Part Time System Administrator

Mountain Measurement, Inc. is seeking a talented and friendly person to join our closely-knit team of brainiacs and bitheads. This is a great opportunity for an experienced systems administrator to develop a long-term relationship with a low maintenance client.

Role: Systems Administrator This is a part-time telecommuting position (5 hours per week), available immediately.

The Systems Administrator will be responsible for the ongoing administration and maintenance of about 15 cloud-based virtual servers hosted on Digital Ocean. Most of the servers run an Ubuntu 24 OS. The company servers provide the following services:

• Network: DHCP, DNS, OpenVPN
• Database: MS-SQL, MySql, MariaDB, PostGres
• Web: NGINX, Passenger, Ruby-on-Rails
• Applications: Samba, SuiteCRM, LimeSurvey, CanvasLMS, and Tableau

The company also uses Nagios, Rollbar and Twilio/SendGrid for monitoring and mail services.

The Systems Administrator will regularly monitor these systems, analyze logs and alerts, optimize performance, propose, schedule and implement system improvements and maintenance updates.

The Systems Administrator will report directly to the CEO of the company and is expected to meet periodically (monthly?) via zoom and communicate using the company's communication and collaboration software. The Systems Administrator will be jointly responsible for the company's technical infrastructure along with the Chief Technology Officer. The Systems Administrator will work to minimize service disruptions and optimize service performance for a small team of employees and a user base of approximately 10,000 users.

Although most support activities can be executed on a flexible schedule, the Systems Administrator will be required to respond to service outages/inquiries/requests between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM PT Monday to Friday. Although the frequency of outages/inquiries/requests varies, typically these happen about once a month.

Required Technical Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of Linux/Unix system administration experience - This is a hard requirement. Candidates must demonstrate extensive hands-on experience with Linux distributions, particularly Ubuntu/Debian systems.

Essential Linux/Unix Skills

• Command-line mastery: Advanced proficiency with bash/shell scripting and command-line tools
• System administration: User management, file permissions, process management, system services (systemd)
• Package management: Expert knowledge of apt/dpkg, repository management, dependency resolution
• Network administration: TCP/IP, routing, firewall configuration (iptables/ufw), SSH, VPN setup
• Log analysis and troubleshooting: Experience with system logs (/var/log), syslog, journalctl, debugging system issues
• Security hardening: SSL/TLS certificates, access controls, security updates, vulnerability assessment
• Performance monitoring: System resource monitoring, performance tuning, capacity planning
• Backup and recovery: Data backup strategies, disaster recovery procedures
• Automation: Cron jobs, automated maintenance scripts, configuration management

Database Administration

• Hands-on experience with MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL administration on Linux
• Database backup, recovery, and performance optimization
• Experience with MS-SQL on Linux environments preferred

Web Server Management

• NGINX configuration, virtual hosts, SSL certificate management
• Ruby-on-Rails deployment and troubleshooting
• Passenger application server administration

Cloud Infrastructure

• Digital Ocean or similar cloud platform experience
• Virtual server provisioning and management
• Cloud storage and networking concepts

Monitoring and Alerting

• Nagios configuration and management
• Log monitoring and alerting systems
• Application performance monitoring tools

Additional Skills Desired

• Linux certifications (LPIC, CompTIA Linux+, Red Hat, etc.)
• Version control systems (Git)
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent memory for system configurations and procedures
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks
• Strong problem-solving skills in Linux environments
• Time management
• Strong organizational skills
• Documentation skills for system procedures and configurations

Our Ideal Candidate Will

• Adapt well to change in technology and system requirements
• Complete maintenance tasks and updates on schedule
• Regularly meet or exceed system uptime and performance expectations
• Take initiative in identifying and resolving potential issues
• Work independently while maintaining clear communication
• Demonstrate a passion for Linux/Unix systems and continuous learning

Company

Mountain Measurement is a small, locally-owned business with a mission to design and develop superior assessment programs and to cultivate extraordinary insight from examination data. A leader in psychometrics, analytics, reporting and data visualization, Mountain Measurement serves the licensure and certification sectors of the testing industry. While certain aspects of the company are relaxed, Mountain Measurement expects high quality and professionalism from each consultant. All Mountain Measurement colleagues are intelligent, have a thirst for research, and solve complex technical problems independently. A willingness and ability to learn complex concepts, processes, and protocols quickly are also essential for success within the company.

No applications will be considered without an attached cover letter that specifically addresses your Linux/Unix experience and relevant certifications.