Example Cover Letter (Ron Sounder)
Ron Sounder
Towson, MD | 410-000-1000 | rsounder@gmail.com
April 12, 2026
Towson University, Office of Technology Services
8000 York Road
Towson, Maryland 21252
Dear TU Office of Technology Services Solutions Engineering group Hiring Committee:
Over 6 years in IT, access management, and customer support across government, higher education, and consulting environments have prepared me to return to Towson University Office of Technology Services with a stronger technical foundation than when I first started as a student intern. My time supporting users at OTS gave me an early understanding of how critically responsive, secure, and well-documented technical support is in a university environment. Since then, I have advanced into a role supporting federal government operations by troubleshooting technical issues for entry-level staff to VIP personnel across the country and internationally. This growth has strengthened my ability to handle client facing and backend support responsibilities needed to serve as a Systems Administrator at TU’s Office of Technology Services.
In my current role with the Navy Defense Command, I regularly resolve complex identity, endpoint, and operational issues involving Microsoft Active Directory, Windows systems, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), mobile device management, and enterprise security tools. What stood out to me in the job posting was the emphasis on identifying root causes, reducing repeat incidents, and improving service reliability.
In my current role, I have had to approach technical issues with the same long-term focus. For example, after a mobile server outage at Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) disrupted communication services for personnel on domestic and international assignments, many staff members were forced to suddenly use their personal devices for work. To help resolve repeat incidents, I created a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining compliance requirements, vulnerability prevention, and security expectations, along with implementing Hypori and Microsoft Intune as a secure temporary solution. The result was faster decision making, fewer repeated issues, and improved security awareness. I see strong alignment between that experience and your focus on documentation, operational support, and long-term service improvements.
I also appreciate that in this position I’ll work closely with Help Centers, Client Services, and Information Security teams because collaboration has been central throughout my career. At Towson University’s Help Desk, I worked with students, faculty, and staff during high volume periods to troubleshoot issues. In my current role, I collaborate daily with Cyber Investigators, LAN Administrators, and Network Engineers to resolve vulnerabilities and support secure network operations. Those experiences strengthened my ability to communicate effectively across technical and nontechnical teams while maintaining a service-oriented approach.
What makes this opportunity especially meaningful is the chance to give back to OTS. I have gained deeper experience in troubleshooting, systems administration, endpoint security, patch management, documentation, and process improvement within large organizations. I would appreciate the opportunity to bring that experience back to OTS and continue to support reliable and secure services for Towson University’s students, faculty, and staff.
Sincerely,
Ron Sounder
(Partial) Job Description -Systems Administrator, Office of Technology Services (26000097)
Systems Administrator, Office of Technology Services-(26000097)
Job Summary
Towson University (TU) has earned distinction as both a top-100 public university and one of the nation's great colleges to work for. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University fosters a climate that is grounded in respect to cultivating the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.
Towson University is accepting applications for a Systems Administrator within the Office of Technology Services (OTS). This position is part of the Solutions Engineering (SE) group and is responsible for the daily administration, support, and improvement of enterprise desktop and server services.
The Systems Administrator troubleshoots and resolves complex service requests, supports system monitoring and vulnerability management activities, and contributes to documentation and service standardization efforts. This role works closely with other engineers in SE and supporting IT teams to maintain reliable, secure, and well‑documented technology services across the University. Telework may be available for this position up to two days per week following the completion of 90 days of service in good standing.
Responsibilities and Duties
The Systems Administrator supports and administers enterprise desktop and server services within the Solutions Engineering (SE) group in Towson University’s Office of Technology Services (OTS). This position serves a critical role in addressing complex client‑side and backend technical issues that are escalated from the Help Center and field support teams. Working as part of a collaborative engineering group, the Systems Administrator provides advanced troubleshooting, operational support, and technical oversight to ensure reliable, secure, and well‑documented services for faculty, staff, and students.
This role is responsible for resolving advanced client‑side issues that require deeper system knowledge, cross‑service analysis, or coordination with backend platforms. The Systems Administrator acts as a primary escalation point for selected desktop and endpoint services, bridging operational support teams and enterprise engineering functions. In addition to hands‑on issue resolution, the position contributes to identifying root causes, improving service reliability, and reducing repeat incidents through documentation and service improvements.
The Systems Administrator also serves as the technical lead for select Solutions Engineering services, including the emergency alert system, software licensing servers, endpoint protection platforms, software deployment and patching solutions, and other newly implemented technologies. The position provides advanced support for services such as client drive encryption, printing, and other SE‑managed platforms.
This role works closely with other engineers to maintain SE service offerings, acts as a secondary administrator for multiple systems, and contributes to technical planning and special projects. The position serves in a consulting capacity for academic and administrative units and collaborates regularly with Help Centers, Client Services, and Information Security teams. In addition, the Systems Administrator mentors and coordinates the Assistant Systems Administrator student employee by assigning work, providing training, and assisting with escalation of issues.
Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in related field.
Experience providing end‑user client support in a professional environment.
Working knowledge of Windows operating systems and common desktop software applications.
Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team‑oriented environment.
Availability for occasional, scheduled off‑hour maintenance.
Except for qualifications established by law, additional related experience and formal education in which one has gained the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for full performance of the work of the job class may be substituted for the education or experience requirement on a year-for-year basis with 30 college credits being equivalent to one year of experience.
Preferred
Two (2) years of related professional IT experience.
Experience working in a mid‑ to large‑sized organization.
Familiarity with some or all of the following technologies:
Microsoft SCCM / MECM / Intune.
macOS administration.
JAMF.
Scripting (e.g., PowerShell, shell scripting)
BitLocker drive encryption.
Microsoft 365 services.
This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days. A cover letter and resume with your online application is required.