Systems Administrator

Job Summary

Magnopus is seeking a Senior Systems Administrator to join our IT services team. The ideal candidate will have a diverse technical background, exceptional customer service skills, an open attitude toward team-oriented collaboration, and a strong passion for researching, deploying, and supporting cutting-edge hardware and software solutions.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in the hands-on implementation of new systems, improvements, and maintenance of existing systems with minimal oversight.
• Be capable of implementing solutions for a diverse range of complex technical problems under minimal technical supervision.
• Anticipate risks and collaborate with senior team members and project leadership to develop effective mitigation strategies.
• Independently research and evaluate relevant information to perform assigned tasks and propose improvements to the existing infrastructure.
• Complete complex tasks within the service desk, including necessary customer communication to ensure high-quality and timely task completion.
• Execute new hire onboarding tasks and provide support to vendors, IT clients, and off-site client operations with minimal oversight.
• Contribute to the enhancement of working practices and infrastructure quality across the studio.
• Support more junior staff, providing assistance and advice as needed, and acting as a technical role model.
• Educate, guide, and mentor other team members in their technical specialty.
• Proactively communicate progress and risks related to work, keeping leads and senior staff informed of developments and issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a hands-on Systems Administration, IT Operations, or a similar high-performance computing/DevOps role.
• Proven experience working in an environment that demands high-availability and performance (e.g., Media & Entertainment, VFX, or similar high-intensity production environments).
• Operating Systems: Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Server (Active Directory, Group Policy) and Linux-based Operating Systems (Rocky, Ubuntu).
• Networking: Expertise in enterprise-level networking concepts and hardware (Cisco, FS, Unifi), including VLANs, routing, VPNs, and firewall management (Sophos, Cisco Meraki).
• Virtualization: Deep proficiency with virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM).
• Configuration Management: Proficiency with configuration management tools (Ansible, SaltStack, Puppet, or Chef).
• Storage: Advanced understanding of Storage Area Networks (SANs), Network Attached Storage (NAS), and related protocols (iSCSI, Fibre Channel, SMB, NFS).
• Render Farm & HPC: Experience in the build-out, administration, and operation of high-performance computing (HPC) environments or render farms (Deadline, Tractor, OpenCue).
• Containerization: Working knowledge of container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) for development, application deployment, and scaling.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Experience implementing and maintaining services within major cloud platforms (e.g., Google Cloud Platform (GCP), AWS, Azure), including Identity & Access Management (IAM), virtual networking, and Infrastructure as Code.
• Endpoint Protection: Expertise in implementing, configuring, and managing next-generation endpoint security solutions and technologies (EDR/XDR, anti-malware).
• Vulnerability Management: Experience in the operation and remediation of vulnerability scanning tools, patch management, and security hardening practices for servers and workstations.
• Access Control: Advanced knowledge of Identity and Access Management (IAM) best practices, including Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and role-based access control (RBAC).
• Auditing & Compliance: Ability to perform routine audits of systems and software, analyze system logs, and implement controls to maintain compliance with security policies.
• Hardware Maintenance: Proven experience with server, storage, and workstation hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair (e.g., HP, Dell, Supermicro).
• Desktop Management: Proficiency in managing fleets of Windows, macOS, and Linux workstations using centralized deployment and Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools (Intune, Jamf, SCCM, Jumpcloud).
• Demonstrates clear, patient, and effective verbal and written communication with all team members and other disciplines.
• Possesses an insatiable desire to continue growing an understanding of new and emerging technologies in the systems and network fields.

Compensation and Location

• Compensation: $80,000 - $90,000 a year.
• Location: Los Angeles, United States.
• Status: On-site.

Company Information

Magnopus is an experience-focused technology company founded by a team of Oscar-winning artists, designers, and engineers from games, films, and other unusual places. We are passionate about creating rich experiences that unite the physical and digital worlds. We foster a diverse, creative workplace where people from many perspectives collaborate across disciplines. We invest in employee progression with ongoing education and mentorship opportunities through guilds and support happiness and productivity through health care, time off, and other benefits. We value collaboration over individual talent and prioritize characteristics of curiosity, empathy, respect, honesty, and courage. We may use AI tools to support parts of the hiring process (e.g., transcribing interviews, generating summaries), but these are not used to review applications or analyze resumes, and all hiring decisions are made by people.