Senior Systems Administrator – Infrastructure and Automation

YOUR ROLE

At Squeeze, technology directly supports creation. We are looking for a Senior Systems Administrator to ensure the stability, security, evolution, and automation of our production infrastructure.

This is a senior infrastructure role—not a daily user support role. You will maintain reliable system environments, remote workstations, rendering services, storage, backups, internal services, and stable network connectivity for the Montreal and Quebec teams. You will also serve as the infrastructure escalation point for the Quebec studio when issues exceed local support.

The ideal candidate combines technical depth, operational judgment, documentation rigor, security sensitivity, and clear communication.

Infrastructure and Virtualization

• Administer, maintain, and evolve production Linux environments, including Rocky Linux 9
• Maintain essential Windows infrastructure services: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Windows/Linux integration
• Administer Linux KVM / libvirt environments and support VMware ESXi / vSphere
• Support Linux workstations, GPU hosts, and production environments
• Maintain internal services, including those hosted on Docker Swarm
• Serve as a remote escalation point for infrastructure issues at the Quebec studio, collaborating with the local IT resource
• Perform regular data center visits: validations, interventions, hardware monitoring, cabling, racking, and post-maintenance checks

Automation and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain and optimize automations with SaltStack, Bash, Python, and Git
• Transform repetitive operations into documented, versioned, and reproducible processes
• Create and maintain runbooks, technical standards, and operational procedures
• Contribute to the reliability of HP Anyware / PCoIP and Leostream environments
• Reduce reliance on individual knowledge by structuring and sharing information
• Propose improvements that enhance reliability, security, operational efficiency, and team autonomy

Networking, Storage, and Security

• Administer network switches at the operational level (Arista, Dell)
• Administer Fortigate firewalls: rules, VPN, interfaces, VLAN, connectivity diagnostics, documented changes, and coordination with vendors
• Perform routine network operations: VLAN, switchports, trunk/access ports, basic routing, and connectivity
• Diagnose issues affecting Linux, Windows services, networking, storage, DNS/DHCP, performance, remote access, and internal services
• Support storage environments and Linux mounts (NFS, Qumulo, Isilon)
• Participate in backup, restoration, archiving, and DR validation flows (Veeam)
• Contribute to operational security: patch management, CVE remediation, system hardening, privileged access control, and post-change validation
• Support the Quebec studio's infrastructure remotely as needed: networking, Wi-Fi, security cameras, access control, and centralized dependencies
• Collaborate with vendors and specialized resources for advanced routing, network security, firewall, VPN, compliance, or architecture changes

Technical Leadership and Mentorship

• Collaborate with the CTO to identify infrastructure priorities, mitigate operational risks, and structure medium- and long-term improvements
• Mentor a junior resource: share knowledge, create runbooks, delegate supervised tasks, and review work
• Gradually develop team autonomy in known procedures, host validations, documented interventions, and low-risk operations
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of infrastructure operations, documentation, automation, security, and support practices
• Clearly communicate technical risks, priorities, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders

YOU ARE

You are an experienced infrastructure professional who excels at making systems more reliable, secure, and automated. You take ownership of complex issues, communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences, and bring structure wherever you go.

• Self-driven — You take on complex subjects with minimal supervision and see them through to completion
• Effective communicator — You clearly explain technical concepts to teams, managers, vendors, and partners
• Technical leader — You propose improvements, structure ways of working, and elevate the team's technical maturity
• Innovative — You are curious, adaptable, and constantly seeking improvement through automation, security, and new approaches
• Capable of working under pressure — You remain effective during incidents, urgent changes, and production-impacting situations
• Analytical and problem-solving oriented — You diagnose complex issues involving multiple systems and dependencies with a structured approach
• Comfortable with external partners — You collaborate with vendors for procurement, escalations, renewals, and negotiations
• Bilingual — French for internal collaboration; English for technical documentation, vendors, and external partners

Core Infrastructure

• Solid experience in Linux administration within a complex production environment (Rocky Linux, RHEL, or CentOS)
• Experience with infrastructure Windows services: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Windows/Linux integration
• Experience with Linux KVM / libvirt and/or VMware ESXi / vSphere
• Proficiency in automation with SaltStack or an equivalent tool, as well as Bash, Python, and Git
• Experience with Docker and containerized services; experience with Docker Swarm is a major asset

Networking and Security

• Practical experience in operational network switch management (Arista or Dell ideally)
• Practical experience with Fortigate or an equivalent firewall: rules, VPN, interfaces, diagnostics, controlled changes
• Good understanding of networking fundamentals: VLAN, basic routing, DNS, DHCP, switchports, trunk/access ports, connectivity troubleshooting
• Practical knowledge in operational security: patch management, CVE remediation, system hardening, access control, privilege management, change validation

Storage and Data Protection

• Experience with NAS / enterprise storage environments (Qumulo, Isilon, or NFS)
• Experience with backup, restoration, archiving, and DR testing principles; experience with Veeam is a major asset

General

• Comfortable working in a data center environment
• Strong documentation rigor and attention to detail

Assets

• Experience in an animation studio, VFX, game development, GPU rendering, or creative production environment
• Experience with HP Anyware / PCoIP, Leostream, or similar remote access platforms
• Experience with NVIDIA GPUs, production workstations, or render nodes
• Advanced networking experience: Arista, Dell, Fortigate, VLAN, VPN, routing, or network architecture
• Experience with Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, CI/CD, or infrastructure as code
• Experience with Google Workspace for Business or Mattermost
• Familiarity with security audits or frameworks such as TPN, MPAA, or ISO
• Experience in mentoring or developing junior resources