IT Operations Lead

BioUrja Group; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

BioUrja Group is seeking an IT Operations Lead to oversee reliability, security, architecture and daily operations of its enterprise IT infrastructure. This hands-on senior role acts as the primary escalation authority, guiding a global IT team and ensuring ongoing uptime across cloud and on-premises systems.

Reporting to the VP of Enterprise Infrastructure & Security, the leader will own projects end-to-end, manage incident response, and drive modernization across Azure, M365, backups, and

Qualifications

• 12+ years of enterprise infrastructure experience.
• Lead technical authority in distributed enterprise environments.
• Expert across Azure, M365, Entra ID, AD, Windows Server, AVD.
• Strong networking with firewalls, VPNs; Fortinet/Meraki preferred.
• Experience with backup and DR using Commvault and Veeam.

Responsibilities

• Own and perform administration, maintenance, architecture, and troubleshooting of enterprise cloud and on‑premises infrastructure.
• Serve as primary senior technical authority for Azure, M365, Entra ID, AD, Windows Server, and AVD.
• Design and manage network/firewall configurations and VPN connectivity.
• Oversee backup and recovery operations with Commvault and Veeam; test recoveries.
• Monitor availability, performance, capacity, and risk; lead incident response.
• Directly supervise IT staff and act as escalation point across time zones.
• Lead infrastructure projects end‑to‑end from design to handoff and testing.
• Coordinate with vendors and stakeholders to deliver technical solutions.

Skills

Azure & AD

M365 & Entra ID

Azure Virtual Desktop

Networking & Security

Backup & DR

Tools

Commvault

Veeam

Fortinet FortiGate

Meraki

Mimecast

Arctic Wolf

Job description

SUMMARY OF COMPANY

BioUrja Advisors is a shared services company within BioUrja Group. Established in 2006, BioUrja was initially founded to supply physical bioethanol to the U.S. refining industry. Over time, BioUrja has grown into a leading supplier of refined petroleum products and natural gas liquids, while maintaining a strong presence in the bioethanol supply and trading sector. With a global reputation for operational excellence, we support multiple affiliated companies through centralized functional expertise.

POSITION SUMMARY

The IT Operations Lead is a hands-on senior technical leadership position responsible for the reliability, security, architecture, and daily operations of BioUrja’s enterprise IT infrastructure. The role combines principal-level infrastructure engineering, complex incident resolution, infrastructure project ownership, and team supervision. It requires a proven engineer who can assume responsibility for critical operations and serve as a trusted escalation authority immediately, while learning BioUrja-specific systems and processes.

The position supports approximately 700 employees across 20 locations and multiple subsidiaries, with primary responsibility for U.S. operations and additional support for international facilities. Working closely with and reporting to the VP of Enterprise Infrastructure & Security, this leader develops technical solutions, executes infrastructure initiatives, and provides guidance to the global IT operations team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Infrastructure Administration & Operations:

• Own and actively perform administration, maintenance, architecture, and advanced troubleshooting of enterprise cloud and on-premises infrastructure, including servers, networking, storage, and backup systems.
• Serve as the primary senior technical authority for Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Active Directory, Windows Server, and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), including hybrid identity and complex service dependencies.
• Design, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Azure Virtual Networks, Fortinet FortiGate and Cisco Meraki firewalls, wireless access points, firewall policies, routing, and site-to-site IPSec VPN connectivity.
• Own enterprise backup and recovery operations using Commvault and Veeam; validate recoverability through documented testing and remediation.
• Proactively monitor infrastructure availability, performance, capacity, and reliability, identifying and addressing operational risks.
• Independently resolve the most complex infrastructure, networking, identity, and systems escalations, including issues escalated by other senior engineers.
• Lead critical infrastructure incidents through triage, coordination, restoration, root-cause analysis, and preventive action across time zones.
• Oversee infrastructure patching, system maintenance, upgrades, lifecycle management, and change controls.
• Maintain accurate architecture diagrams, configurations, system dependencies, operational runbooks, and knowledge-transfer materials.
• Participate in scheduled after-hours maintenance and critical incident response as business needs require.

