Systems Administration Specialist

Title : Systems Administration Specialist Location  Mississippi (Hybrid - 3 Days a week onsite)

Duration : 6+ Months

Overview of MDHS Technical Environment

The MDHS IT environment is a complex, hybrid ecosystem. It primarily operates as a satellite data center linked to the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) .

• Database Infrastructure: They utilize Microsoft SQL Server (2012 and newer) for mission-critical applications like the Child Welfare system (METSS) and SNAP eligibility (MAVERICS).
• Server Landscape: The environment consists of Windows Server instances (often in failover clusters) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) .
• Automation Goal: MDHS is increasingly integrating CI/CD pipelines to automate accessibility testing and security scanning into their software development lifecycle.

Key Role Responsibilities

A candidate for this role would essentially act as a "Hybrid DevOps Administrator."

1. Multi-Platform Administration: Managing the full lifecycle (install, patch, tune) of SQL Server, Windows, and RHEL environments.
2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Using YAML to define Kubernetes manifests, Ansible playbooks, or Docker Compose files for standardized deployments.
3. Pipeline Automation: Writing Python or Bash scripts to automate the build and deployment of Java-based or .NET applications through CI/CD pipelines.
4. Security & Compliance: Ensuring all deployments meet strict state and federal security standards (like HIPAA) by embedding security scanning into the automated flow.

State of Mississippi IT classifications, here are the "Minimum Qualifications" we should include:

• Education: A Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Experience: Typically 4–7+ years of IT experience with an emphasis on multi-platform system administration.
• Certification (Preferred): RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator) or MCSA (Microsoft Certified System Administrator).

Which of these three areas is the most critical priority for the first 90 days of this role?

1. Migrating legacy manual deployments into the new CI/CD pipeline.
2. Stabilizing and patching the existing SQL and RHEL server environments.
3. Building the automation scripts in Python to handle the cross-platform (Windows/Linux) communication.

1. YAML in CI/CD Pipelines

YAML is the primary format used to define the pipeline as code in modern platforms the State of Mississippi is using GitHub Actions, which are standard for government IT modernization.

• Workflow Definition : The administrator would write YAML files (e.g., azure-pipelines.yml ) to define the stages, jobs, and tasks needed to move code from a developer's machine to the MDHS servers.
• Standardization : YAML templates can be used to enforce security and compliance standards, which is critical for protecting the sensitive citizen data handled by MDHS.

2. YAML for Server Administration

For managing both Windows Server and