Lead Server Administrator

Lead Server Administrator | Dearborn, MI Optomi, in partnership with an experiential marketing agency, is seeking an experienced Lead Server Administrator to join their team in Dearborn, MI! This is a highly visible senior infrastructure role focused on managing and optimizing a hybrid Windows server environment across on‑premises infrastructure and Azure IaaS. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in VMware, Windows Server administration, Active Directory, Azure, IIS, backup/disaster recovery, and PowerShell automation, while serving as a technical leader and escalation point for critical infrastructure operations. This organization offers a collaborative, creative, and laid‑back culture that values proactive engineers who take ownership, solve problems independently, and continuously improve systems and processes. What the right candidate will enjoy! Working in a senior-level technical leadership role with ownership over core infrastructure systems Supporting a modern hybrid environment spanning VMware, Windows Server, and Azure IaaS A collaborative and creative company culture with high visibility across IT and business teams Working alongside Infrastructure, Security, Development, and PMO teams on enterprise‑wide projects Experience of the right candidate: 8+ years of enterprise Windows Server and systems administration experience Strong hands‑on experience with VMware vSphere/vCenter administration Experience supporting hybrid environments across on‑prem infrastructure and Microsoft Azure IaaS Deep knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and Entra ID/Azure AD Experience administering IIS and supporting production web applications Experience with enterprise backup and disaster recovery platforms such as Veeam SQL Server infrastructure experience including Always On Availability Groups and Failover Clustering Strong PowerShell scripting and automation experience Familiarity with monitoring and observability platforms such as Grafana and Graylog Microsoft certifications such as AZ-104, AZ-800, MCSA/MCSE, or VMware certifications are highly preferred Strong troubleshooting, documentation, and independent problem‑solving abilities Responsibilities of the right candidate: Administer and maintain Windows Server environments across on‑prem and Azure infrastructure Manage VMware ESXi hosts, vCenter, VM provisioning, clustering, and host maintenance Support and maintain Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and hybrid identity services Configure and support Azure IaaS resources including VMs, VNets, NSGs, Azure Site Recovery, and storage services Administer IIS environments including SSL/TLS certificates, application pools, and web server troubleshooting Own the deployment, configuration, and ongoing administration of Jackson Dawson’s monitoring stack: Grafana, GrayLog, and VMware Tools (vSphere 9) Support SQL Server infrastructure, failover clustering, and high availability environments Own backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity processes including test restores and DR exercises Build and maintain monitoring dashboards, alerting, and centralized logging solutions Develop PowerShell automation scripts for reporting, provisioning, compliance, and operational tasks Maintain infrastructure documentation, runbooks, SOPs, and operational standards Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior infrastructure and help desk staff Participate in infrastructure projects, change management, and incident response activities #J-18808-Ljbffr Optomi