Rate: £25.15 per hour PAYE / £37.78 per hour Umbrella
IR35: Inside IR35
Contract: 6 months
Hours: Full time
Location: Cambridge (CB2) hybrid/onsite as required

The Role

We are working with a large NHS organisation in Cambridge to recruit an experienced Senior Systems Administrator for a 6-month contract engagement.

This is a senior, hands-on role operating at the intersection of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), supporting critical systems used across estates and facilities teams in a complex, highly regulated healthcare environment.

You will play a key role in ensuring the reliability, security, compliance, and documentation of enterprise infrastructure and third-party systems that directly support hospital operations.

Key Responsibilities

Systems Administration & Infrastructure

Administer and maintain enterprise IT systems and third-party devices, following best-practice lifecycle management

Perform advanced system monitoring to ensure availability, performance, and integrity

Embed operational best practice across systems, processes, and teams

Maintain IT asset data with automated monitoring and reporting

Security & Compliance

Enforce cybersecurity standards and carry out vulnerability management

Ensure compliance with security, Information Governance, and NHS frameworks

Manage security tooling, patching, and hardening activities

Support BIA, BCP, and recovery practices

Cloud & Microsoft Technologies

Support and manage cloud environments in collaboration with suppliers

Administer Microsoft 365 services including Teams and SharePoint Online

Manage Identity & Access Management using Microsoft Entra ID (MFA, Conditional Access, user provisioning)

Contribute to system maturity and continuous improvement frameworks

Networking & Connectivity

Provide support across WiFi, firewalls, VPNs, and core networking services

Apply strong knowledge of DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, switches, and routers

Monitor and optimise system performance for high availability

3rd Line Support & Escalation

Act as escalation point for complex 2nd/3rd line incidents

Provide expert support for business-critical systems (e.g. CAFM and estates platforms)

Diagnose and resolve infrastructure, application, and network issues in line with SLAs

Vendors & Documentation

Work closely with external vendors and service providers

Maintain configuration management, technical documentation, and operational processes

Ensure secure storage, backup, and recoverability of systems and data

Essential Experience & Skills

Proven experience as a Senior Systems Administrator / Infrastructure Engineer in large enterprise environments

Strong Windows Server, Active Directory, and Microsoft SQL experience

Experience supporting Microsoft 365, Azure, and hybrid environments

Solid understanding of cybersecurity, patching, and compliance frameworks

Strong networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, VPNs, firewalls)

Excellent documentation, troubleshooting, and stakeholder engagement skills

Desirable

Experience working in the NHS, public sector, or highly regulated environments

ITIL, PRINCE2, or similar service/project management certification

Experience supporting estates, facilities, or OT-adjacent systems

Experience mentoring or guiding junior engineers

If this role is of interest and you meet the above criteria, then please apply immediately.