Overview As a member of Ascend's technology team, the systems administrator will play a critical role supporting and administering the organization's applications and infrastructure. Travel between our Brooklyn schools and occasional weekend and/or evening work is required.
Why extraordinary professionals teach at Ascend Ascend is the largest Brooklyn-based public charter school serving over 5,000 K-12 students in 17 schools. We exist to serve every student - to help them embody their inherent excellence by providing rich, joyful learning experiences that unlock a life of boundless choice.
Access to education is a social justice issue. As educators, we center justice and live out our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (DEIA) by ensuring that our students have the skills, tools, and confidence they need to thrive today and in the future. We are proud to have a workforce that mirrors the diversity seen in our students. Working at Ascend provides a community focused on developing an environment of support and belonging. Educators collaborate closely and encourage each other to achieve great outcomes.
Our schools honor, nurture, and challenge the whole child. Ascend fosters critical thinking skills and a love of learning through an inquiry-based learning approach, Responsive Classroom model, and anti-racist education. We are deeply committed to advancing educational equity for all of our students. Students at Ascend benefit from a rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum that nurtures natural curiosity about the world and guides them to think critically and independently.
For more information on Ascend Public Charter Schools' model, approach, and core values, please visit our website.
Qualifications - Bachelor's degree from a competitive college or university
- 3+ years of work experience in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment
A proven track record and high degree of proficiency in at least four of the technical areas below:
- Switching/Routing/Firewalls/Load Balancing
- Wireless networking (Autonomous, Lightweight, and/or Cloud Managed infrastructures)
- HBPX/VoIP technologies and implementations and well as video conferencing systems
- Microsoft Server Technologies (Windows Server 2016/2019, Hyper-V, File & print services)
- Microsoft Domain Management (AD DS, ADFS 3.0, DNS, DHCP, Azure AD Connect)
- Microsoft Client Management (Group Policy, Desktop Imaging)
- DR/Resiliency planning (clustering, backups, email archiving/journaling)
- Supporting iOS/Android/Windows devices
- Industry certifications are a plus (Microsoft, Cisco, PMI, HP, Google, Amazon, etc.)
- Demonstrated ability to diagnose issues, identify root causes, and design effective solutions
- Experience with a student information systems
- Experience managing policies and procedures to set best practices and deliver high-quality support
Skills and Traits A successful systems administrator will demonstrate:
- Excellent customer service skills and the ability to prioritize and communicate effectively with non-technical users
- Comfort with performing hands-on work and assisting with strategic projects
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Flexibility and the ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed
- Strong results-oriented troubleshooting and commitment to excellence
- Self-sufficiency with the ability to ask questions and request help when needed
- Excellent task- and time-management skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to think critically, quickly,
Responsibilities The systems administrator will:
- Execute projects designed by the managing director of technology and supporting in the deployment, configuration, and management of Ascend's physical and virtual server infrastructures as well as core systems;
- Work with the MD of technology and team members to develop a scalable strategy for Ascend's infrastructure;
- Manage and maintain Ascend's voice and data networks including LAN/WAN and HPBX VoIP systems;
- Create and maintain documentation around all technologies and technology policies and procedures;
- Cater to various sites' audio-visual needs, including testing, set-up, and maintenance;
- Install, maintain, and troubleshoot all hardware and software issues;
- Assist in the implementation of new technologies;
- Assist and manage day-to-day requests using Zendesk, our support request system;
- Communicate proactively with the school staff to research and develop best-practice processes;
- Administer and support core applications, including Infinite Campus, Citrix ShareFile, IlluminateEd, Office 2019/365, ActivInspire, Google Workspace (including Google Classroom), Nearpod, GoGuardian, and Zendesk;
- Provide responsive and courteous support to resolve all technology issues;
- Provide general application and infrastructure support; and
- Provide timely and service-oriented support to resolve issues.
Staff and reporting relationships The systems administrator reports to Ascend's managing director of technology.
Compensation Initial salary offers for this position range from $58,500-$70,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.
Diversity at Ascend Ascend is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, both through our hiring practices and our focus on creating a culture and environment where diverse perspectives, ideas, and identities are valued and integrated into our way of working and educating students. Ascend staff represent a wide diversity of racial, socio-economic, gender, religious, and national identities-opening a window to the entire Ascend community on the richness of humanity. We welcome all applicants who share our mission and vision to join us in our deeply consequential work.