Senior Systems Engineer

General Summary:

The Senior Systems Engineer is a senior technical contributor responsible for designing, implementing, securing, automating, and supporting the University's enterprise systems infrastructure.

The position works across on-premises and cloud environments, including Windows and Linux systems, virtualization, storage, backup and recovery, directory and authentication services, monitoring, and related enterprise platforms. The Senior Systems Engineer leads complex technical work, resolves significant production issues, and helps establish engineering standards and sustainable operating practices.

The position works closely with Systems Engineering colleagues and partners across Information Security, Network Engineering, Enterprise Applications, Research Computing, Client Services, Academic Technology, and other University departments.

Examples of Duties:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, implement, maintain, monitor, and continuously improve secure, reliable, and scalable enterprise systems across on-premises and cloud environments, including performance, availability, capacity, security, and lifecycle management.
• Serve as a senior technical resource for complex systems, cloud, virtualization, operating systems, directory services, storage, backup, automation, infrastructure reliability, incident response, root-cause analysis, and service restoration.
• Lead or contribute to major infrastructure implementations, upgrades, migrations, integrations, and platform-modernization initiatives.
• Develop and maintain automation using scripting, configuration management, infrastructure as code, version control, and other repeatable engineering practices.
• Implement system hardening, patching, vulnerability remediation, privileged-access controls, logging, and other security requirements in partnership with Information Security.
• Support enterprise backup, restoration, disaster recovery, and continuity capabilities, including documentation and regular recovery testing.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, diagrams, operating procedures, configuration standards, and recovery instructions.
• Serve as a technical lead on assigned projects by coordinating work across IT teams, vendors, and University stakeholders while mentoring colleagues, sharing knowledge, and establishing primary and secondary ownership of critical platforms.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend solutions based on security, reliability, supportability, institutional need, and total cost.
• Provide responsive and professional support to University customers and technical partners.
• Participate in an on-call rotation and perform occasional planned or emergency work outside normal business hours.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, engineering, or a related field.

2. At least six years of progressively responsible experience designing, implementing, or supporting enterprise infrastructure environments.

3. Strong knowledge and practical experience in several of the following areas:

a. Windows or Linux server systems

b. Microsoft Azure or comparable cloud platforms

c. Active Directory, Entra ID, authentication, or federation

d. Virtualization technologies

e. Enterprise storage, backup, and disaster recovery

f. Infrastructure automation and scripting

g. Systems monitoring and observability

h. Infrastructure security and vulnerability remediation

4. Experience leading or making substantial technical contributions to infrastructure implementations, upgrades, migrations, or complex incident response.

5. Ability to develop and maintain automation using PowerShell, Python, Terraform, Ansible, or comparable technologies.

6. Strong troubleshooting, analytical, documentation, communication, and customer-service skills.

7. Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise independent judgment, and work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team.

8. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, disciplines, and organizational levels.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience supporting technology in higher education, research, government, healthcare, or another complex institutional environment.

2. Experience with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Entra ID, VMware or comparable virtualization platforms, enterprise backup technologies, and Linux systems.

3. Experience with infrastructure as code, configuration management, Git-based workflows, automated deployment, or platform-engineering practices.

4. Experience supporting research environments, regulated data, cloud-based research services, or data-intensive computing.

5. Experience with disaster recovery, service management, site-reliability practices, or technical project leadership.

6. Relevant technical, cloud, security, or service-management certifications.

Work Schedule and Conditions

The position participates in a scheduled on-call rotation and may be required to support planned maintenance, major upgrades, incidents, and recovery activities outside normal University business hours.

Because of the position's hands-on technical, operational, and collaborative responsibilities, the Senior Systems Engineer is generally expected to work on campus at least four days per week. Limited remote work may be available consistent with University policy and operational needs.

Our Approach to Candidates

UMass Boston recognizes that strong candidates may develop relevant skills through a variety of professional, educational, and lived experiences. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications but do not possess every preferred qualification are encouraged to apply. We welcome candidates with transferable experience, nontraditional career paths, and a commitment to collaborative and inclusive work.

For Professional Unit Positions:

• Is this job required to be on-call? Yes

Background Check Information:

In addition to the mandatory standard background check package, please select additional products from the a la carte menu below.

UMass Boston Standard Background Package (Mandatory)

• Criminal Felony & Misdemeanor - 7 years (a) - Unlimited # of counties as revealed by SSN Trace
• Federal Criminal
• Massachusetts CORI
• Education Report - highest degree (b)
• Employment Report - 7 years, previous employer
• National Sex Offender Search
• Professional Licenses Report - per license
• SSN Trace
• SSN Validation

Supervision Received:

The Senior Systems Engineer reports to the Director of Systems Engineering and exercises substantial independent judgment in carrying out assigned technical, operational, and project responsibilities.

Supervision Exercised:

The Senior Systems Engineer does not normally exercise direct supervision but may provide technical leadership, functional direction, mentoring, or project coordination to other employees, consultants, contractors, and student staff.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link:

Grade: 33

Salary Ranges

This is an exempt union position.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.