Director, Systems Engineering & Cloud Infrastructure

Worcester Polytech; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) seeks a Director of Systems Engineering to lead and evolve the university's enterprise systems, storage, virtualization, and cloud environments, including Campus Safety services. You will drive strategic planning, staff development, and cross‑functional collaboration with IT and campus partners.

The role requires building secure, scalable, and resilient infrastructure, guiding DevOps and automation, and aligning initiatives with institutional priorities.

Qualifications

• 4-year bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience, including direct leadership of a systems, infrastructure, or operations team.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to develop and retain technical staff.
• Excellent strategic thinking and planning abilities.
• Deep understanding of server, storage, virtualization, and cloud computing technologies across Windows and Linux.
• Working knowledge of middleware: database platforms, web services, and load balancing.
• Ability to direct DevOps and automation resources against strategic requirements.
• Knowledge of physical access control, video surveillance, and emergency communications systems.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities and ability to act as senior escalation point.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience budgeting and vendor negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive systems strategy aligned with university goals.
• Provide strategic direction for operations, storage, virtualization, cloud, and Campus Safety services.
• Lead systems operations, administration, and incident response with SLA adherence.
• Oversee DevOps/automation initiatives and standardize processes for efficiency.
• Own application system and security support across enterprise platforms.
• Manage campus safety technology and integration with facilities and police.
• Ensure security, compliance, backup, and disaster recovery planning.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Planning

Communication skills

Cloud computing

Server administration

Middleware knowledge

DevOps

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or Information Technology

Tools

AWS

Azure

Job description

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) seeks a Director of Systems Engineering to lead and evolve the university's enterprise systems, storage, virtualization, and cloud environments, including Campus Safety services. You will drive strategic planning, staff development, and cross‑functional collaboration with IT and campus partners.

The role requires building secure, scalable, and resilient infrastructure, guiding DevOps and automation, and aligning initiatives with institutional priorities.