Senior Systems Administrator

Overview

At TDS Telecom, connecting people is at the heart of everything we do. We are forward thinkers who leverage cutting-edge fiber internet technology to strengthen communities. We are dedicated to excellence, which drives us to succeed together, creating a better world through meaningful connections. Ready to make an impact?

As a Senior System Administrator, you will work independently or informally lead teams of 2-4 people responsible for system design, development, implementation, testing, and problem resolution. You will work with significant autonomy and independence. In this position, the scope of work includes small system implementations to major system projects. As an experienced systems administrator and a beginning technical leader, you will receive regular mentoring, feedback, and supervision by senior technical staff and management on team leadership skills.

In this role, you will join the team of system administrators and engineers responsible for the operation and automation of TDS Telecom’s service provider server infrastructure. The SRE team manages over 6,000 virtual machines in on-premise data centers as well as deploys and supports hundreds of systems and applications used to deliver Internet, video and voice services across the country.  These systems may be hosted at a TDS owned facility, a third-party facility, or split across multiple facilities.

Systems include physical and virtual RHEL and CentOS servers, VMWare ESXi, F5 load balancers, and Red Hat Openshift.  Other skills include Bash scripting, Puppet, Ansible, Perl, Python, and other commercial and open-source software.

This position is remote; however, candidates must reside within a 2-hour radius of Madison, WI, as occasional on-site work is required at our Fitchburg data center.

Responsibilities

• Leads teams of 2-4 people that design, develop, implement, test, and fix defects in systems. Systems may be routine to moderately complex.
• Performs complex maintenance, administration, and capacity planning activities on systems to ensure continued reliability, performance, and security targets are met. Automates system administration activities through scripting tools.
• Leads work teams in preparing work estimates and project schedules for all technical work for the projects within the team.
• Leads work teams in resolving complex problems.

• Maintains expert knowledge on the systems and tools within the scope of the team's responsibility. Maintains expert knowledge of the business processes supported by the systems.

  • Maintains expert-level knowledge of system configuration and administration best practices, tools, and methodologies that are recognized throughout Information Systems.
• Leads teams focused on quality and continuous improvement initiatives across business units within the company.
• Maintains expert knowledge of the technologies and practices of the company's chosen markets.
• Maintains awareness of trends in technologies and vendor product offerings.

The functions listed above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities; other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Associates degree (or higher) -OR- 2+ years professional work experience.
• 3+ years of systems administration experience.

Other Qualifications

• Experience with networking, security, and RHEL and Centos operating systems, including IPv4, IPv6, load balancers, and firewalls.
• Experience with VMWare ESXi, OpenShift or other virtualization and container technologies
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD, including Puppet, Ansible, Jenkins and GitHub
• Experience with Python and RESTful APIs
• Experience with SSL certificates and PKI infrastructure
• Familiarity with various models of HPE server Hardware
• Experience with AWS or Azure cloud computing
• Experience with Kanban and Agile practices and DevOps and SecOps, including Jira as a ticketing and issue tracking system
• Knowledge of systems development methodologies, practices, and tools.
• Knowledge of Elastic, Splunk or other monitoring systems
• Knowledge of Nagios, Icinga or other monitoring software
• Knowledge of team leadership skills, practices, and behaviors.
• Ability to travel as needed for company business and professional development.
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed for system implementations and resolving system problems.

Do you meet the Required Qualifications but are unsure if your experience aligns with the Other Qualifications? We encourage you to apply! Research shows that many candidates hesitate to apply unless they meet 100% of the qualifications, even when they possess the skills and experience needed to succeed in the role. Experience and skills come in many forms, and they may not always match exactly what’s listed on paper, but they can still lead to success. If you meet the Required Qualifications and believe you have the potential to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply today!

Physical Demands and Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to sit, stand, write and operate a computer keyboard, standard office equipment and telephone. The associate regularly communicates with customers. The associate is frequently required to move about and reach for items. The associate may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

Benefits

We believe in taking care of our team, which is why we offer comprehensive benefits to support your health, financial well-being, and overall happiness. Join us and experience a work environment where your well-being is a top priority!

Associates scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week have access to:

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• Generous Vacation & Paid Sick Leave
• Seven Paid National Holidays & One Floating Holiday
• Paid Parental Leave (6 weeks after 12 months of employment)
• Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance
• Employee Assistance & Wellness Programs 

Associates working 30 or more hours per week additionally have access to:

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• TDS Service Discounts
• Education Assistance
• Paid Volunteer Time 

In addition to these benefits, all associates will have the opportunity to participate in our Associate Resource Groups, which are designed to encourage community and facilitate professional development. To learn more, click here.

Who is TDS Telecom?

TDS Telecom provides high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to a diverse range of communities, including small to mid-sized urban, suburban, and rural areas across the U.S. With over 50 years of experience, TDS is committed to building and expanding fiber optic networks that bring cutting-edge connectivity to neighborhoods nationwide. Serving over 1 million connections, our mission is to create a better world by delivering innovative communication solutions that enhance the way people live, work, and connect. Visit tdstelecom.com to learn more! 

At TDS, we are committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and value the difference of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives in our workforce. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by law.

Pay Transparency

The listed pay range reflects the minimum and maximum base salary. Actual offers will be based on factors such as skills, qualifications, experience, location, and role-specific competencies. Some positions may also offer additional compensation, such as bonuses or equity awards.

Pay Range (Hr./Yr.)