Lead Windows System Administrator (Remote Opportunity)

Employment: Full-Time Mind Computing is seeking a full-time, 100% remote Lead Windows System Administrator to support a project with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The ideal candidate will provide hands-on technical leadership and oversee a team responsible for managing, maintaining, and securing enterprise Windows infrastructure supporting mission-critical applications and data platforms. This role requires extensive experience with Windows Server environments, virtualization, high availability, system hardening, enterprise backup and recovery, and infrastructure automation, preferably within federal or healthcare environments. The candidate must reside within the continental US. Responsibilities: Lead and mentor a team of system administrators and engineers, assigning work, establishing priorities, tracking deliverables, and coordinating maintenance activities. Serve as the primary technical point of contact for program leadership, application developers, database engineers, cybersecurity personnel, and VA stakeholders. Design, engineer, and maintain Windows Server infrastructure (2016, 2019, and newer) across development, staging, and production environments, including capacity planning and lifecycle upgrades. Architect and manage enterprise services, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, SMB, RDP, and Group Policy Objects (GPOs), while establishing configuration and administration standards. Design and maintain high-availability infrastructure, including server clusters, SAN-attached storage, multipath I/O (MPIO), and NIC teaming. Oversee physical and virtual server environments, including Microsoft Hyper-V, HP ProLiant servers, firmware updates, and hardware diagnostics. Lead implementation of VA/DoD Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs), vulnerability remediation, patch management, and secure system configurations. Manage enterprise backup and recovery solutions using Commvault, including backup scheduling, validation, and restoration testing. Oversee system monitoring using SCOM, SolarWinds, or equivalent tools, serving as the senior escalation point for complex incidents and root cause analysis. Plan and coordinate deployments of enterprise software and development tools, including Visual Studio, Power BI, ER/Studio, JupyterLab, and SQL Server. Lead infrastructure change management activities, including technical reviews, risk assessments, and rollback planning. Establish PowerShell automation standards, review team-developed scripts, and guide the responsible use of AI-assisted administration tools. Maintain technical documentation, configuration guides, runbooks, and system topology diagrams to support operational and audit readiness. Support team development through mentoring, onboarding, training, and input on staffing and performance needs. Perform additional duties as needed to support project objectives and organizational innovation initiatives. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, or another engineering or technical discipline. Eight (8) years of additional relevant experience may be substituted for the degree. 5+ years of experience administering and engineering Windows Server environments in large-scale or enterprise settings. Experience leading or serving as a technical lead for systems administration or infrastructure engineering teams, including assigning work and reviewing technical deliverables. Experience designing and managing enterprise Windows infrastructure, including high-availability configurations, server clustering, and SAN-attached storage. Hands-on experience with Active Directory, Group Policy Objects (GPOs), Windows clustering, sFTP configuration, and SAN-attached storage. Proficiency in patch management, system hardening, and compliance with federal security standards. Experience with virtualization technologies such as Microsoft Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Manager (VMM). Familiarity with enterprise backup and monitoring solutions such as Commvault, SolarWinds, and SCOM. Strong PowerShell scripting, troubleshooting, and technical documentation skills, including the ability to establish scripting standards and review work developed by others. Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to present technical recommendations to engineering teams, non-technical stakeholders, and program leadership. Additional Qualifications: Experience supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or other federal healthcare environments. Knowledge of Windows-based integration with Azure-hosted services. Familiarity with Nessus vulnerability scans and remediation tracking for Authorization to Operate (ATO) readiness. Exposure to container-based platforms and hybrid cloud infrastructure. Experience with ITIL-based change, incident, and problem management in enterprise environments. Experience using AI-assisted tools, such as GitHub Copilot, to develop and maintain PowerShell scripts for server automation, patching, and Active Directory administration. Experience establishing team standards for responsible AI-assisted administration, including reviewing and testing AI-generated scripts and configurations in non-production environments before production use. Familiarity with AI-assisted vulnerability remediation, including interpreting STIG and Nessus findings and developing remediation steps that are validated against applicable security requirements. Experience using AI-driven monitoring and AIOps capabilities to identify anomalies, anticipate capacity issues, and support root cause analysis. Experience using AI tools to analyze Windows event logs, troubleshoot system issues, and develop technical documentation, runbooks, and audit artifacts. Knowledge of secure and responsible AI use in federal environments, including agency-approved tools and applicable VA and federal guidance for protecting sensitive information. Relevant certifications such as Microsoft, CompTIA Security+, or ITIL v4 (e.g., MCSA, Security+). Ability to obtain a government clearance. Benefits: Medical/Dental/Vision 401k with Employer Match PTO + Federal Holidays Corporate Laptop Training Opportunities Remote Opportunity Note: Selected candidates will be required to complete fingerprinting at a government facility and undergo a background check as part of the hiring process. Mind Computing is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status. At this time, we are unable to offer sponsorship.