Infrastructure Projects & Technology Planning:

• Lead enterprise infrastructure projects end to end, from technical design and implementation through testing, stabilization, and handoff.
• Collaborate with the VP of Enterprise Infrastructure & Security on architecture and technology direction while independently owning engineering decisions and execution within agreed standards.
• Develop implementation plans, coordinate resources, and drive technical project delivery with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• Perform hands-on engineering work and delegate appropriate activities to other IT team members.
• Evaluate infrastructure technologies, products, and services; present technical recommendations and tradeoffs to IT leadership.
• Support infrastructure modernization, roadmaps, resilience improvements, and technical debt reduction.
• Plan and execute infrastructure migrations, upgrades, integrations, and deployments while minimizing disruption.
• Lead technical infrastructure activities for mergers and acquisitions, including assessments, migrations, and integration of acquired operations.
• Coordinate with stakeholders, vendors, and external service partners to deliver technical solutions.

Cybersecurity & Risk Management:

• Administer and maintain enterprise cybersecurity solutions, including Mimecast, Arctic Wolf, endpoint protection, and endpoint patch management platforms.
• Support cybersecurity operations across Microsoft 365, Azure, on-premises infrastructure, and network environments.
• Investigate security alerts, vulnerabilities, and incidents and independently drive infrastructure remediation with the security team.
• Implement and maintain security configurations, privileged access controls, system hardening, and other infrastructure protection measures.
• Oversee vulnerability remediation and patch compliance across supported systems.
• Partner with IT leadership to identify security risks, recommend improvements, and implement technical controls.
• Contribute to cybersecurity policies, procedures, and technical standards.
• Support disaster recovery and business continuity planning, implementation, and testing.

Team Leadership & Service Delivery:

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership, direction, and guidance to systems administrators, help desk analysts, and IT/OT support staff across U.S. and international operations.
• Directly supervise assigned personnel and serve as the senior technical escalation resource for the broader global IT team.
• Collaborate with the VP on hiring, performance evaluations, and disciplinary matters involving U.S.-based employees.
• Mentor engineers through complex problem-solving, practical knowledge transfer, and professional development.
• Coordinate team priorities, operational workloads, and technical assignments while personally owning high-complexity issues.
• Oversee help desk escalation processes and service delivery across business units and locations.
• Drive consistent engineering standards, documentation, and support practices across subsidiaries.

Vendor & Operational Management:

• Maintain relationships with technology vendors, value-added resellers (VARs), cloud solution providers (CSPs), and external service partners.
• Coordinate purchasing, licensing, and contract renewals subject to IT leadership approval.
• Evaluate vendor solutions, technical specifications, licensing requirements, and service offerings.
• Work with business stakeholders to understand operational needs and recommend technology solutions.
• Coordinate infrastructure work with vendors and internal departments and provide technical recommendations to IT leadership.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Approximately 12+ years of progressively responsible hands-on experience in enterprise infrastructure engineering, systems administration, or technology operations; equivalent demonstrated expertise will be considered.
• Proven experience serving as a lead or principal technical authority in a complex, geographically distributed enterprise environment; direct supervisory experience strongly preferred.
• Expert-level, hands-on administration, architecture, and advanced troubleshooting across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Active Directory, Windows Server, hybrid identity, and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
• Demonstrated experience independently diagnosing and resolving complex Azure identity, networking, connectivity, and infrastructure issues beyond routine administration.
• Strong enterprise networking expertise across firewalls, switching, wireless, routing, VPNs, and network troubleshooting; experience with Fortinet and Meraki preferred.
• Hands-on enterprise backup and disaster recovery experience; Commvault and Veeam preferred.
• Experience administering enterprise security controls including email security, endpoint protection, monitoring, and vulnerability management.
• Proven ownership of infrastructure architecture, migrations, modernization initiatives, and major incident resolution.
• Experience supporting multiple sites and coordinating engineering response across time zones.

BENEFITS

• Competitive Salary and Bonus eligibility.
• Comprehensive Benefits (medical, dental, vision, life)
• 401(k)/Retirement savings with Company match
• Paid Time Off and holidays

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

BioUrja Advisors LLC participates in the E-Verify Employment Verification Program.

BioUrja Advisors LLC is not currently accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at BioUrja Advisors LLC, via-email, the Internet or directly to hiring managers at BioUrja Advisors LLC in any form without a valid written agreement in place for that specific position will be deemed the sole property of BioUrja Advisors LLC. As a result, no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by BioUrja Advisors LLC.