Manager, Systems Engineering

Jobtailor; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Chicago is seeking a Lead Infrastructure Manager to guide a team of network and systems engineers. You will own on‑prem and cloud hybrid infrastructure, ensure Windows/Linux server health, and drive DR planning and capacity management.

You will lead datacenter consolidation, migrations (SQL Server to PostgreSQL), and collaborate with an AWS‑focused SRE team on secure, scalable connectivity. Strong leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in network engineering, systems administration, or related infra role.
• 2+ years in lead or management with direct reports.
• Experience with enterprise routing, switching, firewalls, VLANs.
• Windows Server and Linux/Unix administration proficiency.
• Experience with AWS or comparable public cloud platform.
• Database migrations experience (SQL Server to PostgreSQL).
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present to leadership.
• Ability to prioritize across people, projects, and operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of network and systems engineers.
• Architect and maintain on-premises network infrastructure and data center topology.
• Own health and reliability of Windows and Linux servers; patching and lifecycle planning.
• Drive datacenter consolidation, network stabilization, and cloud expansion.
• Lead or contribute to MS SQL to PostgreSQL migrations and integrations.
• Collaborate with AWS-focused SRE team on hybrid cloud connectivity.
• Evaluate infrastructure options and support vendor decisions.
• Maintain runbooks, change control, and technical documentation.
• Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and durable remediation.
• Manage virtualization and containerization across on-prem and cloud.
• Contribute to infrastructure roadmap, risk, capacity, and modernization.
• Own disaster recovery planning, recovery objectives, and DR testing.

Skills

Team Leadership

Network Engineering

Systems Administration

Cloud Infrastructure

Vendor Evaluation

Documentation

Tools

AWS

SQL Server

PostgreSQL

Datacenter Infrastructure

Virtualization

Job description

• Lead, develop, and support a team of network and systems engineers, including performance management, career growth, and day-to-day prioritization
• Architect, maintain, and improve on-premises network infrastructure, including routing, switching, firewalls, and physical datacenter topology
• Own the health and reliability of Windows and Linux server environments, including patching, configuration management, and OS lifecycle planning
• Drive datacenter consolidation, network stabilization, and cloud expansion initiatives
• Lead or contribute to MS SQL to PostgreSQL database migrations and integrations
• Collaborate with the AWS-focused SRE team on cloud infrastructure, networking, security boundaries, and hybrid connectivity
• Evaluate infrastructure hardware and software options and support procurement and vendor selection decisions
• Establish and maintain runbooks, change control practices, and technical documentation for reliable operations and audit/compliance requirements
• Participate in incident response as an escalation point, conduct root cause analysis, and drive durable remediation
• Manage and evolve virtualization and containerization platforms across on-premises and cloud environments
• Contribute to infrastructure roadmap planning by identifying technical risks, capacity needs, and modernization opportunities
• Own disaster recovery planning, define recovery objectives, maintain runbooks, and lead regular DR testing

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering, systems administration, or a combined infrastructure role
• 2+ years in a lead or management capacity with direct reports
• Demonstrated experience with enterprise networking, including routing, switching, firewalls, and VLANs
• Proficiency administering Windows Server and Linux/Unix environments
• Working knowledge of AWS or a comparable public cloud platform
• Experience supporting or migrating relational databases, including SQL Server and PostgreSQL
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and leadership
• Effective prioritization and time management across people management, project work, and operational response
• Collaborative approach to cross-functional work with engineering, product, security, and finance teams
• Analytical and cost-conscious mindset when evaluating infrastructure decisions and vendor options
• Ability to operate independently and drive initiatives with minimal oversight in a fast-paced environment
• Commitment to documentation, operational rigor, and continuous improvement

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in network engineering and systems administration, with a strong focus on managing Windows and Linux server environments, cloud infrastructure, and database migrations. Proven ability to lead teams, drive operational excellence, and ensure compliance through effective documentation and change control practices.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Network Engineering
• Systems Administration
• AWS Cloud Infrastructure
• Database Migration
• Team Leadership

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Routing
• Switching
• Firewalls
• Windows Server Administration
• Linux/Unix Administration
• MS SQL
• PostgreSQL
• Virtualization
• Containerization
• Disaster Recovery Planning

Soft Skills

• Strong Communication
• Effective Prioritization
• Collaborative Approach
• Analytical Mindset
• Independent Initiative

Industry Keywords

• Infrastructure Management
• Operational Rigor
• Compliance Requirements
• Performance Management
• Cost Evaluation

Tools & Technologies

• AWS
• Datacenter Infrastructure
• Change Control Practices
• Technical Documentation
• Runbooks