Manager, IT Engineer II - Cloud System Operations

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.); Princeton (NJ); Hybrid; USD 121,103 - 181,125; Full time

Job summary

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) in Princeton, NJ, seeks a Cloud Systems Operations Engineer II to improve reliability, scalability, and operational health across cloud and hybrid platforms. This hands-on role emphasizes execution, automation, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment.

You will partner with IT, Security, and Platform teams to translate requirements into scalable solutions, drive design and implementation in AWS/Azure, and contribute to runbooks and on-call

Qualifications

• 6+ years of IT engineering experience.
• Pharmaceutical industry experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and DevOps tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication across diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with regulated environments (GxP) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Translate requirements into actionable plans and guidance.
• Design, implement, and support enterprise components.
• Maintain high availability through monitoring and incident response.
• Collaborate with teams for agile delivery and documentation.
• Participate in audits and governance activities.

Skills

Cloud AWS/Azure

DevOps Tools

Monitoring Tools

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Global collaboration

Education

Bachelors in Computer Science/IT/Engineering

Tools

Splunk

Datadog

New Relic

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

Azure DevOps

Job description

We are looking for a highly skilled Cloud Systems Operations engineer who will work collaboratively with application, infrastructure, security, and platform teams to support and improve the reliability, scalability, and operational health of our cloud environments.

This role focuses on day‑to‑day cloud operations, incident response, automation, and operational improvements across cloud and hybrid platforms. The ideal candidate has strong hands‑on experience with cloud technologies, a solid understanding of operational best practices, and the ability to partner effectively across teams to solve complex technical problems.

This is a hands‑on, collaborative engineering role, not a people‑management position, with an emphasis on execution, reliability, and continuous improvement.

This is a HYBRID position that requires minimum 2 days a week in Princeton NJ office.

The Engineer II is a pivotal, developmental role on the engineering team where they are responsible for the successful delivery and outcomes of assigned projects and initiatives. The Engineer II will be responsible for translating requirements and project goals into an actionable plan and provide clear direction to more junior resources. They will further provide status updates to the Engineer III, seeking guidance and support where needed. The role drive the design, implementation and support of components of enterprise technology solutions that power Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s global business operations. It focuses on creating secure, scalable, and high‑performing systems that accelerate innovation, operational excellence, and data‑driven decision‑making. As a key member of Otsuka’s IT organization, the engineer collaborates within its team and occasionally with other teams to deliver reliable, compliant, and future‑ready solutions. Success in this role requires technical curiosity, analytical rigor, strong communication skills, and a continuous improvement mindset. This position suits professionals passionate about bridging business needs and emerging technologies to deliver tangible enterprise value.

At Otsuka, we defy limitation, so that others can too.

We have an unwavering belief in doing more. In transcending expectations. In going above and beyond—under any circumstances—for patients, families, providers, and for each other. It’s this deep‑rooted dedication that drives us to uncover answers to complex, underserved medical needs, so that patients can push past the limitations of their disease and achieve more than they thought was possible each and every day.

We believe that the bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity. We are doing everything in our power to live up to our mission of creating new products for better health worldwide in two important therapeutic categories: neuroscience and nephrology.

Job Description

The IT Engineer II contributes to the entire technology lifecycle—from strategic planning to deployment, optimization, and support—ensuring Otsuka’s IT environment remains secure, compliant, and responsive to business needs.

Solution Design & Implementation

• Work with the IT Engineer III, Solution Architect, Platform Lead and Product Lead to translate business and functional requirements into well‑architected technical solutions.
• Drive the design and the implementation of solution components that align with Otsuka’s enterprise architecture, data strategy, and security standards.
• Develop and configure systems across cloud (AWS, Azure), on‑premises, and hybrid environments.
• Build automation scripts and reusable components to streamline deployments.
• Participate in code reviews, configuration management, and version control practices.
• Validate scalability, performance, and fault‑tolerance of deployed systems.

Project Delivery & Collaboration

• Collaborate with product owners, business analysts, architects, and QA teams to ensure alignment with project goals.
• Work within Agile/Scrum or hybrid delivery frameworks to support iterative releases.
• Manage/Contribute to technical deliverables and contribute to project documentation, timelines, and risk assessments.
• Coordinate with external vendors, managed service providers, and internal support teams.
• Provide clear, concise technical input in planning and status meetings.

Operations, Monitoring & Support

• Maintain high availability of systems through proactive monitoring and issue resolution.
• Analyze incidents, perform root‑cause analyses, and implement preventive measures.
• Apply observability tools (e.g. Splunk, Datadog, New Relic) for performance management.
• Automate infrastructure provisioning, deployment pipelines, and alerting systems to reduce manual interventions.
• Develop operational runbooks and participate in on‑call rotations as needed.
• Contribute to disaster‑recovery testing and business continuity planning.

Security, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure solutions comply with Otsuka’s cybersecurity, GxP, data‑privacy, and regulatory requirements (e.g. GDPR, HIPAA).
• Implement and enforce policies for identity and access management, encryption, and network security.
• Participate in internal and external audits, ensuring systems meet required documentation and traceability.
• Contribute to change control, configuration management, and vulnerability remediation activities.

Innovation, Automation & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in the evaluation of emerging technologies—cloud services, DevOps tooling, AI frameworks, and automation platforms—and recommend adoption strategies.
• Support proofs of concept (POCs) and pilot deployments for new tools or patterns.
• Collaborate on FinOps and cost‑optimization initiatives to enhance efficiency.
• Promote standardization and reusability across platforms, applications, and processes.
• Contribute to best practices through documentation, mentoring, and internal community engagement.

Knowledge Management & Documentation

• Maintain detailed records of configurations, workflows, and system changes in Otsuka’s knowledge base (e.g., Confluence, ServiceNow).
• Create and maintain architectural diagrams, data flow documentation, and SOPs.
• Support training sessions or handovers to ensure continuity and operational readiness.

Qualifications

Knowledge/ Experience and Skills:

• 6+ years of experience as IT Engineer. Pharmaceutical industry expertise is a plus but is not required.
• Strong analytical and systematic problem‑solving abilities.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex topics to diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with modern IT tools and platforms such as: Cloud (AWS, Azure), DevOps (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Azure DevOps), and Monitoring (e.g. Splunk, Datadog).
• Understanding of Agile, DevOps, ITIL, and change‑management methodologies.
• Experience in regulated or GxP environments preferred.
• Customer‑Focused: Anticipates user needs and delivers practical, value‑driven solutions.
• Accountable: Owns technical deliverables and outcomes.
• Innovative: Challenges the status quo and champions new ideas.
• Collaborative: Builds strong partnerships across disciplines and cultures.
• Ethical: Demonstrates integrity and aligns with Otsuka’s corporate values.
• Resilient: Adapts quickly to new challenges and shifting priorities.
• Global Environment: Ability to work in globally distributed teams.
• People Leadership: ability to lead a small team of IT engineers.
• Works independently under limited supervision to determine and develop approach to solutions.
• Coaches and reviews the work of less experienced colleagues; may manage projects / support processes.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Preferred certifications: Cloud (AWS, Azure), Infrastructure (Cisco, Microsoft, CITRIX), DevOps (Terraform, Kubernetes).

Competencies

• Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long‑term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
• Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
• Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
• Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
• Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $121,103.00 - Maximum $181,125.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Application Deadline

This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.

Company benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short‑term and long‑term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Accommodation Request.

Otsuka does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any Otsuka employee directly or through Otsuka’s application portal without a valid written search agreement in place for the position will be considered Otsuka’s sole property. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired by Otsuka as a result of an agency referral where no pre‑existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.