Senior Systems Engineer (Lead) at Northern Technologies Group, Inc.

Tampa, Florida, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

16 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

18 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft 365, Hyper-V, Azure VDI, CMMC Compliance, NIST 800-171, Terraform, Bicep, PowerShell, Agentic AI, AIOps, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender, IaC

Industry

IT Services and IT Consulting

Description

Description Position Summary The Senior Systems Engineer is the definitive technical authority responsible for designing, implementing, managing, and optimizing the organization's enterprise information technology systems. Based in Tampa, FL, this role serves as the functional lead for the systems engineering team, driving all initiatives related to on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud infrastructure. Operating within a highly regulated engineering environment, the Senior Systems Engineer is tasked with the end-to-end orchestration of Microsoft 365 and Azure cloud ecosystems, including the secure establishment of new Microsoft tenants tailored for Defense Industrial Base (DIB) compliance. Our ideal candidate possesses authoritative expertise in virtualization (Hyper-V, Azure VDI), advanced enterprise storage, multi-cloud architectures (Azure and Google Cloud Platform), and DevOps practices (Infrastructure as Code). Furthermore, this position leads the organization's integration of next-generation automation, specifically leveraging Agentic AI to transform IT operations from reactive troubleshooting to autonomous, self-healing infrastructure. As a hands-on technical leader, the Senior Systems Engineer bridges the gap between complex architectural design and operational execution, mentoring junior engineers and collaborating with executive stakeholders to align technology investments with the firm's strategic objectives. Essential Duties and Responsibilities The responsibilities of the Senior Systems Engineer span multiple complex technological domains. The following table delineates the essential duties categorized by functional area. Enterprise Cloud Architecture & Tenant Management Design, deploy, and govern secure, well-architected Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) landing zones, ensuring optimal performance, high availability, and cost-efficiency. Lead the provisioning, baselining, and continuous management of new Microsoft 365 enterprise tenants, enforcing strict security postures from inception. Administer comprehensive Microsoft identity and access management (IAM) strategies utilizing Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), including the deployment of Conditional Access policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and Privileged Identity Management (PIM). Oversee the full suite of Microsoft security and governance tools, architecting deployments of Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM/SOAR), Microsoft Defender (XDR), Microsoft Purview (Data Loss Prevention and Information Protection), and Microsoft Intune (Mobile Device Management). Virtualization, Storage, & Engineering Infrastructure Architect and maintain high-performance Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) using Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365, specifically tuned to support heavy engineering, CAD, and BIM workloads. Implement and manage FSLogix profile containers, ensuring low-latency access to roaming profiles via optimized Premium SSD storage and Azure NetApp Files. Administer on-premises and hybrid virtualization clusters, leveraging deep expertise in Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware, and advanced Storage Area Networks (SAN) to ensure robust disaster recovery and failover capabilities. CMMC Compliance & Defense Sector Security Serve as the primary technical architect for achieving and maintaining Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 compliance. Engineer and support Microsoft 365 GCC High environments designed to process, store, and transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS 7012 mandates. Develop and maintain critical compliance artifacts, including System Security Plans (SSP), Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&M), network diagrams, and continuous monitoring evidence required for third-party audits (C3PAO). Agentic AI Integration & AIOps Lead the strategic deployment of Agentic AI systems to autonomously monitor, diagnose, and remediate enterprise infrastructure anomalies, significantly reducing incident resolution times. Architect secure agentic workflows that integrate directly with enterprise APIs, allowing AI agents to orchestrate multi-step IT processes (e.g., automated resource scaling, ticket resolution, and inventory reconciliation) while maintaining strict human-in-the-loop oversight where required. Establish reliability, security, and observability foundations for AI agents, ensuring deterministic performance and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive environments. DevOps & Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Transform manual infrastructure provisioning into automated, repeatable, and auditable pipelines using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as HashiCorp Terraform and Azure Bicep. Integrate IaC deployments with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) platforms (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions), enforcing code reviews, static analysis, and security scanning prior to deployment. Automate routine system administration tasks through advanced PowerShell scripting and automation runbooks. Team Leadership & Strategic Governance Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and daily guidance to the systems engineering team (Systems Engineers I/II and IT support staff), fostering a culture of continuous learning and operational excellence. Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including software developers, network engineers, executive leadership, and external clients—to define business requirements and translate them into scalable infrastructure designs. Manage vendor relationships, evaluate new technologies (such as emerging multi-cloud platforms and AI-native observability tools), and perform cost-benefit analyses to support executive purchasing decisions. Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) The foundational requirements for this role dictate a deep theoretical and practical understanding of enterprise systems. Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in enterprise systems engineering, cloud architecture, or IT infrastructure operations. Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Azure architecture is mandatory, encompassing compute provisioning, complex networking topologies (including Virtual Networks, Network Security Groups, and ExpressRoute), advanced storage solutions, and seamless identity integration. Must demonstrate deep, hands-on experience with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, specifically proving competence in orchestrating Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender, Purview, and Intune within an enterprise context. Demonstrated expertise in managing Hyper-V virtualization and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments optimized specifically for high-performance applications common in engineering firms. Experience configuring, managing, and documenting systems in strict accordance with CMMC Level 2, NIST 800-171, or FedRAMP High standards. Applied knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) utilizing HashiCorp Terraform or Azure Bicep is required to ensure scalable and auditable infrastructure management. Foundational experience with, or a strong conceptual understanding of, Artificial Intelligence in IT operations (AIOps) and Agentic AI workflow automation. Preferred Qualifications Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty, or equivalent architectural certifications within the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) ecosystem. Direct experience orchestrating enterprise tenant migrations into Microsoft 365 GCC High environments is highly desired, given the specialized nature of sovereign cloud architectures. Practical experience developing autonomous AI agents using frameworks such as LangChain, or integrating large language models (LLMs) with IT service management platforms, will distinguish leading candidates. Background within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry or the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is considered a significant asset, as it guarantees familiarity with the specific operational tempos and compliance burdens inherent to these sectors. Key Competencies To succeed in this role, you must exhibit exceptional architectural vision, demonstrating the ability to conceptualize and design resilient, highly available, and scalable multi-cloud environments that align with long-term business strategy. Cross-functional leadership is paramount; the Senior Systems Engineer must possess the proven capability to lead without formal authority, driving consensus among diverse technical and non-technical teams. You must excel in analytical problem-solving, showcasing an exceptional capacity for conducting root-cause analysis in complex, distributed systems under high-pressure scenarios. A nuanced understanding of the intersection between technical infrastructure and federal compliance frameworks, specifically regulatory acumen regarding the Defense Industrial Base is essential. You, must maintain an innovation mindset, demonstrating proactive engagement with emerging technologies, particularly the application of generative and agentic AI to traditional infrastructure paradigms. Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Travel - Up to 10% Shift Hours and shift determined by location. Note The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship. The salary range listed represents a good faith estimate and is provided in compliance with applicable pay transparency laws. The final compensation offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including your skills, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and market conditions.

Responsibilities

This role serves as the definitive technical authority responsible for designing, implementing, managing, and optimizing enterprise IT systems, leading initiatives across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud infrastructure, including Microsoft 365 and Azure ecosystems with a focus on DIB compliance. Key duties involve architecting secure cloud landing zones, managing identity and security tools, leading next-generation automation via Agentic AI, and providing technical leadership and mentorship to the systems engineering team.