IT Systems Administrator

Description

About HobbyTown

At HobbyTown, we help people discover what they love—and find a community to share it with. Founded in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1985, HobbyTown supports a national network of hobby retail stores where curiosity, creativity, learning, and connection come together.

Our corporate team helps our stores and franchise partners deliver that experience every day. We value people who take ownership, communicate openly, treat others with respect, and look for practical ways to make things better. As our business grows, we are building the systems, relationships, and capabilities that will support our next chapter.

About the Position

HobbyTown is seeking an IT Systems Administrator to keep our technology secure, reliable, and ready for growth. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will support the Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra ID, and Azure environment used by more than 40 corporate and remote employees, along with the infrastructure and equipment that help bring new retail stores online.

This is a hands-on role with variety and meaningful ownership. One day you may troubleshoot a Microsoft 365 issue or configure equipment for a new store; another day you may improve backups, review Azure costs, or plan a server migration.

During your first three to six months, you will work alongside current IT staff to learn our environment and progressively assume responsibility for daily administration, infrastructure, and vendor coordination. You will have the opportunity to recommend improvements and help shape how IT supports the business.

What You Will Do

• Administer our Microsoft environment
• Administer Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Group Policy, multifactor authentication, and Conditional Access.
• Manage Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, Teams, Teams Phone, SharePoint, OneDrive, and licensing.
• Manage user accounts, access permissions, and technology setup and removal during employee onboarding, role changes, and offboarding.
• Support Windows workstations, remote endpoints, and on-premises servers.
• Coordinate system updates, patches, and configuration changes to maintain dependable operations.
• Maintain secure, reliable infrastructure
• Assess our VMware environment and lead the planning, testing, and migration to an approved, cost-effective virtualization platform.
• Maintain local backups and offsite copies, perform restore testing, and document recovery procedures.
• Support firewalls, VPNs, VLANs, wireless networks, and security tools.
• Support PCI DSS compliance activities within the role’s assigned scope, including documentation, remediation, and coordination with internal and external partners.
• Monitor system health, investigate issues, and escalate incidents when specialized support is needed.
• Support cloud services and business systems
• Monitor Azure-hosted applications and resources daily, troubleshoot infrastructure-level issues, and track usage and costs.
• Coordinate with software integration partners responsible for application support.
• Support testing, installation, updates, and deployment of Microsoft, proprietary, and third-party business systems.
• Maintain clear communication about planned changes, service interruptions, and issue resolution.
• Help our people and stores succeed
• Provide responsive technical support to corporate and remote employees, including on-site hardware support in Lincoln.
• Explain technical issues and solutions in language employees can understand.
• Order, configure, document, and coordinate deployment of computers, networking equipment, and related technology for new retail stores.
• Coordinate with store teams, internet service providers, vendors, and other partners to prepare locations for opening and resolve setup issues.
• Support testing and deployment of retail networking technology and peripheral equipment.
• Manage vendors, documentation, and costs
• Progressively assume assigned responsibilities currently handled by outside IT providers.
• Evaluate vendors and service options, coordinate support, and track service commitments.
• Maintain current documentation, runbooks, network information, and inventories of hardware, software, licenses, domains, contracts, and renewals.
• Partner with the COO on IT budgeting, expense tracking, and planning for expansion, renewals, replacements, and infrastructure improvements.
• Recommend practical improvements that balance reliability, security, employee experience, and cost.

What You Bring

• At least two years of relevant experience in systems administration, IT support, infrastructure support, or a related field—or equivalent demonstrated skills developed through certifications, freelance work, independent projects, or a substantial homelab.
• Working knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Experience administering Microsoft 365, including Exchange Online, Teams, and licensing.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, or hybrid Active Directory and Entra environments.
• Experience with multifactor authentication and secure remote access tools, such as Microsoft Entra MFA, Cisco Duo, or Cloudflare One.
• Basic Azure administration skills, including resource management, monitoring, and cost tracking.
• Experience with server virtualization platforms such as Hyper-V, Proxmox, or VMware, and an understanding of workload migration.
• Experience supporting backups, offsite copies, and recovery testing.
• Networking fundamentals, including VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, organization, and follow-through.
• The ability to prioritize competing needs, recognize when to escalate, and communicate clearly with nontechnical users.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating with employees, leadership, and outside partners.
• A college degree is not required. We are interested in what you can do, how you solve problems, and your willingness to keep learning.

Helpful Additional Experience

• Azure networking, SQL services, or cloud cost optimization.
• Managed services, vendor coordination, or IT purchasing.
• Ubiquiti, Cisco, or Ruckus networking equipment.
• Linux administration and PowerShell scripting.
• Microsoft Intune or remote monitoring and management tools.
• Teams Phone administration.
• Retail technology, including point-of-sale systems, inventory systems, scanners, and printers.
• Relevant Microsoft administrator certifications or credentials such as Network+, Security+, or CCNA.

Schedule and Work Location

This is a hybrid position supporting our Lincoln, Nebraska, corporate office. Candidates must live within two hours of Lincoln and be able to report on-site as needed for workstation, server, networking, and store-equipment support.

The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Occasional evening or overnight work is required for scheduled maintenance or critical outages, including situations requiring on-site hardware support. Specific on-call expectations and applicable compensation will be discussed during the hiring process.

Physical and Travel Requirements

The role includes installing, moving, and troubleshooting computers, servers, and networking equipment. Essential duties may require moving equipment weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are required for assigned driving responsibilities.

How to Apply

Apply through this posting with your resume and a brief description of the environments you have supported. Examples from professional work, freelance projects, certifications, or a homelab are welcome.

Our anticipated selection process includes a technical screening and interviews with Human Resources and the Chief Operating Officer.

Equal Employment Opportunity

HobbyTown is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application process and in performing essential job functions.

Requirements

• At least two years of relevant experience in systems administration, IT support, infrastructure support, or a related field—or equivalent demonstrated skills developed through certifications, freelance work, independent projects, or a substantial homelab.
• Working knowledge of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Experience administering Microsoft 365, including Exchange Online, Teams, and licensing.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, or hybrid Active Directory and Entra environments.
• Experience with multifactor authentication and secure remote access tools, such as Microsoft Entra MFA, Cisco Duo, or Cloudflare One.
• Basic Azure administration skills, including resource management, monitoring, and cost tracking.
• Experience with server virtualization platforms such as Hyper-V, Proxmox, or VMware, and an understanding of workload migration.
• Experience supporting backups, offsite copies, and recovery testing.
• Networking fundamentals, including VLANs, firewalls, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, organization, and follow-through.
• The ability to prioritize competing needs, recognize when to escalate, and communicate clearly with nontechnical users.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating with employees, leadership, and outside partners.

A college degree is not required. We are interested in what you can do, how you solve problems, and your willingness to keep learning.