, managing the Help Desk, provisioning and deprovisioning users, configuring SSO, maintaining Microsoft 365, managing devices, cleaning up access, supporting security controls, and tracking which systems exist and who has access to them.

This role requires someone who can both manage IT support associates and jump into the queue, troubleshoot issues, document processes, clean up systems, and execute operational improvements. Success will come from stronger control over users, devices, applications, access, and day-to-day IT service delivery.

This Role Is for Someone Who

+ Enjoys hands-on IT administration and problem-solving

+ Is willing to work directly in systems, tickets, admin portals, and documentation

+ Can manage the Help Desk while also serving as an escalation point

+ Takes ownership of provisioning, access cleanup, SSO, device management, and security controls

+ Is comfortable with both routine operational work and improvement projects

+ Wants to make the environment cleaner, more reliable, more secure, and easier to manage

Core Responsibilities

Systems Administration

+ Administer and improve Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, SharePoint, and related systems

+ Maintain system configurations, groups, permissions, policies, and administrative settings

+ Identify and clean up legacy configurations, stale accounts, unused groups, and inconsistent settings

+ Troubleshoot system, user, device, and application issues

+ Maintain documentation for systems, processes, access, ownership, and support procedures

+ Track all key business and IT systems, including owners, users, access levels, and support contacts

IT Operations and Help Desk Management

+ Run daily IT support operations across corporate and field locations

+ Manage remote and in-house Help Desk associates

+ Monitor ticket intake, prioritization, escalation, and resolution

+ Personally handle escalated, complex, or high-impact support issues

+ Ensure consistent use of ticketing, documentation, and support processes

+ Identify recurring issues and resolve root causes

+ Improve Help Desk responsiveness, accountability, and service quality

+ Support end users directly when needed, including hardware, software, access, device, and account issues

SSO, Authentication and Access Control

+ Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot SSO integrations for business applications

+ Support SAML, OIDC, MFA, Conditional Access, and related identity controls

+ Maintain accurate documentation of SSO-enabled applications and access requirements

+ Troubleshoot login, authentication, permissions, and account synchronization issues

+ Support the transition from hybrid Active Directory to Entra ID where appropriate

+ Ensure access is secure, auditable, and aligned to business roles

Identity, Access and Provisioning

+ Own user provisioning, deprovisioning, and role-change processes

+ Ensure timely and accurate account creation, access assignment, and access removal

+ Maintain access control standards across Microsoft 365, Entra ID, SaaS platforms, and business applications

+ Implement and maintain RBAC, security groups, dynamic groups, and access structures

+ Support periodic access reviews and permission cleanup

+ Partner with HR and business teams to align employee lifecycle events with access changes

+ Reduce manual provisioning where practical through workflow improvements and automation

Process Improvement and Automation

+ Improve onboarding, offboarding, access requests, device provisioning, and support workflows

+ Create repeatable, documented processes that reduce manual effort and errors

+ Use Microsoft 365 tools, Power Automate, scripting, or other practical methods to automate routine work

+ Standardize how requests are submitted, approved, fulfilled, and documented

+ Focus on operational improvements that make IT easier to run, easier to audit, and easier to support

Endpoint and Device Management

+ Manage endpoint devices using Intune and related Microsoft tools

+ Support device provisioning, configuration, compliance, retirement, and replacement

+ Maintain device standards for patching, encryption, endpoint protection, and configuration

+ Support deployment processes such as Autopilot

+ Track devices, assigned users, compliance status, and lifecycle stage

+ Resolve endpoint issues involving laptops, mobile devices, applications, updates, and security policies

Cybersecurity Operations and Tactical Controls

+ Support practical cybersecurity controls across users, devices, applications, and access

+ Implement and maintain MFA, Conditional Access, endpoint protection, patching, and device compliance standards

+ Support application allows listing/whitelisting and access restriction efforts

+ Help identify risky access, stale accounts, unmanaged devices, weak configurations, and policy gaps

+ Assist with security-related tickets, investigations, remediation tasks, and audit requests

+ Maintain clean records of systems, access, administrative privileges, and security exceptions

+ Partner with leadership and external security resources as needed to execute security improvements

System Inventory, Ownership and Access Tracking

+ Maintain an accurate inventory of IT systems, business applications, vendors, administrators, and users

+ Track who has access to each system and what level of access they have

+ Identify orphaned systems, unknown owners, unmanaged access, and outdated permissions

+ Establish repeatable processes for system ownership, access reviews, and lifecycle management

+ Ensure documentation stays current as people, roles, and systems change

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by practical, visible improvements, including:

+ Faster and more reliable onboarding and offboarding

+ More accurate provisioning and deprovisioning of user access

+ Reduced ticket volume, repeat issues, and unresolved escalations

+ Cleaner Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, and SharePoint environments

+ Improved Help Desk performance and accountability

+ Better visibility into systems, owners, users, and access levels

+ Stronger MFA, Conditional Access, endpoint compliance, and access control posture

+ Fewer stale accounts, unused groups, unmanaged devices, and undocumented systems

+ Increased automation of routine IT tasks

+ Improved documentation and operational consistency

First 90-Day Expectations

Within the first 90 days, this person should be able to:

+ Take ownership of Help Desk operations and escalation processes

+ Understand the current Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, device, and access environment

+ Identify immediate risks related to stale accounts, access gaps, device compliance, and provisioning

+ Begin cleanup of users, groups, permissions, devices, and legacy configurations

+ Build or improve system and access inventories

+ Stabilize onboarding and offboarding processes

+ Improve ticket handling, documentation, and operational accountability

+ Deliver measurable progress on access control, support quality, and system hygiene

Required Experience and Skills

Technical Experience

+ Hands-on administration of Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, and SharePoint

+ Experience with Mac OS is helpful