Infrastructure Team Lead

Daikin Applied Americas Inc; Iowa (LA); Hybrid; USD 114,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

401K match

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

Daikin Applied seeks an Infrastructure Team Lead to guide a cross-functional team delivering hybrid cloud infrastructure across Azure, on-premises, and edge environments. You will shape reference architectures, drive automation, and ensure secure, scalable systems while transitioning projects to operations.

The role requires leadership experience, strong Azure and CI/CD expertise, and a track record of delivering enterprise-grade infrastructure in fast-moving transformation programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, IT, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 6-8 years in IT infrastructure with problem solving and technical project management experience.
• 1+ years of successful project management experience.
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure services (compute, storage, networking, identity, and security).
• Experience designing high-availability, disaster recovery, and resilient systems in enterprise environments.
• Proven track record of leading project-based teams and transitioning solutions to operations.
• Strong experience with Windows and Linux operating environments.
• Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated infrastructure delivery practices.
• Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of infrastructure engineers for hybrid cloud projects.
• Provide technical leadership across Azure IaaS/PaaS, identity, compute, storage, and security integrations.
• Drive infrastructure transformation, cloud migrations, data center modernization, and automation adoption.
• Design and implement hybrid architectures combining on-premises, Azure, and edge compute.
• Partner with Network Team Lead to deliver integrated infrastructure and network solutions.
• Establish and enforce infrastructure standards and engineering best practices.
• Ensure solutions meet high availability, resiliency, disaster recovery, and performance requirements.
• Oversee end-to-end delivery and ensure quality, scalability, and timelines.
• Promote automation-first engineering and reduce manual administration.
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture, security, and application teams on compliance and security.

Skills

Team Leadership

Project Management

Azure (IaaS/PaaS)

Hybrid Cloud

Windows

Linux

CI/CD pipelines

Automation

Disaster Recovery planning

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/IT or related field

Equivalent experience

Tools

Cisco SD-WAN

Microsoft Azure

On-Premises infrastructure

Job description

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025! Make your mark at the world's largest HVAC company Daikin Applied is seeking an Infrastructure Team Lead to join our Digital team. The Infrastructure Team Lead will be instrumental in leading and delivering infrastructure transformation initiatives across a hybrid enterprise environment. As the leader of Digital Infrastructure projects, this position provides strategic direction, technical oversight, and execution leadership for complex, multi-platform initiatives spanning Azure, on-premises, and hybrid ecosystems. The Infrastructure Team Lead is responsible for ensuring high-quality delivery aligned to enterprise standards while balancing long-term strategy with disciplined project execution. This role partners closely with the Network Team Lead to drive cohesive infrastructure and network solutions that support modernization, scalability, and business growth. Work delivered by this team transitions to operations for long-term support, requiring strong design rigor, documentation, and knowledge transfer practices. This role is ideal for a forward-thinking leader who prioritizes automation-first engineering over traditional administration and thrives in a fast-evolving, transformation-driven environment. Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor.

Location: Plymouth, MN - Hybrid Preferred, Remote Ok

What you will do:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of infrastructure engineers focused on project-based delivery across hybrid cloud and edge environments
• Provide technical leadership across Microsoft Azure (IaaS, PaaS), identity platforms, compute, storage, and security integrations
• Drive digital infrastructure transformation initiatives, including cloud migrations, data center modernization, platform standardization, and automation adoption
• Design and implement hybrid architectures integrating on-premises systems, Azure services, and edge compute environments
• Partner with the Network Team Lead to deliver integrated infrastructure and network solutions, including Cisco SD-WAN and hybrid connectivity models
• Establish and enforce infrastructure standards, architectural patterns, and engineering best practices aligned to enterprise goals
• Ensure all solutions are designed to meet high availability (99.999%), resiliency, disaster recovery, and performance requirements
• Oversee end-to-end delivery of infrastructure components within cross-functional projects, ensuring quality, scalability, and adherence to timelines
• Promote automation-first engineering practices, reducing reliance on manual intervention and traditional system administration models
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture, security, and application teams to align solutions with business, compliance, and cybersecurity standards
• Drive observability practices, including monitoring, logging, and telemetry integration for proactive system management
• Lead transition-to-operations activities, ensuring comprehensive documentation, knowledge transfer, and operational readiness
• Contribute to infrastructure strategy, roadmaps, capacity planning, and cost optimization initiatives
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to inform future-state architecture and continuous improvement
• Manage vendor and partner relationships, including cloud providers and infrastructure technology vendors

What’s in it for you:

• Medical/Dental/Vision coverage, PTO, 401K match, support for community involvement and much more
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact and shape enterprise digital transformation
• Career growth within a company that is passionate about innovation and continuous improvement
• The support of an organization that values diverse perspectives, inclusive collaboration, and shared success

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field or equivalent experience
• 6-8 years in IT infrastructure support positions with high-level problem solving and technical project management experience
• 1+ years of successful project management experience
• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure services, including compute, storage, networking, identity (Azure AD/Entra ID), and security
• Experience designing and implementing high-availability, disaster recovery, and resilient systems in enterprise environments
• Proven track record of leading project-based teams and successfully transitioning solutions to operations/support teams
• Strong experience with both Windows and Linux operating environments
• Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated infrastructure delivery practices
• Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
• 10-15 years of progressive experience with IT infrastructure
• 3-5 years of experience in a leadership or team lead role
• 5+ years of experience delivering complex infrastructure projects across hybrid environments (Azure and on-premises)
• Experience working in environments leveraging Cisco networking technologies; exposure to Cisco SD-WAN
• Experience supporting digital transformation or modernization initiatives

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer contributions matching 100% of the first 3% of employee contributions and 50% on the next 2% of employee contributions
• Company provided life insurance + optional employee paid voluntary life insurance, dependent life coverage and voluntary accident coverage
• Short term and long-term disability
• 3 weeks of paid time off for new employees + 11 company paid holidays
• Vacation accrues on a monthly basis, unless applicable federal, state and local law requires a faster accrual
• Paid sick time in accordance of the federal, state and local law
• Paid parental leave and tuition reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,800 - $193,900 (+ 20% bonus) in Minnesota.

LI-RS1, LI-hybrid

If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied! Building a more sustainable planet. Creating comfortable, healthy spaces for people to connect, live and work. Perfecting the air we share. Daikin Applied is not just an HVAC company. We're part of a global technology powerhouse that uses Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) to transform the world. We're innovators and leaders. Not only as a business, but as individuals. And we are honored to say we were named to Forbes' America's Best-In-State Employers list for 2025, ranking #1 in Minnesota for Manufacturing and Engineering. You see, we're not just innovating on the outside. We're innovating on the inside to unlock people's unlimited potential and bring out the diverse and groundbreaking ideas that will help us solve today's most pressing challenges. That's why Daikin offers more than a job. Here's where you'll be heard, be valued, belong -- and be able to make your mark. Over the past several years, we've proudly welcomed several organizations into our family, each bringing unique strengths, deep expertise, and talented teams. As we continue to grow, these partners play a vital role in expanding our capabilities and shaping the future of our organization. Whichever Daikin Applied company you join, you'll be part of a unified, supportive environment where you can make an impact and grow your career.