Position: Network and Linux Systems Administrator

Site: MaRS Centre, Toronto

Department: Research IT Infrastructure

Salary: Commensurate with level of experience

Hours: 35 hours/week, minimum of 3 days onsite per week

Job Type: Hybrid

Status: Full-time, Permanent

The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is seeking a Network and Linux Systems Administrator to join the IT team.

Working within a team of talented IT professionals, in support of OICR’s research initiatives, the Network and Linux Systems Administrator will be responsible for day-to-day operations of OICR’s network and related infrastructure. The job involves managing network equipment such as firewalls, routers, switches, and wireless access points, troubleshooting and solving issues, and participating in the planning and development of new network solutions. The Network and Linux Systems Administrator will also play a key role in administering Linux servers and network services such as 802.1X authentication, DNS, central authentication, hardware load balancers, and the network monitoring systems.

OICR’s network spans across on-premises data centers, a campus network (wired and wireless) supporting our researchers, labs and administrative functions; and extends outside of our office space with high speed connections to research networks ORION, CANARIE, and others; remote access and site-to-site VPN services; and cloud connections. We manage the network using a combination of command line access and network automation (Ansible).

If you are passionate about network and server operations, enjoy solving problems, love automation and want to contribute to groundbreaking cancer research, then this job is for you.

To learn more about working at OICR, visit our career page.

What will you be doing? Every day is a little different, but an average day will involve a mix of:

• Building, automating, configuring, and deploying network and related infrastructure devices (physical and virtual) and services
• Ensuring all network and related devices are kept up to date and secure
• Working with other members of IT and institute colleagues to diagnose and resolve network and related infrastructure issues
• Providing tier 2 support to end users upon escalation from client support team
• Updating access control lists and switch port configuration as necessary
• Managing our external firewall and load balancer to support new websites and services
• Expanding OICR’s network automation system (Ansible)
• Seeking out opportunities to enhance and optimize the network

Who is the ideal candidate? Our network administrator needs to have most or all of the following:

• A passion for problem solving and a methodical approach to solving issues
• University or College degree/diploma, or recognized equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Networking or equivalent
• Experience as a network administrator, Linux systems administrator, or supporting roles with a focus on networking
• Hands-on experience with enterprise switching platforms such as Arista, Aruba, Cisco, or HPE
• Interest in automating network functions with Ansible
• A background supporting network connectivity and VPN connections of end-user devices running Linux, Windows, and/or MacOS desktops
• Experience managing Linux servers
• A familiarity working with open-source network monitoring tools such as LibreNMS, Nagios, and Zabbix. Familiarity designing and deploying these systems would be a bonus
• An understanding of networking and routing principles & best practices
• Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently
• A willingness to learn and to share knowledge with others

How to stand out from the Crowd? We’re especially interested in candidates with:

• Experience with vulnerability management tools such as Tenable
• A preference of command line tools over UIs
• Information security experience and/or certifications
• Knowledge of one or more scripting or programming languages
• A desire to automate processes
• Work experience in an academic or research environment
• Familiarity with high performance compute infrastructures in a research or academic environment
• Strong interpersonal skills

While some work can be completed remotely, the network administrator is expected to be on-site for 3 or more days a week or as required at OICR’s office in the MaRS Centre at 661 University Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Most of the network administration tasks take place during normal business hours, but this role will require limited work after-hours and on weekends. Candidates for this role must also be able to participate in an after hours on-call rotation.

OICR is a collaborative, not-for-profit research institute accelerating the development of new cancer research discoveries for patients around the world while maximizing the economic benefit of this research for the people of Ontario. We are dedicated professionals who bring expertise to each of our roles. We are looking for individuals who share our values of excellence, innovation, collaboration, impact, responsibility and community.

Launched in December 2005, OICR is an independent institute funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

For more information about OICR, please visit the website at www.oicr.on.ca.

CLOSING DATE: Until Filled

OICR is committed to fostering a climate of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. This commitment is central to, and mutually supportive of, our research excellence mandate. We welcome and respect the diversity of all members of our community and we support an inclusive culture for all. We welcome all applicants, and encourage applications from racialized persons, Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S persons, and others who may contribute to furthering a diversity of ideas within our community. OICR is committed to fair assessment of a candidate’s abilities, and consideration for diversity of thought, method, and experience. Providing an accessible workplace and recruitment process is important to us, as described in our Accessibility Plan (https://oicr.on.ca/accessibility/). Should you require accommodation during any stage in the recruitment process, please complete the form at the bottom of page https://oicr.on.ca/careers/. Information received related to accommodation will be handled confidentially.

The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research thanks all applicants. However, only those under consideration will be contacted.

Resume Format: If you elect to apply, you will need a text or HTML version of your resume so that you can cut and paste it into the application box provided. Before you submit the completed application, you will be asked to attach one or two files to your application. Please attach your resume as a .pdf or .doc file.