Systems Engineer

The Senior / Principal Windows Systems Engineer position requires advanced to expert technical competency, and is responsible for delivering mission critical systems, security, and infrastructure – ensuring the highest levels of availability, performance and security for the business.

This position requires hands-on systems engineering technical work, enterprise architecture including network, project management, advanced scripting skills, the ability to provide data-driven metrics, some management of vendors, and being able to deliver on key initiatives within budget and timelines. This position includes the support and maintenance of existing physical and virtual infrastructure and platforms, as well as managing the company’s cloud design, architecture, and associated security.

The Senior / Principal Windows Systems Engineer leads the technology evolution lifecycle to assess new and cutting-edge technical solutions to determine their feasibility. This role will also be responsible for functional blueprinting, the identification of gaps in standard functionality, and for recommending alternative options to the team to arrive at the best decision for the business.

This role provides IT leadership for the end-to-end IT landscape, which includes planning, design, technical collaboration, and testing, as well as strong analysis and troubleshooting skills when problems arise that require technical escalation.

Description of Essential Job Functions

• Supports the global IT enterprise, including all cloud deployed assets and applications, and ensures that all IT Security best-practices are in place – including technical controls.
• Monitors the efficiency and performance of the company's technology and network systems.
• Ensures the consistency and maintainability of existing applications by creating, maintaining, and enforcing standards/procedures for implementing technical solutions.
• Automates workflows, processes, and reporting using advanced scripting.
• Ensures the appropriate Active Directory standards and best practices are implemented and maintained, and ensures any automation is documented and controlled.
• Keeps abreast of relevant developments in technologies relating to enrollment management and changing student demographics and expectations and provides vision for the future. Understands how business needs and technology opportunities intersect and uses that knowledge to influence strategy and make decisions to advance the mission and goals of the business.
• Directs activities to improve the security, reliability, usability, accessibility, and maintainability of systems and data, with particular emphasis on testing, monitoring, reporting, and documentation. Anticipates and ensures appropriate resources and structures are in place to support short- and long-term goals. Creates and/or uses effective metrics to support fact-based decision-making and drive results.
• Supports continuous improvement and works with client areas and senior leadership and staff to recognize opportunities to better realize business value and to simplify organizational processes, improve information availability, and create efficiencies. Develops automation solutions to improve efficiency and reporting.
• Supports M&A activities as needed, including assisting with integrations, Active Directory, O365 and Azure mergers, and related network LAN/WAN activities.
• Ensures compliance with and/or follows all organizational systems, programs, training, policies, and procedures as required and complies with relevant legal mandates. Seeks guidance as necessary.
• Actively supports and participates in the safety program, both for self-protection and the protection of other employees, by reading and abiding by all requirements in the Safety Manual and Injury Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).
• Carries out all responsibilities in an honest, ethical, and professional manner.
• Must be able to fulfill essential job function in a consistent state of alertness and safe manner.
• Handles various other duties as assigned by IT management.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Training new technical staff; planning, assigning, and directing work; mentoring.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 7 + years of IT experience required that includes the following:
• 7-10 years of experience as a Windows Systems Engineer supporting Windows Server products, virtualization, storage, and VDI environments.
• 5 years of experience working with Azure and Office 365.
• 5 years of experience with Windows and Azure security.
• 3-5 years of experience supporting desktop computing and end users.
• Strong working knowledge of LAN and WAN technologies and topologies, expert-level hand-on capabilities with Microsoft Server 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2019, Microsoft SQL Server 2012/2019, Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM), VMWare, Hyper-V, advanced expertise with Microsoft Azure / Office 365.
• Ability to author work instructions, system specifications, standards, and documented processes.
• Advanced experience with desktop operating systems, SCCM, SCOM, OMSA / CIM, x86 server hardware platforms, Cisco ASA firewalls, FirePower, Cisco 9300 Series switches, HIDS, NIDS, IDS, IPS, SIEM (e.g., AlienVault / Splunk), SolarWinds, RMAD, NNIs, ITE room architecture, RADIUS, Azure and Office 365 management & security (including Conditional Access), and InTune (including AutoPilot) preferred.
• Advanced security expertise and knowledge required, including a thorough understanding of NIST, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and/or CIS Controls.
• Experience setting up, deploying, and configuring an enterprise SIEM solution.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills required. Has experience in defining KPIs, and in developing metrics reports and dashboards.
• Experience with Network Attached Storage and Unix Administration a plus.
• Advanced to Expert PowerShell scripting skills required. Additional programming languages a plus.
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge and experience with Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity, Data Protection Methodologies (Backup & Recovery), SQL Server Availability Groups, and other resiliency solutions / architectures.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Azure and Hybrid Active Directory architecture required. Experience with SharePoint and/or PowerApps a plus.

Skills/Abilities

• Intermediate to advanced skill-level with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, Power BI, Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Advanced to Expert level writing PowerShell scripts
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent project management skills
• Must have a demonstrable proven track record of success
• Must have strong business and technical acumen
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Must be able to use discretion and independent judgement
• Must be able to work in a team environment
• Must possess exceptional attention to detail
• Must be able to adapt and flex to a changing environment
• M&A, Process Re-Engineering, and/or Software Engineering experience a plus
• Experience with NAV 2017/2018, CRM, and/or Dynamics 365 Business Central a plus
• Microsoft Certifications; SQL Server knowledge/experience highly desirable