Position Title: Enterprise Systems Administrator
Location: Corporate IT Department – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Reports To: Manager, Enterprise Support
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary: The Enterprise Systems Administrator is responsible for the secure administration, configuration, deployment, maintenance, and lifecycle management of Hecla’s server and systems infrastructure serving all Hecla locations. Based at the corporate office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this position administers the company’s physical and virtual server environment across the enterprise – including virtualization hosts and virtual machines, Windows Server and Active Directory, hybrid cloud infrastructure, enterprise backup, and the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and power infrastructure supporting server rooms and data centers. While network administration (switching, routing, wireless) is outside the scope of this position, this role works in tandem – and significantly – with the networking team in the execution of the responsibilities described in this job description.
Central to this role is bringing a structured, standards-driven approach to systems administration: establishing and documenting the processes, standards, and update and maintenance cycles by which Hecla’s systems are administered across the company. This work will be executed within Hecla’s enterprise IT Service Management (ITSM) platform, and this position will be a key contributor to Hecla’s ongoing alignment with ITIL practices. The ideal candidate combines deep technical systems administration ability with a vision for process improvement and will create the standards and documented procedures that enable the service desk to work toward resolutions that provide a more reliable infrastructure for the entire corporation.
This is a highly collaborative role on a highly collaborative team. The position partners closely with the Cybersecurity team to deliver services in a secure manner that protects the company and those who rely on the services within our environment and works extensively with IT personnel at Hecla’s sites and operations – critical stakeholders responsible for the functionality of services at their locations – in the execution of the standards this role establishes. A strong work ethic, a customer-service mentality, and embracing of a collaborative mode of operating are essential in this role.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities of the Position
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Administer Server Infrastructure: Administer, monitor, and maintain Hecla’s physical and virtual server infrastructure across all company locations, including VMware vSphere/ESXi, Nutanix, and Microsoft Hyper-V hosts, virtual machines, and associated storage.
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Administer Core Systems: Administer Windows Server operating systems, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy across the enterprise, along with hybrid cloud infrastructure including Microsoft Azure IaaS and Entra ID hybrid identity.
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Establish Standards and Processes: Establish, document, and maintain company-wide standards and repeatable processes for systems administration, including server build standards, configuration baselines, and operational runbooks.
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Manage Update and Maintenance Cycles: Develop, implement, and manage structured update and maintenance cycles – including operating system patching schedules, firmware and hypervisor updates, and planned maintenance windows – for servers, hosts, and supporting infrastructure across the corporation.
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Work Within the ITSM Platform: Perform and document work within Hecla’s ITSM platform, following ITIL-aligned incident, service request, change, and problem management processes, and actively contribute to Hecla’s ongoing ITIL alignment efforts.
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Enable the Service Desk: Create and maintain documented procedures and standards that the service desk can follow to work toward resolutions, improving first-contact resolution and providing effective escalation paths for systems issues.
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Own Enterprise Backup: Administer the enterprise backup platform, including backup configuration, monitoring, verification, and restore testing for servers and virtual machines.
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Partner on Disaster Recovery: Work with Cybersecurity in establishing and maturing disaster recovery capabilities, including replication, recovery objectives, and periodic recovery testing.
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Collaborate with the Networking Team: Work in tandem with the networking team in the execution of the responsibilities outlined in this description, ensuring systems and network changes are planned and delivered together.
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Partner with Cybersecurity: Work closely with the Cybersecurity team to deliver services in a secure manner that protects the company and those who rely on the services within our environment.
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Administer Power Infrastructure: Administer UPS units, power distribution, and environmental and power monitoring supporting server rooms and data centers company-wide.
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Monitor and Remediate: Monitor system performance, capacity, and health; respond to alerts and proactively remediate issues before they impact operations.
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Manage Hardware Lifecycle: Manage the server hardware lifecycle, including specification, procurement input, deployment, warranty and support management, and decommissioning.
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Strengthen Security and Compliance: Apply hardening baselines and secure configuration standards in coordination with Cybersecurity, and support Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) IT general control compliance for in-scope systems.
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Document and Improve: Produce operational, procedural, and informational documentation for relevant systems; promote continuous improvement and provide training to IT staff and users as necessary.
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Automate: Research and recommend innovative and automated approaches for system administration tasks.
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Support After-Hours Needs: Participate in scheduled after-hours maintenance windows and provide escalation support for server infrastructure issues.
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Engage with Operations: Work closely with IT personnel at Hecla’s sites and operations – critical stakeholders for the functionality of services at their locations – in the execution of the standards established through this role, including occasional travel to mine-site operations to more fully engage with operations locations and strengthen alignment between corporate IT and operations.
Skills and Abilities:
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Structured Systems Administration: Proven experience aligning and creating processes and standards for the execution of systems administration across an organization, including update cycles and maintenance cycles.
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Virtualization Expertise: Strong working knowledge of VMware vSphere/ESXi and/or Microsoft Hyper-V, including host administration, virtual machine lifecycle management, and associated storage.
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Windows Server and Identity: Depth in Windows Server administration, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP in a multi-site enterprise environment.
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Hybrid Cloud: Experience administering Microsoft Azure IaaS and hybrid identity with Entra ID.
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Backup and Recovery: Experience administering enterprise backup platforms, performing restore testing, and contributing to disaster recovery planning and testing.
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Structured, Process-Driven Operations: Experience working in highly structured, process-driven environments with repeatable tasks and well-defined procedures. Direct experience with an ITSM platform and ITIL-aligned incident, request, change, and problem management processes is preferred in the ideal candidate, as Hecla is introducing and implementing these practices.
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Customer Service and Work Ethic: A strong work ethic and customer-service mentality, with a high level of involvement with team members and site stakeholders who carry responsibility for the functionality of services at their locations.
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Documentation: Ability to organize and write standards, runbooks, and procedures in a logical, methodical manner that others can follow.
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Problem-Solving: Excellent diagnostic and problem-solving skills, with the discipline to perform root cause analysis and implement permanent corrective actions.
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Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to present technical ideas and solutions in user-friendly, non-technical language and to forge strong cross-departmental relationships.
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Prioritization: Outstanding organizational and time-management skills to plan, prioritize, and execute effectively in an environment with changing business needs.
Education and Credentials:
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Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
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Experience: Minimum 7 years of progressive systems administration experience in an enterprise or multi-site environment, with demonstrated experience in virtualization, Windows Server, and Active Directory administration.
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Process Leadership: Demonstrated experience establishing or improving administration processes and standards – such as patching and maintenance cycles, configuration baselines, and operational documentation – strongly preferred.
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Certifications: ITIL Foundation certification preferred; Microsoft certifications (e.g., Azure Administrator) or other industry-recognized certifications (e.g., VMware VCP, CompTIA Server+) valued as indicators of specialized proficiency.
Other Qualifications:
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Independent and Team Collaboration: Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively as part of a small, close-knit, and highly collaborative team of information technology professionals.
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Scheduling Flexibility: Willingness to work occasional early mornings, nights, and weekends to support planned maintenance windows and infrastructure needs.
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Travel: Occasional travel to Hecla mine-site operations required. Following the first three months of service, the need for MSHA training will be evaluated to aid in meeting requirements at Hecla mine sites.
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Driver’s License: Must possess a valid driver’s license.
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Confidentiality: Strong commitment to maintaining confidentiality and ethically handling sensitive information with impartiality and professionalism.
Pre-Employment Screening: Completion of standard pre-employment screening requirements.
