STEM OPT Senior Systems Administrator Jobs
Senior Systems Administrator roles qualify for STEM OPT when your degree is in computer science, information technology, or a related CIP-coded field. The 24-month STEM OPT extension gives you up to 36 months total to work for an E-Verify-enrolled employer while building the infrastructure experience that supports long-term sponsorship.
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This position is within FSU’s Department of Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC)
Responsibilities
The Backup and Recovery Services team (BRS) is a service provider for customers who need managed or unmanaged backup solutions to protect their assets both in the field, on premise, and in the cloud.
- Provides advanced support and expertise for Backup and Recovery Services.
- Provides consultation and technical advice to management, staff, and customers regarding the administration, design, and maintenance of the equipment used for the backup and recovery of different systems.
- Responsible for day-to-day administration and oversight of all backup and recovery services hardware and software including creation and maintenance of backup policies and retentions, performance tuning and monitoring, installation of backup client software, and troubleshooting backup and replication failures.
- Provides advanced troubleshooting and develops solutions for backup, recovery, and data replication issues to complex system problems, thereby ensuring system reliability.
- Administration of Backup/Recovery software such as: Avamar, Networker, CommVault, and/or Backup Exec.
- Participates in a team on-call rotation in support of a 24x7 data center.
- Anticipate, mitigate, identify, troubleshoot and develop appropriate technical solutions to backup and restore related issues.
- Serve as a recovery expert and recommends system enhancements to staff and customers.
- Research and make recommendations on backup products, services and standards in support of procurement and development efforts.
- Advises the management team regarding development of project plans, proposals, and recommended policies and procedures to effectively administer these backups and systems.
- Develops and updates documented procedures and processes to ensure the continued operation of the backup/restoration process.
- Other duties and responsibilities as required by supervisor.
- Participates in approved professional development opportunities per NWRDC's policy.
- Professional development and training is defined as learning undertaken by the employee to maintain and advance their skills, knowledge and competencies, specifically as they relate and add value to the job and workplace.
- Other duties and responsibilities as required by supervisor.
NWRDC provides support for a wide range of state and local government, as well as K-20 organizations across the State of Florida. These organizations are dependent on NWRDC in order to accomplish their missions. This requires NWRDC to maintain services 24x7, even during times of crisis or emergency. As such, all NWRDC staff are considered essential staff for operations of the State of Florida.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, or other appropriate degree and two years' experience or a high school diploma or equivalent and six years of experience. (Note: or a combination of appropriate post high school education and experience equal to six years.)
- Ability to obtain a Security Awareness Training Certificate.
Preferred Qualifications
Recent experience with any of the following data backup technologies: Avamar, Networker, Data Domain, CommVault, and BackupExec.
Helpful
Who is an ideal candidate for this position?
The ideal candidate for this position has a desire to learn, a need to provide the best service to the customer, and the patience to work within the processes.
What is a typical day in this position?
The typical day's activities range from creating a new backup, troubleshooting a failed backup, completing a file restore to restoring an entire server.
What can I expect in the first 60-90 days?
The expectation is a lot of environment familiarization and on the job training for processes in the first 90 days.
University Information
One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news!
FSU Total Rewards
FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit our website to learn more about our Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Recognition, and Employee Development programs.
Use our interactive tool to calculate Total Compensation options based on potential salary, benefits and retirement contributions, earned leave, and other employment-related perks.
How To Apply
If qualified and interested in a specific job opening as advertised, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu. If you are a current FSU employee, apply via myFSU > Self Service.
Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and education details even if attaching a resume.
Considerations
This is an A&P position.
This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.
This position is eligible for full remote work based on the current job duties and functions. Upon vacancy, remote eligibility will be reviewed.
This position is being re-advertised. Previous applicants need not apply.
Equal Employment Opportunity
FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Department
This position is within FSU’s Department of Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC)
Responsibilities
The Backup and Recovery Services team (BRS) is a service provider for customers who need managed or unmanaged backup solutions to protect their assets both in the field, on premise, and in the cloud.
- Provides advanced support and expertise for Backup and Recovery Services.
- Provides consultation and technical advice to management, staff, and customers regarding the administration, design, and maintenance of the equipment used for the backup and recovery of different systems.
- Responsible for day-to-day administration and oversight of all backup and recovery services hardware and software including creation and maintenance of backup policies and retentions, performance tuning and monitoring, installation of backup client software, and troubleshooting backup and replication failures.
- Provides advanced troubleshooting and develops solutions for backup, recovery, and data replication issues to complex system problems, thereby ensuring system reliability.
- Administration of Backup/Recovery software such as: Avamar, Networker, CommVault, and/or Backup Exec.
- Participates in a team on-call rotation in support of a 24x7 data center.
- Anticipate, mitigate, identify, troubleshoot and develop appropriate technical solutions to backup and restore related issues.
- Serve as a recovery expert and recommends system enhancements to staff and customers.
- Research and make recommendations on backup products, services and standards in support of procurement and development efforts.
- Advises the management team regarding development of project plans, proposals, and recommended policies and procedures to effectively administer these backups and systems.
- Develops and updates documented procedures and processes to ensure the continued operation of the backup/restoration process.
- Other duties and responsibilities as required by supervisor.
- Participates in approved professional development opportunities per NWRDC's policy.
- Professional development and training is defined as learning undertaken by the employee to maintain and advance their skills, knowledge and competencies, specifically as they relate and add value to the job and workplace.
- Other duties and responsibilities as required by supervisor.
