Senior Systems Administrator

Astronics Advanced Electrical Systems (AES) is seeking a Sr. Systems Administrator to join our cohesive team of IT professionals in Kirkland, WA
.

This position offers a hybrid schedule, with flexibility to work from home while maintaining an in-office presence of 1-2 days per week and adjusting with project needs.

If youare passionate about making an impact with a forward-thinking company that stays at the forefront of the latest technologies in the aircraft industry-and has been recognized as one of Washington's Best Places to Work for 16 consecutive years - please read on!

** Please,
no agency solicitations/submittals. Only direct applicants will be considered **

** Candidates local to the greater Seattle/Kirkland, WA area are highly desired. Relocation support is not available for this position. **

The Sr. Systems Administrator is responsible for supporting and advancing the business systems that consist of Windows and SQL Server database environments. This role requires deep expertise in Windows and database administration, performance tuning, security, and automation to ensure the reliability of business-critical systems.

In addition to technical ownership, the Sr. Systems Administrator collaborates closely with engineering, manufacturing, and cross-functional business teams to ensure system capabilities align with operational needs and production workflows. The role plays a strategic part in strengthening business systems resilience, supporting cloud modernization initiatives, and enabling scalable, secure, and future-ready technology platforms.

The Sr. Systems Administrator will document applications, database requirements, formulate scope, define objectives, and create detailed specifications that drive business systems configuration, implementation, and lifecycle management. This role also includes developing disaster recovery strategies for backup, recovery, security, and scalability to meet organizational needs.

• Serve as a key stakeholder in business systems resilience by ensuring high availability, disaster readiness, and secure architecture across on-prem and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and cross-functional teams to align system capabilities with operational needs, production schedules, and long-term business objectives.
• Contribute to cloud modernization and infrastructure transformation efforts by evaluating technologies, recommending improvements, and supporting strategic platform evolution.
• Maintain and provide expert-level troubleshooting support for Windows & SQL Server database environments to ensure optimal performance, reliability, and continuity of business-critical operations.
• Manage, configure, and optimize SQL Server instances, including backups, restorations, disaster recovery, and performance tuning to support long-term system resilience.
• Develop and implement Windows & database security protocols to safeguard sensitive data, maintain compliance, and strengthen enterprise risk posture.
• Perform Windows & SQL Server upgrades, updates, and patching to ensure systems remain secure, modern, and aligned with evolving business requirements.
• Write and maintain Power Shell & TSQL scripts to drive automation, reduce manual effort, and enhance system reliability.
• Oversee administration and deployment of Data Warehouses, Azure Data Services, Power BI, and SSRS to support enterprise reporting, analytics, and cloud modernization initiatives.
• Support code changes and promote database updates using Source Code Management tools to maintain consistency, traceability, and operational stability.
• Design and execute disaster recovery plans to protect business systems, reduce downtime risk, and ensure organizational resilience.
• Mentor helpdesk staff and junior administrators by providing guidance on business systems tasks, strengthening team capability and operational maturity.
• Ensure all systems adhere to federal/state laws and corporate IT policies to maintain compliance and operational integrity.
• Meet attendance guidelines and complete required training within established time frames.
• Perform additional duties as required to support evolving business needs and organizational priorities.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field from an accredited institution, or equivalent relevant experience in a manufacturing or related environment.
• 4 or more years of Windows Server Administration experience.
• 4 or more years of SQL Server Database Administration experience.
• Experience in the architecture, design, planning, and execution of SQL Server infrastructure implementations.
• Proficiency in managing and maintaining Data Warehouses, Azure Data Services, Power BI, and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
• Experience in website and application support.
• In-depth knowledge and hands‑on expertise with SQL database backups, recovery, high availability, performance optimization, and security best…