Systems Administrator

Cincinnati, OH | Defense Manufacturing | Monday–Friday, 6:00 AM – 2:30 PM | Day Shift

Compensation: $85,000 – $115,000

Employment: Full-Time / Direct Hire

About the Opportunity

A well-established defense manufacturing company with operations across multiple Ohio facilities is adding a Systems Administrator to their IT team. This organization produces mission-critical systems for U.S. military applications and operates in a highly regulated, ITAR-compliant environment. This is a direct-hire opportunity with full benefits and strong long-term stability.

What You'll Do

• Own and manage dual-site LAN environments across two manufacturing facilities, ensuring high availability for production and business-critical applications
• Install, configure, administer, and optimize Windows servers, desktops, and laptops across both sites
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware and software issues at the desktop, laptop, and enterprise server level
• Manage Active Directory — user accounts, permissions, access rights, and group policies
• Administer and maintain networking infrastructure including switches, routers, VoIP systems, and firewall configurations
• Execute daily, weekly, and monthly system backups and validate recovery procedures
• Review and deploy OS patches, service packs, hotfixes, and vendor-supplied updates following established best practices
• Provide helpdesk support and technical assistance to end users across both sites
• Evaluate and recommend hardware and software products for procurement
• Collaborate with IT team members on enterprise-wide initiatives, upgrades, and cross-site issues

What You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, OR 5+ years of equivalent hands-on systems administration experience
• Demonstrated experience installing, configuring, and maintaining Windows Server operating systems and Windows-based networks
• Solid working knowledge of Active Directory setup, migration, and administration
• Strong fundamentals in DNS, TCP/IP, and general networking principles
• Experience configuring and managing switches and routers
• Familiarity with network protocols, firewall management, and basic database administration
• Experience with VoIP system setup and configuration
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, manufacturing-floor-adjacent environment with competing priorities
• U.S. Person status required (U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324(b)(a)(3)) — ITAR compliance requirement
• Experience with Zscaler, Palo Alto, CrowdStrike, or Horizon3 is a strong plus
• Familiarity with SolidWorks and Enterprise PDM is a plus

Why This Role

This is a high-ownership IT role inside a defense manufacturer where your work directly supports active production operations — not just corporate users. If you want technical breadth, real infrastructure responsibility, and the stability of defense sector demand, this is worth a conversation.