Systems Engineer ​/ Systems Administrator | Cognitive Minds | San Pedro, CA

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Job Title:

Systems Engineer / Systems Administrator | Cognitive Minds | San Pedro, CA

🏢 Recruiting Company:
Cognitive Minds

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Job Location:

San Pedro, California

💼 Job Type: Contract Position

📧 Application Method:

The Systems Engineer / Administrator will support the stability, performance, and security of enterprise IT infrastructure across servers, virtualization platforms, networking components, and core IT services. This role is essential for ensuring reliable operations, rapid issue resolution, and high availability of critical business systems.

As a Systems Engineer / Admin, you will be responsible for maintaining and optimizing both Windows and Linux server environments, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations. You will manage Active Directory, virtualization platforms such as VMware, hyperconverged systems, backup and recovery processes, and various network services. The role demands strong troubleshooting capabilities, hands‑on technical depth, and the ability to work with cross-functional teams to support infrastructure initiatives.

You will also play a key part in reinforcing system security, automating routine tasks, and maintaining documentation to support long-term operational excellence.

• Administer and maintain Windows and Linux (Red Hat) server environments.
• Manage Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and related core infrastructure services.
• Support VMware ESXi/vSphere environments, including configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Manage hyperconverged infrastructure platforms (e.g., Cisco Hyper Flex).
• Perform system backups, restores, and disaster recovery planning using tools like Veeam.
• Monitor system performance, capacity, and security, ensuring optimal uptime.
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, networking, and virtualization issues.
• Implement automation for routine tasks and infrastructure improvements.
• Maintain documentation for systems, configurations, and operational procedures.

• Strong experience as a Systems Engineer or System Administrator.
• Hands‑on expertise with Windows Server and Linux (Red Hat) administration.
• Proficient in Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and WSUS.
• Experience with VMware ESXi, vSphere, and virtualization environments.
• Knowledge of hyperconverged systems, preferably Cisco Hyper Flex.
• Skilled in backup and recovery solutions such as Veeam.
• Understanding of high availability, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity best practices.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical abilities across server, storage, and networking domains.

• Experience with automation tools (Power Shell, Bash, Ansible, etc.).
• Familiarity with cloud and data center technologies.
• Exposure to networking infrastructure and Cisco technologies.
• Background in cybersecurity or data security compliance.

Clearly highlight your hands‑on expertise with both Windows and Linux environments—multi‑platform versatility combined with VMware and backup experience is a major differentiator for securing shortlist placement in infrastructure engineering roles.