Systems Administrator
Antioch, IL
Internship
Onsite
1 month ago
About the role
Position Overview
Kaizen is seeking a hands-on Systems Administrator to own the day-to-day operation, support, and continuous improvement of our IT environment.
This is a practical, operational role. The environment is already modern, stable, and largely cloud-based. What we need now is someone who enjoys maintaining it, refining it, and making steady incremental improvements over time.
You'll be responsible for keeping systems running smoothly, supporting users, and identifying opportunities to improve performance, security, and usability. You'll also help evaluate new tools and technologies, always with a focus on solving real problems, not adopting tools for their own sake.
What You'll Be Doing
Day-to-Day IT Operations
Infrastructure & Systems Management
Security & Continuous Improvement
Vendor & Environment Ownership
What This Role Looks Like In Practice
Required
What We're Looking For
Preferred
Certifications (Preferred, Not Required)
Who Will Thrive In This Role
Who This Role Is Not For
Perks of Being Part of Our Team
Benefits: We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits may include:
Note: Benefits are subject to change or revocation at the sole discretion of the Firm.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Kaizen CPAs + Advisors is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, free from discrimination and harassment. We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and credit check, consistent with applicable laws. Candidates must be willing and able to meet these requirements as a condition of employment.
Kaizen is seeking a hands-on Systems Administrator to own the day-to-day operation, support, and continuous improvement of our IT environment.
This is a practical, operational role. The environment is already modern, stable, and largely cloud-based. What we need now is someone who enjoys maintaining it, refining it, and making steady incremental improvements over time.
You'll be responsible for keeping systems running smoothly, supporting users, and identifying opportunities to improve performance, security, and usability. You'll also help evaluate new tools and technologies, always with a focus on solving real problems, not adopting tools for their own sake.
What You'll Be Doing
Day-to-Day IT Operations
- Own and maintain core systems across Microsoft 365, Azure, and endpoint environments
- Monitor system health, performance, and security; respond to issues as needed
- Handle a mix of escalated support issues and direct end-user support
- Ensure systems are stable, secure, and well-documented
Infrastructure & Systems Management
- Administer Microsoft 365, Entra ID (Azure AD), Intune, and Azure-hosted resources
- Manage identity, access, device policies, and endpoint security
- Maintain hybrid AD environment supporting legacy applications
- Oversee patching, backups, and general system hygiene
Security & Continuous Improvement
- Maintain and improve security posture across endpoints, identity, and email systems
- Partner with external security tools/providers (Defender, Huntress, etc.)
- Identify and implement incremental improvements to systems and processes
- Evaluate emerging technologies (including AI) with a focus on practical use cases and business value
Vendor & Environment Ownership
- Manage relationships with vendors and service providers
- Help prioritize and execute IT initiatives in alignment with firm needs
- Contribute to near-term planning and improvement efforts
What This Role Looks Like In Practice
- You'll own IT operations, not just react to tickets
- You'll handle both support and systems work (this is not a siloed role)
- You'll be expected to make recommendations, but also execute
- You'll work directly with end users and firm leadership on a regular basis
- You'll spend time improving things that already work, not rebuilding from scratch
Required
What We're Looking For
- 4-8+ years of experience in systems administration or IT operations
- Strong experience with Microsoft 365, Azure/Entra ID, and endpoint management (Intune or similar)
- Solid understanding of networking, security fundamentals, and cloud-based infrastructure
- Comfortable troubleshooting across systems, users, and applications
- Ability to work independently and prioritize in a small-team environment
Preferred
- Experience in a professional services or CPA firm environment
- Familiarity with hybrid AD environments and legacy application support
- Experience managing vendors or service providers
- Scripting or automation experience (PowerShell or similar)
Certifications (Preferred, Not Required)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert or Endpoint Administrator Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900) or Security Operations Analyst (SC-200)
- CompTIA Security+
- Any relevant Intune / Endpoint Management or Defender-focused certifications
- Certifications are valued, but hands-on experience operating and supporting real-world environments is more important.
Who Will Thrive In This Role
- Someone who enjoys owning and improving an environment, not just building new ones
- A hands-on operator who is comfortable balancing support work with system-level responsibilities
- Someone who can be both process-oriented and pragmatic when needed
- A person who can confidently push back or ask questions when something doesn't make sense
- Someone who values steady, incremental improvement over large, theoretical initiatives
Who This Role Is Not For
- Someone looking for a purely strategic or executive IT leadership role
- Someone who prefers highly structured, large-team environments
- Someone who wants to focus only on projects or only on support
Perks of Being Part of Our Team
Benefits: We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits may include:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Short-Term & Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance
- Cafeteria/Section 125 Plan
- Retirement/401(k): Employer match with 100% vesting on day one of eligibility
- Paid Vacation: Starting at 2 weeks, available for use from day one
- Paid Personal Time (PTO): 32 hours available to use from day one
- Paid Holidays: New Year's Day, The First Friday Following April 15th, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve (if it falls during the work week), and Christmas Day
Note: Benefits are subject to change or revocation at the sole discretion of the Firm.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Kaizen CPAs + Advisors is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, free from discrimination and harassment. We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and credit check, consistent with applicable laws. Candidates must be willing and able to meet these requirements as a condition of employment.
Skills
AccountingInformation Technology