Intermediate System Administrator

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we're building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility.

The System Administrator will be responsible for operating, maintaining, and continuously improving an estate of 400+ servers and SANs (Windows, Linux, VMware, Azure, Dell, HPE). The candidate will administer the Microsoft ecosystem, ensure secure and reliable operations, contribute to automation and documentation, and provide after-hours (on-call) support when required.

Responsabilities
Platform administration & support (Windows/Linux, VMware, Azure)

• Run prod/test/dev environments: patching, hardening, and vulnerability remediation;
• Provision and lifecycle servers (imaging, inventory, CMDB updates);
• Monitor capacity and performance; tune OS/services; remediate alerts;
• Operate VMware vSphere/vCenter; participate in change management (CAB).

Microsoft services management (AD, DNS, DHCP, GPO, DFS, RDS, Exchange, Azure AD, M365)

• Administer Active Directory (OUs, delegations, GPO baselines, AAD Connect);
• Operate DNS/DHCP/DFS/RDS;
• Manage Exchange/M365 (mailboxes, transport rules, hygiene);
• Keep runbooks/architecture diagrams accurate and current.

Backup, restore & monitoring

• Run and validate Veritas NetBackup jobs, retention, and restore tests;
• Contribute to scheduled DR exercises and documentation updates;
• Use SCOM/Nagios/Zabbix and ITSM tooling for alerting and incident workflows.

Automation & documentation

• Build/maintain PowerShell/Bash scripts to eliminate manual toil;
• Contribute to IaC with Terraform/Ansible; use Git;
• Write clear SOPs, playbooks, and troubleshooting guides.

After-hours support (on-call)

• Provide evening/night/weekend coverage per rotation;
• Triage, resolve, and escalate incidents as needed; communicate status succinctly.

What We Are Looking For

• College diploma (DEC/AEC) in IT or equivalent:
• 5+ years of experience in IT, including 2+ years as a system administrator.

Technical core

• Microsoft ecosystem: AD, DNS, DHCP, GPO, DFS, RDS, PKI/certificates, Exchange, Azure AD/M365;
• Virtualization/Cloud: VMware vSphere/vCenter; Azure (IaaS, PaaS);
• Hardware/Storage/FC: Dell PowerEdge (incl. OpenManage), HPE SAN, Cisco MDS;
• Backup/DR: Veritas NetBackup (jobs, policies, restores);
• Automation: PowerShell (foundational), basics of Terraform/Ansible, Git/CI-CD;
• Containers: basics of Docker/Kubernetes (simple deployments, troubleshooting);
• Security: MFA, Zero Trust principles, Windows/Linux hardening;
• Language: Bilingual French/English required (written & spoken);
• Certifications (1–2+ strongly recommended): Microsoft: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator), MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator), SC-300 (Identity & Access); VMware: VCTA or VCP-DCV.

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel