ICT system administrator

Description

ICT system administrators are responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer and network systems, servers, workstations and peripheral devices. They may acquire, install, or upgrade computer components and software; automate routine tasks; write computer programs; troubleshoot; train and supervise staff; and provide technical support. They ensure optimum system integrity, security, backup and performance.

Excludes people performing managerial activities.
Includes people performing inventory activities.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to ICT system administrator:

IT systems administrator
ICT systems administrator
system and networks administrator
ICT systems administrators
enterprise administrator
system and network administrator
server administrator
ICT system administrators
network administrator
IT system administrator
sysadmin
ICT sysadmin
ICT sysadmins

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as ICT system administrator. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

ICT system administrator is a Skill level 4 occupation.

ICT system administrator career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to ICT system administrator.

ICT system integration consultant
ICT consultant
ICT operations manager
ICT network administrator
ICT security administrator

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of ICT system administrator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of ICT system administrator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of ICT system administrator.

Organisational policies: The policies to achieve set of goals and targets regarding the development and maintenance of an organisation.
Software components libraries: The software packages, modules, web services and resources that cover a set of related functions and the databases where these reusable components can be found.
Hardware components: The essential components that make up a hardware system, such as liquid-crystal displays (LCD), camera sensors, microprocessors, memories, modems, batteries and their interconnections.
Ict system programming: The methods and tools required to develop system software, specifications of system architectures and interfacing techniques between network and system modules and components.
Quality assurance methodologies: Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.
Ict system user requirements: The process intended to match user and organisation’s needs with system components and services, by taking into consideration the available technologies and the techniques required to elicit and specify requirements, interrogating users to establish symptoms of problem and analysing symptoms.
Ict infrastructure: The system, network, hardware and software applications and components, as well as devices and processes that are used in order to develop, test, deliver, monitor, control or support ICT services.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of ICT system administrator.

Migrate existing data: Apply migration and conversion methods for existing data, in order to transfer or convert data between formats, storage or computer systems.
Provide technical documentation: Prepare documentation for existing and upcoming products or services, describing their functionality and composition in such a way that it is understandable for a wide audience without technical background and compliant with defined requirements and standards. Keep documentation up to date.
Apply system organisational policies: Implement internal policies related to the development, internal and external usage of technological systems, such as software systems, network systems and telecommunications systems, in order to achieve a set of goals and targets regarding the efficient operations and growth of an organisation.
Administer ict system: Handle components of ICT system by maintaining configuration, managing users, monitoring resource use, performing backups and installing hardware or software to comply with the set requirements.
Manage changes in ict system: Plan, realise and monitor system changes and upgrades. Maintain earlier system versions. Revert, if necessary, to a safe older system version.
Manage system security: Analyse the critical assets of a company and identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that lead to intrusion or attack. Apply security detection techniques. Understand cyber attack techniques and implement effective countermeasures.
Interpret technical texts: Read and understand technical texts that provide information on how to perform a task, usually explained in steps.
Monitor system performance: Measure system reliability and performance before, during and after component integration and during system operation and maintenance. Select and use performance monitoring tools and techniques, such as special software.
Apply ict system usage policies: Follow written and ethical laws and policies regarding proper ICT system usage and administration.
Solve ict system problems: Identify potential component malfunctions. Monitor, document and communicate about incidents. Deploy appropriate resources with minimal outage and deploy appropriate diagnostic tools.
Manage system testing: Select, perform and track testings on software or hardware to detect system defects both within the integrated system units, the inter-assemblages and the system as a whole. Organise testings such as installation testing, security testing and graphical user interface testing.
Perform backups: Implement backup procedures to backup data and systems to ensure permanent and reliable system operation. Execute data backups in order to secure information by copying and archiving to ensure integrity during system integration and after data loss occurrence.
Support ict system users: Communicate with end users, instruct them on how to progress with tasks, use ICT support tools and methods to solve problems and identify possible side effects and provide solutions.
Integrate system components: Select and use integration techniques and tools to plan and implement integration of hardware and software modules and components in a system. Apply specific testing techniques to ensure integrity during system integration.
Maintain ict system: Select and apply system and network monitoring techniques. Identify and fix operational problems. Ensure that system’s capabilities and efficiency match company specifications.
Implement ict recovery system: Create, manage and implement ICT system recovery plan in case of crisis in order to retrieve information and reacquire use of the system.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT system administrator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Systems development life-cycle: The sequence of steps, such as planning, creating, testing and deploying and the models for the development and life-cycle management of a system.
Information security strategy: The plan defined by a company which sets the information security objectives and measures to mitigate risks, define control objectives, establish metrics and benchmarks while complying with legal, internal and contractual requirements.
Interfacing techniques: The techniques that relate to interfaces between models and components.
Ict accessibility standards: The recommendations for making ICT content and applications more accessible to a wider range of people, mostly with disabilities, such as blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss and cognitive limitations. It includes standards such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Internet governance: The principles, regulations, norms and programs that shape the evolution and use of internet, such as internet domain names management, registries and registrars, according to ICANN/IANA regulations and recommendations, IP addresses and names, name servers, DNS, TLDs and aspects of IDNs and DNSSEC.
Ict system integration: The principles of integrating ICT components and products from a number of sources to create an operational ICT system, techniques which ensure interoperability and interfaces between components and the system.
Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Ict recovery techniques: The techniques for recovering hardware or software components and data, after failure, corruption or damage.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT system administrator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Provide ict system training: Plan and conduct training of staff on system and network issues. Utilise training material, evaluate and report on the learning progress of trainees.
Implement ict risk management: Develop and implement procedures for identifying, assessing, treating and mitigating ICT risks, such as hacks or data leaks, according to the company’s risk strategy, procedures and policies. Analyse and manage security risks and incidents. Recommend measures to improve digital security strategy.
Acquire system component: Obtain hardware, software or network components which match other system components in order to expand it and perform necessary tasks.
Interact with users to gather requirements: Communicate with users to identify their requirements and collect them. Define all relevant user requirements and document them in an understandable and logical way for further analysis and specification.
Adjust ict system capacity: Change the scope of an ICT system by adding or reallocating additional ICT system components, such as network components, servers or storage to meet capacity or volume demands.
Execute integration testing: Perform testing of system or software components grouped in multiple ways to evaluate their ability to interconnect, their interface and their ability to provide global functionality.
Install signal repeaters: Set up and configure devices which enhance strength of signal of a communication channel to enable proper reception and reproduction in further places.

ISCO group and title

2522 – Systems administrators

 

 


 

 

References
  1. ICT system administrator – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022