System Administrator

Job Description

Position Purpose:

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state, and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. By being deeply invested in our work, showing compassion in our interactions, and embodying the spirit of a team player, each member contributes to a thriving community. UW is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff; your experiences, perspectives, and unique identities will be honored at the University of Washington. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

University of Washington is at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform education, research and healthcare. UW Information Technology (UW-IT) is the central IT organization for the University of Washington, collaborating with partners across the University community to advance teaching, learning, innovation and discovery. UW-IT delivers critical IT services and support to all three campuses, UW medical centers and global research operations. Innovation and discovery are at the heart of what UW-IT does and drive the work in advancing the University of Washington's role and mission.

We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented System Administrator to support and advance the university's enterprise service management capabilities across all campuses and major administrative units. This role is pivotal in ensuring the stability, scalability, and continuous improvement of the Service Management, enabling efficient service delivery, workflow automation, and operational transparency across the institution. The System Administrator will collaborate with campus stakeholders, IT teams, and business units to manage platform configuration, integrations, and structured release cycles (including Jira-based release management), while promoting governance, security, and best practices. The System Administrator role will work within Service Management and AI Platform team under the UW's IT infrastructure Umbrella that provides critical technology support to all three campuses, UW Medicine, and research operations around the world. 

Position Complexities:

This role requires maintaining high standards for platform configuration, release management, security controls, and operational governance within the ServiceNow environment. The System Administrator must ensure system stability, data integrity, and structured change management practices while leveraging automation, integrations, and Jira-based release coordination to deliver predictable and low-risk platform enhancements. A disciplined approach to documentation, testing, upgrade management, and performance monitoring is essential to sustaining a secure, scalable, and reliable enterprise service management platform.

Success in this position also depends on the ability to operate effectively within a decentralized and complex institutional environment. The System Administrator must collaborate across IT, HR, Finance, academic units, and Information Security teams to align platform capabilities with diverse business needs while enforcing governance and compliance standards. Strong communication skills, stakeholder engagement, proactive issue resolution, and continuous improvement are critical to ensuring that the ServiceNow platform remains resilient, compliant, and strategically aligned with the university's broader technology and service delivery objectives.

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University:

The System Administrator serves as a key technical contributor on the Enterprise Applications team, responsible for the administration, configuration, optimization, and ongoing support of the university's ServiceNow platform. This role combines strong platform administration expertise with hands-on configuration, integration, release management coordination, and governance practices to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable delivery of IT service management (ITSM) and enterprise workflow solutions. The ServiceNow Administrator works collaboratively with cross-functional stakeholders to maintain platform health, support module expansion, manage upgrades, enforce governance standards, and drive continuous improvement across service delivery processes, including structured release planning and tracking through Jira.

Position Responsibilities:

[30%] Platform Administration, Configuration & Release Management

• Administer and maintain the ServiceNow platform, including user access, roles, groups, ACLs, and instance configurations.
• Configure and support core modules such as ITSM (Incident, Problem, Change), Service Catalog, Knowledge Management, CMDB, and Asset Management.
• Manage instance upgrades, patches, and release management in alignment with ITSM Platform release cycles and UWIT Change Management Process.
• Coordinate platform releases using Jira for backlog management, sprint tracking, release planning, change documentation, and deployment visibility.
• Maintain release calendars, document release notes, and ensure alignment between SDLC application epics/stories and ITSM Platform update sets.

[20%] Integration & Development Support

• Provide support the implement of the integrations between ITSM Platform and enterprise systems (e.g., identity systems, ERP, HRIS, monitoring tools) using REST/SOAP APIs, web services, and IntegrationHub.
• Support single sign-on (SSO) and identity integrations (e.g., Entra ID/Active Directory).
• Collaborate with developers and business analysts to translate requirements into scalable ITSM Platform solutions.
• Work closely with development teams to ensure SDLC application-tracked enhancements are properly tested, documented, and promoted through development, staging, and production environments.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and performance analytics to support operational and executive decision-making.
• Provide initial support for workflows, business rules, UI policies, client scripts, Flow Designer automations, and catalog items.

[20%] Governance, Security & Compliance

• Implement and maintain platform governance standards, including naming conventions, update set management, and development lifecycle controls.
• Enforce structured change and release governance processes in coordination with Change Management and SDLC application workflows.
• Ensure proper role-based access control (RBAC), data segregation, and adherance to university security policies.
• Support compliance with institutional policies and regulatory requirements (e.g., FERPA, data governance standards).
• Conduct platform audits and remediate findings in collaboration with Information Security teams.

[15%] Platform Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor system performance, usage trends, and platform health metrics; implement optimization strategies as needed.
• Evaluate new ITSM Platform features, plugins, and modules for institutional adoption.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes using Flow Designer and low-code capabilities.
• Track release metrics, deployment success rates, and backlog trends using Jira reporting to drive continuous improvement.
• Support expansion of ITSM Platform capabilities beyond ITSM (e.g., HR Service Delivery, Customer Service Management, Strategic Portfolio Management).
• Keep abreast of vendor communications and scheduled maintenances.

[15%] Collaboration, Training & Documentation

• Serve as the primary technical contact for ITSM Platform issues and enhancements.
• Collaborate with IT, HR, Finance, Facilities, and other university departments to gather requirements and improve workflows.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, configuration standards, release documentation, and administrative runbooks.
• Provide training and guidance to platform users, service owners, and junior administrators.

Position Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Business Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3 years minimum experience required.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience administering or configuring the ITSM Platform (i.e. ServiceNow)
• 3+ years hands-on experience administering or configuing SDLC applications (i.e. Jira)
• Demonstrated experience with ITSM modules (Incident, Problem, Change, Service Catalog).
• Experience using Jira for release management, backlog tracking, sprint coordination, and change documentation.
• Strong understanding of platform governance, update sets, and release management practices.
• Experience with identity and access management concepts and role-based access control.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

Desirable Experience:

• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) certification.
• Additional ServiceNow certifications (e.g., CAD, CIS-ITSM, CIS-HRSD, CIS-SPM).
• Experience in higher education or public sector IT environments.
• Experience with CMDB design, discovery tools, and asset lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and ITIL best practices.
• Experience leading structured release cycles using Jira in an enterprise environment.
• Experience supporting enterprise-scale ServiceNow instances (10,000+ users).

Working Environmental Conditions:

Work in an open office environment and contribute to collaborative teamwork focused on problem-solving. Daily interactions with other team members, subject matter experts and stakeholders at all levels of the organization. While the general working hours are within Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., the System Administrator will, on occasion, need to adjust hours to accommodate the business needs and deadlines. Attend and occasionally present at conferences.

Other Comments:

A satisfactory outcome from a criminal history verification may be required prior to hire

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$86,376.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$140,364.00 annual

Other Compensation:

-

Benefits:

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift:

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit:

Not Applicable

About the UW 

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.  

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Our Commitment 

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected]. 

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.