NWRDC provides support for a wide range of state and local government, as well as K-20 organizations across the State of Florida. These organizations are dependent on NWRDC in order to accomplish their missions. This requires NWRDC to maintain services 24x7, even during times of crisis or emergency. As such, all NWRDC staff are considered essential staff for operations of the State of Florida.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, or other appropriate degree and two years' experience or a high school diploma or equivalent and six years of experience. (Note: or a combination of appropriate post high school education and experience equal to six years.)
- Ability to obtain a Security Awareness Training Certificate.
Preferred Qualifications
Recent experience with any of the following data backup technologies: Avamar, Networker, Data Domain, CommVault, and BackupExec.
Helpful
Who is an ideal candidate for this position?
The ideal candidate for this position has a desire to learn, a need to provide the best service to the customer, and the patience to work within the processes.
What is a typical day in this position?
The typical day's activities range from creating a new backup, troubleshooting a failed backup, completing a file restore to restoring an entire server.
What can I expect in the first 60-90 days?
The expectation is a lot of environment familiarization and on the job training for processes in the first 90 days.
University Information
One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news!
FSU Total Rewards
FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit our website to learn more about our Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Recognition, and Employee Development programs.
Use our interactive tool to calculate Total Compensation options based on potential salary, benefits and retirement contributions, earned leave, and other employment-related perks.
How To Apply
If qualified and interested in a specific job opening as advertised, apply to Florida State University at https://jobs.fsu.edu. If you are a current FSU employee, apply via myFSU > Self Service.
Applicants are required to complete the online application with all applicable information. Applications must include all work history up to ten years, and education details even if attaching a resume.
Considerations
This is an A&P position.
This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.
This position is eligible for full remote work based on the current job duties and functions. Upon vacancy, remote eligibility will be reviewed.
This position is being re-advertised. Previous applicants need not apply.
Equal Employment Opportunity
FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
See all 491+ STEM OPT Senior Systems Administrator Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Senior Systems Administrator
Verify your CIP code before applying
Cross-check your degree's CIP code against the official STEM OPT designated degree list at USCIS before targeting roles. Computer science, information systems, and network engineering codes qualify, but a mismatch can invalidate your extension eligibility entirely.
Filter job postings for E-Verify enrollment
Run prospective employers through the E-Verify employer search tool before investing time in an application. Systems administrator roles at many staffing agencies and smaller managed service providers look appealing but fall outside the E-Verify requirement, disqualifying them for STEM OPT.
Target infrastructure-heavy employers with H-1B history
Use Migrate Mate to identify employers with active STEM OPT hiring and H-1B visa filing history for systems administrator roles. Companies that have filed for this SOC code before understand the training plan requirement and won't stall on I-983 paperwork.
Map your I-983 training goals to real infrastructure projects
Draft your I-983 training plan around concrete deliverables: server migrations, Active Directory deployments, or cloud infrastructure buildouts. Vague goals like 'gain systems experience' trigger DSO rejections. Tie each learning objective to a specific project your employer is already running.
Negotiate your offer letter to reflect STEM OPT terms
Ask for explicit confirmation that your employment agreement acknowledges E-Verify participation and STEM OPT reporting obligations before signing. Some employers agree verbally but haven't updated their onboarding process, which creates compliance problems at the 6-month and 12-month self-evaluation checkpoints.
Check prevailing wage before discussing compensation
Look up the wage level for your target metro area using the OFLC Wage Search before salary conversations. The DOL prevailing wage for Senior Systems Administrators varies significantly by region and level, and knowing the floor protects you from offers that undercut what future H-1B sponsorship would legally require.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Systems Administrator role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your underlying degree carries an eligible CIP code, such as computer science, information systems, computer engineering, or a closely related STEM field. The role itself must also involve the direct application of that STEM knowledge. Confirm your CIP code against the STEM Designated Degree Program List published by USCIS before filing your STEM OPT extension application with your DSO.
What does the I-983 training plan require for a systems administrator position?
Your I-983 must describe how the role applies your STEM degree, list specific learning objectives tied to infrastructure or systems work, and include your employer's signature. For a Senior Systems Administrator, that means documenting hands-on projects like network architecture, server administration, or security operations, not generic job duties. Your employer must also submit 6-month and 12-month evaluations confirming your progress against those stated goals.
How do I confirm my employer is enrolled in E-Verify?
Use the E-Verify employer search tool maintained by the Department of Homeland Security to look up the company by name or location before accepting an offer. Enrollment status is public. Note that some large employers operate multiple E-Verify accounts by subsidiary or location, so confirm the specific hiring entity, not just the parent company, is enrolled and active at the time you begin work.
Does cap-gap protection apply if my employer files for H-1B while I'm on STEM OPT?
Yes. If your STEM OPT authorization expires between April 1 and October 1 and your employer has filed a timely H-1B cap-subject petition, cap-gap automatically extends your EAD and F-1 status until October 1 of that fiscal year. You can continue working as a Senior Systems Administrator without interruption during that window, provided the petition remains pending or approved and your employer maintains E-Verify enrollment throughout.
Where can I find Senior Systems Administrator jobs at employers who hire STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate filters Senior Systems Administrator listings by employers with E-Verify enrollment and prior STEM OPT and H-1B filing activity, so you're not wasting applications on companies unfamiliar with the training plan process. This is particularly useful for this role because many systems administrator openings come through staffing firms or smaller IT shops that aren't E-Verify enrolled and can't legally employ STEM OPT workers.