Senior Systems Administrator – Contract – Cork, Ireland

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Systems Administrator to join our team in West Cork on a contract basis. The role involves ensuring the stability, security and performance of our IT infrastructure while providing guidance to the help‑desk and junior staff.

Key responsibilities

• Lead installation, configuration and ongoing management of servers, storage, network devices and other infrastructure components.
• Administer and monitor operating systems (Windows, Linux) and virtualization platforms (VMware, Hyper‑V) as well as cloud environments.
• Oversee L1.5 help‑desk escalations, ensuring timely resolution of complex issues.
• Implement and maintain backup solutions and disaster‑recovery plans, conducting regular tests.
• Ensure compliance with security policies, applying patches, managing firewalls, intrusion detection and encryption.
• Configure and maintain network infrastructure including switches, routers, firewalls and wireless access points.
• Develop and use PowerShell and Bash scripts and automation tools to streamline routine tasks.
• Maintain up‑to‑date documentation, mentor junior staff and manage vendor relationships for hardware and software.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Computing, Information Technology or related field.
• Proven experience in senior systems administration within a corporate environment.
• Strong problem‑solving abilities and capacity to work onsite four days a week.

Required skills

• Windows and Linux operating systems
• VMware and Hyper‑V virtualization
• PowerShell and Bash scripting
• Cloud platforms (generic)
• Backup and disaster‑recovery technologies
• Firewalls, intrusion detection, encryption
• Network devices – switches, routers, wireless access points
• Automation tools