Core Operating System Specialist - AS

Job Summary

• The Windows Server Support Specialist is responsible for the administration, support, maintenance and optimisation of the organisation’s Microsoft Windows Server infrastructure. 
• The role provides advanced 2nd and 3rd line support across physical and virtual Windows Server environments, ensuring server platforms remain secure, stable, available, compliant and appropriately patched.
• The specialist will troubleshoot complex operating system and infrastructure issues, support server provisioning and lifecycle activities, contribute to infrastructure projects, and drive automation to improve the reliability and efficiency of operational processes

Key Responsibilities

• Windows Server operating systems – Configure, maintain, harden and perform advanced troubleshooting of Windows Server operating systems and their application dependencies. Apply, maintain and report on security baselines for the operating system and base server roles, such as Internet Information Services (IIS).
• Server role management – Install, maintain and ensure the health of core Windows Server roles, including Distributed File System (DFS) and the base IIS installation. Responsibility is limited to the platform. Permissions, user data content, application-level configuration (including IIS sites and application pools) and third-party tool configuration remain with the relevant application owners.
• Server hardware and firmware – Configure Dell EMC and HP enterprise server hardware, create and maintain firmware baselines, and manage testing, sign-off and rollout.
• Server imaging and baselines – Create and maintain hardened physical, virtual and cloud server baselines.
• Operating system lifecycle – Create and maintain operating system roadmaps, sign-offs and upgrade paths, and automate upgrades using tools such as Ansible and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT).
• Automation – Automate repetitive operating system and data centre tasks using tools such as Ansible.
• Disaster recovery – Participate in the annual disaster recovery (DR) exercise for the platform services maintained by COSS, such as DFS.
• Microsoft technical consulting – Log Microsoft advisory calls and advise customers on Microsoft technical requirements and recommended next steps. Advisory topics include service account access and permissions (ICAM), vulnerability remediation, failover clustering, and backup and restore of IIS sites and application pools.

Skills

• Operating Systems
• Server Administration
• Windows Server Administration
• Automation
• PowerShell
• Python
• Ansible
• Desktop Operating Systems
• Storage Area Networks / SAN
• Computer Networking
• Cisco Switches
• Firewalls
• Load Balancing
• Business Communication
• Problem Analysis
• Virtualisation
• Scripting (PowerShell, SQL tools)
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft IIS
• Clustering
• Windows NT Distributed File System
• Technical Leadership
• Reliable

Qualifications

• Matric
• IT Diploma or certificate

Certifications

• MCSE
• MCP

Work Experience

• 6 to 8 years’ experience administering Windows Server in a large enterprise environment
• Advanced troubleshooting skills for Windows Server versions 2016 to 2025
• Hands-on experience with Dell EMC and/or HP enterprise server hardware and firmware management
• Experience with Ansible for operating system automation
• Experience building and maintaining server images and baselines (e.g. MDT, templates)
• Experience with operating system hardening and security baselines