Systems Administrator

About Bonhams

Bonhams is a global auction house with an 18th century heritage poised for transformative change. Our global operations are based in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong where we sell in over 60 categories, including motor cars, paintings, jewelry, and entertainment memorabilia.

Our employees are passionate about their work, and we pride ourselves on a bespoke approach that aims to make every client feel important. It is an exciting time for our business and our global leadership team of art world professionals are building a people-focused team to help them develop their talent strategy, strengthen our people brand globally, build organizational capability and drive process improvement.

Bonhams is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As part of our commitment to fight for equality, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.

About the Role

Bonhams is seeking a Systems Administrator to join the Infrastructure & SysOps team in New York. This is a hands-on, mid-level infrastructure role within a small, collaborative global IT team, supporting approximately 1,250 users companywide across a modern hybrid enterprise environment. The role encompasses Microsoft 365 E5 services, Microsoft Intune, Azure infrastructure, Windows and macOS endpoints, enterprise networking, and the technology that underpins Bonhams’ live auction program.

The successful candidate will serve as the lead Systems Administrator for Bonhams’ New York operations, taking ownership of endpoint, identity and core infrastructure services while working closely with colleagues across North America, Europe and Asia to deliver secure, reliable and consistent IT services. The role offers the opportunity to influence infrastructure standards, contribute to global technology projects, and play a key role in supporting one of the world’s leading auction houses.

This position requires someone who is proactive, technically curious and comfortable taking ownership of technical issues from investigation through to resolution. The successful candidate will contribute to the continuous improvement of Bonhams’ global IT environment through automation, security hardening, documentation, monitoring, process improvement and the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled services.

A key part of the role is supporting Bonhams’ live auction events, both within the New York and other US salerooms and at external venues. These events are business-critical and require a calm, methodical approach to troubleshooting in time-sensitive situations where system availability directly impacts the business. Additional after-hours work associated with auction delivery and infrastructure changes will be required from time to time.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Endpoint & Device Support

• Support and administer Windows 11, macOS and iOS devices within a modern enterprise environment
• Assist with device management using Microsoft Intune / MDM tooling.
• Support device provisioning, patching, and compliance monitoring.
• Troubleshoot endpoint performance and security issues.
• Develop and maintain automation using PowerShell and other scripting tools to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual administration.
• Assist with Windows Autopilot, Apple Business Manager and modern endpoint lifecycle management.

Microsoft 365 & Identity

• Support Microsoft 365 services including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Defender and Purview.
• Support Mimecast services, email security and e-discovery exercises.  
• Assist with Entra ID (Azure AD), MFA, and Conditional Access administration.
• Help maintain security and compliance configurations within the M365 environment.
• Support user lifecycle management and access controls.
• Assist with vulnerability remediation, endpoint compliance and security hardening in accordance with Bonhams security standards.
• Support Zero Trust security initiatives including Conditional Access, device compliance and identity protection.

Infrastructure & Cloud

• Assist with administration of Azure infrastructure including virtual machines, virtual networking, storage, backup and monitoring within hybrid environments.
• Support Windows Server and core infrastructure services including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy and VPN technologies.
• Manage and configure enterprise networking, switching, wireless networking, firewall policies and VPN connectivity, escalating major infrastructure changes where appropriate.
• Monitor infrastructure health, endpoint compliance and system availability, proactively identifying and resolving issues before they impact users.
• Participate in backup, disaster recovery testing and business continuity planning.

Auction & Event IT Support

• Lead on-site technical setup and support for live auction events at the New York saleroom and off-site venues, typically 2-3 events per month.
• Set up, test, and manage event networking, AV connectivity, bidding platform infrastructure, and live-streaming technology for hybrid in-room and online auction formats.
• Troubleshoot time-sensitive technical issues during business-critical live auction events where service interruption directly impacts revenue, exercising calm decision-making under pressure.

Operational Support

• Act as an escalation point for complex Service Desk issues, owning incidents through to resolution.
• Participate in incident, problem and change management processes.
• Perform root cause analysis following significant incidents and contribute to continuous service improvement initiatives.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, standard operating procedures and knowledge base articles.
• Participate in infrastructure, security and automation projects.
• Collaborate closely with Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Service Desk and Development teams across North America, Europe and Asia to deliver consistent global services.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a Systems Administrator, Infrastructure Engineer or similar enterprise IT role.
• Strong experience administering Windows 11 in an enterprise environment, with experience supporting macOS and iOS devices.
• Experience managing modern endpoint platforms including Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot and Apple Business Manager (or equivalent MDM solutions).
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Defender, Purview and Entra ID (Azure AD).
• Experience administering Microsoft Azure infrastructure and hybrid cloud environments.
• Solid understanding of Windows Server technologies and core infrastructure services including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP and VPN technologies.
• Good understanding of enterprise networking including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, switching, wireless networking, firewalls and VPN technologies.
• Experience developing and maintaining PowerShell scripts or other automation to improve operational efficiency.
• Experience working with enterprise security technologies including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Mimecast, Conditional Access, Multi-Factor Authentication and endpoint compliance.
• Experience using enterprise monitoring and IT Service Management (ITSM) platforms such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management or equivalent.
• Experience working within structured IT operational processes, including incident, problem and change management.
• Excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• A proactive, customer-focused approach with a strong sense of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and provide effective support during business-critical live auction events.
• Willingness to travel occasionally within the United States and internationally

Additional Desired Qualities

• Exposure to Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR or other enterprise SIEM and security monitoring platforms.
• Experience supporting enterprise networking and security platforms such as Cisco Meraki, pfSense, Mimecast, Tenable or similar technologies.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring and observability platforms.
• Experience supporting audio-visual (AV) systems, live event technology or broadcast environments.
• Experience supporting Microsoft Copilot, AI-enabled Microsoft 365 services or other enterprise AI technologies.
• Knowledge of backup, disaster recovery and business continuity solutions.
• Familiarity with cloud networking, hybrid infrastructure and Zero Trust security principles.
• Experience working in a global organization supporting geographically distributed users and infrastructure.
• Experience supporting business-critical operational environments where service availability is essential.
• Relevant Microsoft certifications (e.g. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert) or equivalent industry certifications.

What We Offer

In addition to an active and progressive work environment, Bonhams offers a competitive benefits package to encourage work/life balance, including:

• Excellent medical, dental and vision insurance – HMO, EPO, PPO with FSA and HSA
• 20 days paid time off (PTO)
• 12 paid holidays and holiday break from Christmas to New Years Day
• 16 weeks fully paid parental leave and flexible work arrangements
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution
• Life insurance with AD & D
• Short- and long-term disability
• Paid cellphone and data service
• Tuition reimbursement
• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Professional development: free online training and expansive content library
• Onboarding buddy: 90 day mentor to welcome and orient new joiners
• Employee resource groups: social club, diversity committee, mentorship program
• Sponsored socials: annual staff art exhibition, annual summer and holiday parties, monthly birthday treats, weekly breakfast

Bonhams participates in E-Verify. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted.