Systems Administrator Job Overview

• Company Name: Blackbird Interactive (BBI)
• Employment Type: Regular Full-Time
• Salary Range: $70,000 – $85,000 CAD per year
• Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada (100% On-site)
• Work Schedule: Monday – Friday (Business Hours)
• Experience Level: Intermediate (3+ Years)
• Primary Technology: Windows Server, VMware, Perforce, Fortinet

Blackbird Interactive (BBI) is not just a workplace; it is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio. Based in the heart of Vancouver’s gaming hub, we have built a reputation for crafting genre-defining games that are accessible, beautiful, and profoundly fun. As we continue to scale our operations and dive into new, unannounced projects, the need for a rock-solid infrastructure is more critical than ever.

Blackbird Interactive are currently seeking a motivated, intermediate-level professional for a Systems Administrator job to ensure that our studio’s digital environment remains reliable, secure, and intuitive. In the world of AAA and independent game development, IT is the silent engine that powers creative expression. This role is a full-time, on-site position (5 days per week) at our state-of-the-art Vancouver studio.

The Strategic Impact of the Systems Administrator job

The gaming industry presents unique challenges that traditional IT roles rarely encounter. When hundreds of developers are pushing high-resolution 3D assets, complex codebases, and massive build caches across a network, the margin for error is zero.

A Systems Administrator job at Blackbird Interactive is about more than just “resetting passwords.” It is about Infrastructure Orchestration. You will be responsible for the health of on-premises servers that house the lifeblood of our games, as well as cloud-native services on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure that allow us to scale globally. You are the architect who ensures that when an artist hits “Save,” their work is secure, and when a coder hits “Build,” the network doesn’t buckle under the pressure.

Deep Dive into Key Responsibilities

As you step into this Systems Administrator job, your daily mission will be divided into several high-impact pillars.

Virtualization & Infrastructure Operations

Our studio relies heavily on a virtualized backbone. Your role involves:

• VMware Ecosystem: Monitoring and maintaining our VMware environment. You will handle VM lifecycle management, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and that performance bottlenecks are identified before they impact production.

• Patching & Performance: Running routine maintenance and security patching across all on-prem and cloud servers. You will be the first line of defense in performance troubleshooting and capacity planning.

• Windows Server Ownership: You will own the operations for our Windows Server environment, including NTFS permissions management, file share stability, and comprehensive backup strategies.

Identity, Access, and Lifecycle Management

Security starts with identity. In this Systems Administrator job, you will manage the digital “keys” to the studio:

• Active Directory (AD): Administering AD user/group management and applying baseline configurations via GPOs to ensure a standardized and secure environment.

• Access Reviews: Implementing the “Principle of Least Privilege.” You will manage the account lifecycle—from the excitement of onboarding a new hire to the secure offboarding of departing staff.

• Productivity Tools: Managing Google Workspace and other collaboration suites to ensure the team can communicate without friction.

Developer Services & Source Control

This is perhaps the most unique aspect of a Systems Administrator job in the gaming sector. Source control is our “Source of Truth.”

• Perforce & Git: You will administer and support Perforce (P4D) and Git services. This involves managing complex permissions for large repositories and performing performance triage when sync speeds drop.

• Workflow Partnership: You will work directly with our Technical Directors and Engineers to ensure that the developer workflow—authentication, storage, and large-repo handling—is optimized for speed and reliability.

Networking & Security Architecture

A game studio is a high-traffic environment. You will handle:

• LAN & VLAN Segmenting: Configuring VLANs to isolate traffic and support the specific needs of different project teams.

• Firewall Technologies: Working with Fortinet stacks, managing SSL Deep Packet Inspection, IDP (Intrusion Detection/Prevention), and ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access).

• VPN Support: Ensuring that our remote-access tools are secure, authenticated, and capable of handling high-bandwidth asset transfers.

Essential Qualifications and “The Ideal Fit”

To be successful in this Systems Administrator job, you need a blend of “Old School” sysadmin discipline and “Modern Tech” agility.

• Professional Tenure: 3+ years of experience in systems administration within a Windows-centric environment.

• Technical Stack:

  • Expertise in Windows Server (File shares, permissions, patching).

  • Practical experience with Linux server environments (specifically Ubuntu).

  • Confidence in VMware and virtual machine lifecycle management.

  • Strong networking fundamentals (VLANs, DNS, DHCP).

• Operational Discipline:

  • Familiarity with Jira or Azure DevOps (ADO) for task tracking. We value “visible work”—if it isn’t in a ticket, it didn’t happen.

  • Clear communication skills. You must be able to explain to a non-technical artist why a server reboot is necessary without using confusing jargon.

The Bonus XP – Setting Yourself Apart

While the above points are the “base requirements,” we are looking for a candidate who brings “Bonus XP” to this Systems Administrator job:

1. Automation Mastery: If you can write a PowerShell script to automate a three-hour manual task in ten minutes, you belong here. Experience with Terraform, Ansible, Docker, or Kubernetes is a massive plus.

2. Fortinet Expertise: Hands-on experience with Fortinet policies and SDWAN will set you apart.

3. Creative Industry Background: If you have worked in VFX, Animation, or Games before, you already understand the “crunch” of a deadline and the unique file-handling needs of creative teams.

4. Disaster Recovery: Experience with restore testing and retention planning ensures that even if the worst happens, Blackbird keeps flying.

Studio Culture and The Vancouver Experience

Why choose this Systems Administrator job over a corporate IT role? Because at Blackbird Interactive, you aren’t just an “expense center”—you are an enabler of art.

• Creative-Fueled Environment: You will see the direct results of your work in the games we ship. When a game wins “Best Visuals,” you know it was your high-speed storage that made it possible.

• Professional Growth: We provide the space for you to grow your abilities. You will work on a wide range of projects across multiple platforms and genres.

• Work-Life Balance: While the role is 5 days a week on-site, we respect the boundaries of our team members and offer a competitive salary range of $70,000 – $85,000 a year along with a comprehensive benefits package.

• No Dress Code: Come as you are. We focus on your skills and your contribution to the team, not your attire.

How to Apply & What to Expect

When you apply for this Systems Administrator job, we want to see your technical story.

• The CV: Don’t just list tools; tell us about the infrastructure you built or the outages you resolved.

• The Interview: Expect to talk about Perforce, VLAN segmentation, and automation. We want to know how you stay calm when the build server goes red.

• The Studio: Our North Lakes (Vancouver) location is a vibrant hub. During your interview, you’ll get a sense of the collaborative energy that defines Blackbird.