Systems Engineering Lead

We are seeking a seasoned Sr. Systems Engineer - Onsite to serve as the primary technical presence at a high-profile financial services client. This is not a traditional support role - you will be the trusted technical lead and day-to-day partner to the client's leadership, owning the reliability, security, and continuous improvement of their entire technology environment.

You will bring deep cloud and infrastructure expertise, a strong automation mindset, and the client-facing maturity to translate technical complexity into business outcomes. You will serve as the escalation anchor for all Level 1 and Level 2 issues, partner with our engineering teams on complex initiatives, and ensure the client's environment evolves alongside their business.

Client Partnership & Onsite Leadership

• Serve as the senior onsite technical lead and trusted advisor to the client's CTO and senior stakeholders
• Build and maintain a strong client relationship grounded in technical credibility, proactive communication, and follow-through
• Translate business requirements into technical solutions, providing guidance on infrastructure decisions, vendor evaluations, and technology roadmap considerations
• Represent Portfolio BI's standards and quality of service in every client interaction
• Coordinate with internal engineering and delivery teams to align onsite operations with broader platform initiatives
  
  

Infrastructure Operations & System Health

• Own the day-to-day health, performance, and availability of the client's cloud and hybrid infrastructure
• Provide hands-on support across end-user systems, server infrastructure, networking, storage, identity, and security layers
• Proactively monitor systems using cloud-native and third-party tools, identifying and resolving risks before they affect operations
• Execute and oversee operational activities, including patching cycles, backup validation, disaster recovery readiness, and scheduled maintenance
• Support and administer the full Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Intune, Entra ID, and Teams Calling
  
  

Incident & Problem Management

• Serve as the primary escalation point for critical incidents, ensuring timely resolution within defined SLA commitments
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) efforts and implement durable corrective actions to prevent recurrence
• Coordinate with Level 3 engineers and product teams on high-impact or systemic issues
• Drive continuous improvement of incident response processes, runbooks, and escalation paths
• Maintain clear and timely communication with clients during active incidents, providing status updates and post-incident summaries
  
  

Automation, IaC & Cloud Engineering

• Design and maintain infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, ARM templates, Bicep) to ensure consistent, repeatable deployments
• Develop and enhance automation scripts (PowerShell, Python, Bash) to reduce manual operational overhead and improve reliability
• Contribute to and maintain CI/CD pipelines, supporting controlled deployment of infrastructure changes and configuration updates
• Support cloud deployments, configuration changes, and infrastructure updates under strict change control procedures
• Identify automation opportunities across operational workflows and lead implementation through to production
  
  

Experience & Technical Skills

• 4 to 8 years of experience in systems engineering, cloud operations, or a closely related role
• Proven track record as a senior technical resource in a dedicated or client-facing environment, ideally within an MSP or financial services firm
• Strong hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure (IaaS, PaaS, hybrid architectures) - Azure Administrator Associate certification preferred
• Deep expertise across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem: Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Intune, Entra ID, Teams Calling
• Solid command of cloud networking: VNets, VPNs, load balancing, DNS, NSGs, ExpressRoute, and hybrid connectivity
• Windows Server administration, including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, and DFS
• Scripting and automation proficiency in PowerShell, Python, and Bash - you write code to solve operational problems, not just for documentation
• Hands-on experience with infrastructure-as-code tools: Terraform, ARM templates, or Bicep
• Working knowledge of CI/CD practices and version control (Git, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions)
• Proficiency with monitoring and observability platforms (Azure Monitor, Datadog, Microsoft Sentinel, or equivalent)
• Solid networking fundamentals: LAN/WAN/DMZ architecture, routing, switching, firewalls, DHCP, and DNS
• Experience supporting market data platforms and vendor integrations common in financial services environments (Bloomberg, Refinitiv/LSEG, CapIQ, Advent, or similar)
• Excellent client-facing communication skills - able to engage confidently with both technical teams and business leadership
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the alternative investment industry (hedge funds, private equity, asset management)
• Microsoft certifications such as Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) or Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert
• Experience with cybersecurity tools: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike, or Darktrace
• Familiarity with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (XenApp) or similar application delivery platforms
• Exposure to containerization and orchestration: Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience supporting hybrid cloud and on-premises integrations, including VMware or Hyper-V environments
• Working knowledge of Linux server administration
• Familiarity with ITIL practices and ITSM tools such as ServiceNow or Jira Service Management
• Experience with storage and virtualization platforms: Pure Storage, NetApp, EMC, Nimble, or equivalent
  
  

Core Technology Stack

Category | Technologies

Cloud | Microsoft Azure (IaaS/PaaS), Azure Virtual Desktop, ExpressRoute, Entra ID, Azure Policy

Productivity | Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams Calling, Intune

Servers | Windows Server 2016/2019/2022, Active Directory, VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, Citrix XenApp

Networking | Fortinet FortiGate, Palo Alto, Cisco Meraki, VLANs, VPN (SSL/IPsec), SD-WAN (Bigleaf)

Cybersecurity | Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike, Mimecast, Horizon AI, MFA/Zero Trust

Monitoring | Datadog, PRTG, Azure Monitor, Jira Service Management, PagerDuty