System Administrator Specialist 

The Government of the Republic of Kosovo (the “Government” or “GoK”) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”), a United States government agency, signed a grant aimed at accelerating the country’s transition towards an energy future that is more sustainable, reliable and affordable. The GoK has ratified the Compact and has designated a new entity as an autonomous agency to exercise and perform the GoK’s rights and obligations to oversee, manage and implement the Compact Programs. This entity will be referred to as MCA-Kosovo.
The Compact program will be implemented within five years and consists of three projects 1) Energy Storage Project, 2) JETA Project, and 3) ACFD Project.
Millenium Challenge Account – Kosovo is recruiting for the position of the System Administrator Specialist.

Position Summary

Under the direct supervision of the IT Manager, the System Administrator Specialist will provide technical support for a range of IT technologies to include security systems, network infrastructure, storage, and backup and recovery. The position is based in Pristina, Kosovo.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Administer and optimize enterprise IT systems, including firewalls, switches, routers, Windows servers, virtualization platforms, clustering technologies, and VOIP solutions, while deploying and supporting critical business applications across the MCA-Kosovo network.
2. Design, implement, and manage robust backup, disaster recovery, and restoration solutions to safeguard data integrity and ensure business continuity.
3. Configure, deploy, and manage Windows servers in physical and virtual environments, ensuring high availability, performance, and compliance with security standards by applying critical patches and system updates.
4. Monitor and analyze system and network performance metrics to proactively identify and resolve technical issues, optimizing operational efficiency.
5. Develop and maintain comprehensive system documentation, including deployment procedures, configuration guides, technical diagrams, and change management records.
6. Manage and maintain Data Center infrastructure, including environmental systems (power, cooling), storage, firewalls, antivirus solutions, and network infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
7. Demonstrate advanced expertise in virtualization and clustering technologies at both system and network levels, with strong proficiency in firewall configuration, optimization, and maintenance.
8. Collaborate with vendors and external support teams to resolve complex hardware and software issues efficiently, leveraging support resources to minimize downtime.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• – Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems or Information Technology with minimum of five (5) years of professional experience; or equivalent relevant certification, training and experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree with minimum of 8 years of demonstrated relevant professional experience in building/managing servers, configuring firewalls, managing Windows domains (GPOs, User Account Management, Windows Updates, DNS, DHCP), and server virtualization in Nutanix platform or similar.
• – Experience managing Microsoft 365 environments, administering antivirus systems, and mitigating server/workstation vulnerabilities.
• – Experience in data center/server room operations, backup/recovery systems, and network/system monitoring.
• – Experience in system integration, documenting requirements, collaboration with vendors, and delivering strong technical documentation and support in technical issues.
• – Fluency in English and in another official language of Kosovo (Albanian or Serbian) is required. Proficiency in Albanian is preferred for candidates who speak Serbian, and vice versa.

Preferred background and work experience:

• – Experience in LAN/WAN networking (Cisco), data storage (Nimble/HPE), and database management (MS SQL).
• – Experience with Veeam backup, Acronis imaging, and enterprise antivirus solutions (Sophos).
• – Experience in wireless network management (Ubiquiti preferred), DNS, and ISP services.
• – Experience in PowerShell scripting and Windows update processes.
• – Experience in vulnerability mitigation and system maintenance for both servers and workstations.
• – Experience in monitoring and management tools, and performance optimization techniques for systems and networks.
• – Strong ability to multi-task and work independently.
• – Demonstrated strong interpersonal and situational awareness.