Infrastructure Specialist

Title: Infrastructure Specialist

Location: Houston, TX

Who we are:

Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 32 countries and employs more than 12,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Why Kuraray:

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly. Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

Position Summary:

The Network Administrator supports the day-to-day operation, maintenance, security, and performance of the organization's network environment across corporate, manufacturing, and remote locations. Working under the direction of senior infrastructure team members, this role monitors network services, performs standard configurations, troubleshoots connectivity issues, maintains documentation, and assists with network upgrades and projects. More complex design decisions and high-impact issues are escalated to senior team members or leadership.

Responsibilities:

The Infrastructure Specialist supports the day-to-day operation, maintenance, security, and performance of the organization's IT infrastructure across corporate, manufacturing, and remote locations. This role supports network, server, virtualization, storage, backup, and core infrastructure services; monitors system performance; troubleshoots technical issues; maintains documentation; and assists with infrastructure upgrades and improvement initiatives. Working collaboratively with IT, cybersecurity, OT, business teams, and service providers, the Infrastructure Specialist helps maintain reliable and secure technology services. More complex design decisions and high-impact issues are escalated to senior infrastructure resources or leadership.

Network & Infrastructure Administration

- Configure, administer, and maintain network and infrastructure technologies, including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless, servers, virtualization, storage, backup, and related systems across multiple locations.

- Support LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, Internet and VPN connectivity, including VLANs, IP addressing, routing, DNS, DHCP, wireless connectivity, and network authentication.

- Administer and support core infrastructure services, including Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, virtual environments, storage, and backup platforms.

Infrastructure Security, Maintenance & Recovery

- Support network and infrastructure security through segmentation, access controls, firewall policies, secure remote connectivity, patching, firmware updates, and vulnerability remediation in coordination with cybersecurity.

- Perform routine infrastructure maintenance and upgrades using established change-management procedures and assist with hardware and technology lifecycle activities.

- Support infrastructure redundancy, backups, recovery, failover testing, and disaster recovery activities to maintain business continuity.

Monitoring, Troubleshooting & Performance

- Monitor network, server, virtualization, storage, and backup environments for availability, performance, utilization, and capacity.

- Troubleshoot network, server, wireless, authentication, storage, backup, and connectivity issues using appropriate diagnostic tools, resolving issues within the scope of the role and escalating more complex problems as needed.

- Analyze recurring issues and performance trends to identify opportunities to improve infrastructure reliability and capacity.

Infrastructure Planning & Continuous Improvement

- Support infrastructure improvements related to site expansions, equipment refreshes, connectivity, server resources, storage, backup capacity, and changing business requirements.

- Stay current on network and infrastructure technologies, product lifecycles, and vendor recommendations and assist in evaluating solutions that improve reliability, security, and operational effectiveness.

- Use scripting or automation tools, where appropriate, to improve routine administration, reporting, and configuration activities.

Documentation, Compliance & Collaboration

- Maintain network diagrams, infrastructure inventories, configurations, technical standards, operating procedures, recovery documentation, and change records.

- Work collaboratively with infrastructure, cybersecurity, service desk, application, plant, OT, business teams, vendors, and service providers to support infrastructure operations, coordinate changes, and minimize business disruption.

Minimum Qualifications

- Associate's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

- Minimum of two years of hands-on network administration or IT infrastructure support experience; experience in a manufacturing or multi-site environment is preferred.

- Working knowledge of TCP/IP, LAN/WAN, VLANs, routing, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, wireless networking, firewalls, and network access controls.

- Familiarity with Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, virtualization, storage, backup, and other core infrastructure technologies.

- Experience monitoring and troubleshooting network and infrastructure issues using standard diagnostic and monitoring tools.

- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across IT, cybersecurity, OT, business, and vendor teams.

- Ability to prioritize incidents, maintenance activities, and assigned projects to support business operations.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

- Valid driver's license required.

Competencies :

- Customer Focus

Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

- Business Insight

Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals.

- Cultivates Innovation

Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.

- Action Oriented

Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

- Ensures Accountability

Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

- Drives Results

Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstance

- Collaborates

Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

- Values Difference

Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization

- Communicates Effectively

Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

- Courage

Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.

- Instills Trust

Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

- Situational Adaptability

Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance.

Our employees benefit from a robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements, along with generous perks such as three weeks of paid time off, ten company holidays, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and a matching 401k plan, among other offerings.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Learn more at kuraray.us.com/careers/

Kuraray America, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity/disability/protected veteran status

No third-party candidates accepted.