Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect

ABOUT THE ROLE vdBA SecureOps is building a security-led managed services practice for life sciences clients. The Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect is the most senior technical resource on the delivery team — the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, the designer of the Microsoft-centric, security-hardened environments our clients run on, and a builder of the automation and AI tooling that keeps the team efficient as we scale. This role blends deep hands-on engineering with client-facing solution design. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Escalation & Technical Leadership - Serve as the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, resolving the most complex issues across infrastructure, cloud, and security. - Mentor and train Tier 1/2 technicians; build technical documentation and runbooks that raise the team's overall capability. - Own root-cause analysis for recurring or high-impact incidents. Solution Design & Architecture - Design end-to-end technical solutions for clients spanning Microsoft 365, Azure, identity/security, networking, and endpoint management. - Partner with sales and leadership to scope new client engagements, contribute to proposals/SOWs, and estimate effort. - Lead technical onboarding and migrations for new clients into the managed environment. - Establish and maintain architecture standards and reference designs the team can build against consistently. Microsoft Cloud & Security Engineering - Architect and administer Microsoft 365 and Azure environments: identity (Entra ID/Azure AD, conditional access), Intune/endpoint management, Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive, and Azure infrastructure. - Implement and maintain security controls across the Microsoft stack: MFA/conditional access, endpoint protection, DLP, and identity governance. - Support alignment of client environments to compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, HITRUST) in partnership with the security team. Automation & AI Tooling - Build automation using PowerShell (and other scripting languages) to streamline provisioning, monitoring, and remediation across client environments. - Design and build AI-assisted tooling and agents — using platforms like Claude — to automate documentation, ticket triage, reporting, and other repeatable workflows. - Continuously look for opportunities to reduce manual ticket volume through automation and self-service. Infrastructure & Networking - Support broader infrastructure needs: server administration (Windows Server, Active Directory), virtualization, backup/disaster recovery, and core networking (firewalls, switching, VPN). - Participate in on-call/escalation rotation for critical incidents as needed. QUALIFICATIONS Required - Must come from a scaled MSP, with experience supporting multiple clients/environments at once — not a single-organization IT background. - Deep, hands-on expertise in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365/O365 administration and architecture. - Strong security background: identity and access management, endpoint security, conditional access, and general security best practices. - Strong scripting ability, particularly PowerShell. - Experience with — or strong interest in — building automation and AI agents using tools like Claude. - Proven experience serving as an escalation point for a service desk or support team. - Experience designing technical solutions for clients, including scoping and documentation. - Strong communication skills — able to work directly with clients on technical solutions, not just internally. Preferred - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience. - Experience serving healthcare or life sciences clients. - Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, Security+, or similar). - Experience with additional scripting/automation languages (e.g., Python). - Experience with RMM/PSA platforms common in MSP environments (e.g., ConnectWise, NinjaOne). What We're Looking For - A senior technologist who enjoys both deep technical work and mentoring others. - Comfortable being the “buck stops here” person for the hardest technical problems. - A builder mindset — excited to create automation and tooling that makes the whole team more effective. - A fast learner who is energetic and adaptable in a fast-growing environment. vdB&A is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and consider qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.