Secure Research Team Lead

Cyber Security Jobs; Storrs (CT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Cyber Security Jobs is seeking an IT Team Lead 2 for UConn Storrs, overseeing IT staff in a secure research environment. Responsibilities include managing Microsoft 365 services, Azure, and Entra, while guiding workflow, security, and staff development.

The role emphasizes leadership, strategic planning, and cross-team collaboration with a focus on secure, compliant IT operations in a higher education setting.

Qualifications

• Experience leading IT teams in complex environments.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365 security and administration.
• Experience with Azure Government or secure research settings.

Responsibilities

• Supervise IT staff delivering Secure Research services.
• Plan workloads and coordinate team priorities.
• Manage Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams and related 365 services.

Skills

Microsoft 365

Microsoft Entra

Azure administration

PowerShell

Team leadership

Security best practices

Documentation

OS Administration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate’s degree

Tools

Azure CLI

Ansible

Active Directory

RBAC & conditional access

Job description

Search #: 499864
Work type: Full-time
Location: UConn Storrs
Categories: Information Technology

JOB SUMMARY

The University of Connecticut (UConn) Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking an IT Team Lead 2 to manage IT professionals and lead technical operations within the Secure Research environment. Working under the general direction of a manager or director, this position oversees and provides advanced technical analysis, design, deployment, and ongoing management of Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra, and related Azure services. The position establishes team priorities and workflows, supervises and develops staff, and maintains accountability for the availability and continuity of assigned services supporting secure research.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Supervision and Development: Schedule, assign, oversee, and review the work of IT staff responsible for installing, upgrading, maintaining, and supporting Secure Research technology. Provide staff training, technical guidance, and assistance to promote effective service delivery and staff development.

Team Planning and Service Coordination: Determine team priorities, plan workloads, and establish and maintain unit workflows. Receive and prioritize technical requests, assign tasks based on staff expertise and capacity, and monitor progress, quality, and completion against project and service objectives.

Microsoft 365 Service Management: Oversee and perform the configuration, administration, and support of Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 services in a secure, Azure-based research environment. Assess technical requirements and recommend solutions that meet researcher and institutional needs.

Microsoft Entra Administration: Lead the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of identity and access management policies, user and group administration, role-based access controls, and conditional access policies. Guide staff in applying security best practices.

Azure Government and Technical Strategy: Maintain current knowledge of Azure Government cloud features and secure research practices. Evaluate emerging Microsoft and Azure technologies, assess their suitability, and recommend strategies and improvements for the Secure Research environment.

System Implementation and Upgrades: Plan and oversee new system implementations and upgrades to applications, systems, networks, and hardware supporting assigned services. Coordinate staff activities, testing, and rollout with other IT teams to meet division goals and minimize service disruption.

Service Availability and Problem Resolution: Maintain accountability for the availability and continuity of assigned services and systems. Work with IT staff to identify and resolve system errors, coordinate escalations and service restoration, and implement improvements that reduce recurring issues.

Documentation and Process Improvement: Develop, maintain, and review technical documentation, standard operating procedures, security policies, and system diagrams. Establish procedures and techniques to analyze and improve the performance and efficiency of supported software and hardware systems.

Collaboration and Vendor Coordination: Serve as a liaison among the Secure Research team, researchers, other IT departments, and external customers. Coordinate work across teams, communicate priorities and service issues, and direct staff collaboration with vendors and management to develop or enhance products and services.
Information Security: Support the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of University information as part of the University Information Security Program. Incorporate applicable security requirements into team workflows, system administration and service delivery.

Additional Duties: Perform related work and projects as assigned to support the broader Secure Research Infrastructure.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Associate’s degree plus eight (8) years of related experience; OR Bachelor’s degree plus six (6) years of related experience; OR Ten (10) years of related experience. AND one (1) year of experience serving as a supervisor of a moderate-sized department or leading major projects.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Microsoft 365 Expertise: Proven hands-on experience configuring, administering, and supporting Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint, and Teams.
Microsoft Entra and Access Control: Experience with Microsoft Entra user administration, role-based access control, conditional access policies, and security best practices; working knowledge of Active Directory users and groups or Azure RBAC roles.

Technical Knowledge: Proven in-depth technical knowledge and the ability to design and support IT services in a multi-tiered environment, including knowledge of systems analysis, design, development, and programming/scripting.

Planning and Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to plan, prioritize, and organize team assignments and technical projects; apply troubleshooting, critical thinking, and analysis to resolve problems; and use common productivity software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Visio.

Communication and Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to provide technical training and guidance to peers and less technical users, apply active listening, communicate effectively orally and in writing, and maintain effective working relationships with individuals of diverse cultural, social, and educational backgrounds.

Documentation and Professional Practice: Demonstrated ability to prepare clear procedures, processes, and physical and logical network diagrams; investigate and apply new skills and technologies; and maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.

US Citizenship: Required due to security regulations.

Regulatory Compliance: Experience working with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), NIST SP 800-171, and/or CMMC 2.0.

Azure Virtual Desktop: Demonstrated familiarity with provisioning and managing virtual desktop infrastructure in Azure.

Microsoft Azure Administration: Hands-on experience deploying virtual machines, storage accounts, creating resource groups, and managing Azure subscriptions.

Network & Security: Demonstrated understanding of firewall policies, Azure Network Security Groups, and general network configuration (e.g., virtual networks, subnets, public/private endpoints).

OS Administration: Experience managing Windows and/or Linux servers in a production environment.

Scripting and Automation: Proven proficiency with PowerShell, Ansible, Azure CLI, or other automation tools.

Higher Education Experience: Previous experience in a higher education IT environment.