Lead IT Systems & Security Engineer

Family Entertainment Group LLC; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Family Entertainment Group seeks a Lead IT Systems & Security Engineer to drive the design, security, and reliability of our core IT stack across 100+ locations. You will own server, virtualization, networking, and identity platforms, and lead the cybersecurity program including endpoint protection, patching, and incident response.

Hybrid work from the Itasca, IL office with regular travel to field sites is required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in systems administration and/or network engineering with security responsibility.
• Advanced experience with Windows Server environments, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Advanced experience with virtualization platforms (VMware and/or Hyper‑V), including clustering and performance tuning.
• Strong hands-on experience with network design and administration, including VLANs, subnetting, routing, firewalls, and VPNs.
• Demonstrated experience leading or heavily contributing to a cybersecurity program, including endpoint protection, patch management, and vulnerability remediation.
• Strong understanding of backup, high‑availability, and disaster recovery architecture.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects and set standards across a distributed, multi‑site organization.
• Excellent troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills; ability to explain technical risk and tradeoffs to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Ability to travel to field locations as required.
• Comfort operating in a hybrid work environment with regular on‑site presence at the Itasca, IL corporate office and periodic travel to field locations.
• Availability to participate in an on‑call rotation for after‑hours support of critical infrastructure and security incidents.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain server, virtualization, and networking infrastructure across corporate and field locations.
• Administer Active Directory, DNS, DHCP; manage identity and access across the company.
• Manage virtualized environments (VMware/Hyper‑V), including clustering and capacity planning.
• Maintain network infrastructure (LAN/WAN, VLANs, routing, firewalls, VPNs) across multi‑site operations.
• Own the cybersecurity program: endpoint protection, patch management, MFA, vulnerability remediation, and policy enforcement.
• Monitor security alerts and incidents; lead investigation and remediation.
• Develop backup, high‑availability, and disaster recovery strategies; test failover procedures.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement new tools and architecture improvements.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for infrastructure and security issues.
• Collaborate on infrastructure planning for new site builds and upgrades.
• Establish standards, baselines, and security documentation; manage vendor relationships.

Skills

Windows Server

Active Directory

Group Policy

VMware/Hyper‑V

Networking

Cybersecurity program

Backup & DR

Project leadership

Documentation

On-call support

Travel willingness

Hybrid work

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT or related field

Tools

PowerShell

Python

VMware

Microsoft Certifications

Job description

About Us

Family Entertainment Group (FEG), is a recognized industry leader in designing, developing, and operating world-class family entertainment centers and amusement experiences. With a commitment to innovation and guest satisfaction, FEG partners with top brands and venues to create memorable experiences for families and guests of all ages. The Company provides turnkey outsourced facility management and arcade operations services for resorts, hotels, casinos, and amusement parks. Additionally, the Company owns and operates standalone family entertainment centers under the In The Game, Max Action, and Bonkers brands. The Company operates 100+ locations throughout the U.S. and is actively expanding.

Position Summary

The Lead IT Systems & Security Engineer is a senior technical role and operational right hand to the SVP of Information Technology. This position is responsible for the design, implementation, and security of FEG's core IT infrastructure across 100+ corporate and field locations. The role owns the architecture and performance of servers, virtualization, networking, and identity systems, and leads the Company's cybersecurity program, including endpoint protection, patch management, vulnerability remediation, and incident response. The Lead IT Systems & Security Engineer sets technical standards for the IT organization, manages and prioritizes concurrent infrastructure and security projects across a high-growth multi-site environment, mentors support and implementation staff on best practices, and partners closely with the SVP of IT and IT Helpdesk & POS Manager to ensure systems are reliable, scalable, and secure. This is a hybrid role based out of the Itasca, IL corporate office, with regular travel to field locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain FEG's server, virtualization, and networking infrastructure across corporate and field locations.
• Own and administer Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP environments, ensuring consistent identity and access management company-wide.
• Architect and manage virtualized environments (VMware and/or Hyper-V), including clustering, snapshot management, capacity planning, and performance tuning.
• Lead the design and maintenance of network infrastructure (LAN/WAN, VLANs, routing, firewalls, VPNs, wireless access points) across multi-site operations.
• Own FEG's cybersecurity program: endpoint protection, patch management, vulnerability scanning and remediation, MFA, and security policy enforcement.
• Monitor security alerts and system health across environments; lead investigation, containment, and remediation of incidents.
• Develop and maintain backup, high-availability, and disaster recovery strategies; regularly test failover and recovery procedures.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement new tools, platforms, and architecture improvements to strengthen system reliability, scalability, and security posture.
• Serve as a senior technical escalation point for complex infrastructure, network, and security issues raised by the Helpdesk and Implementation teams.
• Partner with the Technology & Implementation Specialist Lead on infrastructure planning for new site buildouts, system upgrades, and location transitions.
• Establish technical standards, configuration baselines, and security policies; author and maintain infrastructure and security documentation and playbooks.
• Manage relationships with infrastructure and security vendors, including evaluating solutions, negotiating support agreements, and coordinating escalations.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Technology Support Specialists and Implementation staff on systems and security best practices.
• Support compliance efforts related to payment systems, data protection, and industry security requirements (e.g., PCI DSS) as applicable to FEG environments.
• Support Google Workspace and other core internal platforms from an infrastructure and security standpoint.
• Travel to field and corporate locations as needed for infrastructure deployments, security assessments, and remediation.
• Partner directly with the SVP of IT on IT infrastructure roadmap, technology strategy, vendor evaluation, and organizational planning initiatives.
• Manage and prioritize concurrent infrastructure and security projects across a high-growth, multi-site environment, including new location buildouts as FEG expands its footprint.
• Participate in an on-call rotation to support 24/7/365 service availability across all FEG locations; serve as the senior technical escalation point for critical infrastructure and security incidents outside business hours.
• Support cyber insurance readiness, security assessments, and audit requests, including responding to insurer questionnaires, maintaining required documentation, and coordinating remediation of findings.

Requirements

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in systems administration and/or network engineering, including significant hands‑on security responsibility.
• Advanced experience with Windows Server environments, Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Advanced experience with virtualization platforms (VMware and/or Hyper‑V), including clustering and performance tuning.
• Strong hands‑on experience with network design and administration, including VLANs, subnetting, routing, firewalls, and VPNs.
• Demonstrated experience leading or heavily contributing to a cybersecurity program, including endpoint protection, patch management, and vulnerability remediation.
• Strong understanding of backup, high‑availability, and disaster recovery architecture.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects and set standards across a distributed, multi‑site organization.
• Excellent troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills; ability to explain technical risk and tradeoffs to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Ability to travel to field locations as required.
• Comfort operating in a hybrid work environment with regular on‑site presence at the Itasca, IL corporate office and periodic travel to field locations.
• Availability to participate in an on‑call rotation for after‑hours support of critical infrastructure and security incidents.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, Security+, VCP, or Microsoft certifications.
• Experience with scripting and automation (PowerShell, Python, etc.) for infrastructure and security tasks.
• Experience supporting multi‑site operations in entertainment, retail, or hospitality industries.
• Familiarity with Point of Sale or Revenue Management Systems and their security requirements.
• Experience with PCI DSS or other payment‑related compliance frameworks.
Experience with centralized monitoring, SIEM, or alerting platforms.

Family Entertainment Group is an equal opportunity employer.