Systems Administrator

Title:
Systems Administrator

Location:
Houston, TX

Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top‑of‑the‑line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, KAI leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd., based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 32 countries and employs more than 12,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability. As part of Kuraray America, Inc., you will benefit from a leading innovator’s resources and an opportunity to earn responsibility quickly, with a comprehensive benefits package including competitive salaries, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

The Systems Administrator is responsible for administering, securing, and modernizing Kuraray America's hybrid IT infrastructure, including on‑premises systems, Microsoft cloud services, end‑user computing platforms, and related business applications. This role ensures reliable IT operations across corporate and manufacturing environments, partnering with global IT teams, vendors, and managed service providers to deliver secure, scalable, and high‑performing technology solutions. The Systems Administrator contributes to IT roadmap execution, operational excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives that enable business performance and growth, focusing on system stability, performance, and security while supporting users and business operations.

• Administer servers, virtualization platforms, storage systems, network devices, cloud resources, and business applications.
• Configure and maintain Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, file and print services.
• Support Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Entra , and Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, SharePoint, One Drive, Teams, Intune).
• Maintain hybrid connectivity between on‑premises infrastructure and cloud environments.
• Monitor system health, capacity, performance, availability, and compliance.

• Support endpoint lifecycle management including provisioning, configuration, patching, and application deployment.
• Administer identity and access management (IAM), including MFA, conditional access, and privileged access controls.
• Ensure a secure, reliable end‑user collaboration and productivity environment.

• Troubleshoot and resolve infrastructure, application, endpoint, and access‑related issues.
• Participate in incident, problem, request, and change management processes.
• Execute maintenance, upgrades, and patching with proper testing and communication.
• Provide timely and clear updates to stakeholders to minimize business disruption.

• Implement secure configuration standards and controls in partnership with IT Security.
• Support compliance with internal policies, cybersecurity standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity processes.
• Assist with audits, risk assessments, and remediation activities.

• Automate and standardize IT operations using scripting (e.g., Power Shell) and monitoring tools.
• Maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and knowledge articles.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements.
• Contribute to IT modernization and roadmap initiatives.

• Maintain CMDB, asset inventories, and licensing records.
• Coordinate with vendors and managed service providers to ensure SLA performance.
• Support procurement, renewals, and vendor engagements.
• Assist with IT projects including planning, testing, and implementation.

• Provide onsite and remote support across…