Senior IT Systems Engineer

Alumni Founders Inc.; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Parental leave

Free daily catered lunch

Job summary

Freeform is seeking a Senior IT Systems Engineer to build the systems that connect our people, our factory, and our data—identity and endpoints, servers and storage, cloud and Kubernetes, and the security layer over it all. The role emphasizes a hands-on, fast-moving approach with a no-job-too-big-or-small mindset.

You will own hybrid Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure, manage on-prem AD, Kubernetes across environments, and design secure network segmentation while mentoring junior staff and

Qualifications

• 7+ years in systems administration or infrastructure engineering, 3+ in a senior or lead role, owning a mixed Windows, Linux, cloud, and network environment
• Experience with Hybrid Microsoft 365, Intune, and Azure: on-prem AD synced to Entra ID, hybrid join, co-existence, and migration
• Windows Server DNS, DHCP, and RADIUS/NPS in production
• Ubuntu and Red Hat: systemd, storage, networking, hardening, and command-line troubleshooting
• vSphere, Hyper-V, or OpenShift, plus SAN storage over iSCSI and NFS
• AWS (EKS, S3, IAM) / Azure / GCP
• Kubernetes (on-prem and in the cloud)
• Layer 2/3 networking: VLANs, ACLs, segmentation, MLAG, and LACP
• Defender XDR, Sentinel, and pfSense administration

Responsibilities

• Run Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure in a hybrid setup with on-prem Active Directory, including Entra Connect, conditional access, RBAC, and licensing
• Manage the device fleet in Intune: enrollment, compliance, app deployment, Autopilot, and patching
• Build and maintain Windows Server (AD DS, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, RADIUS/NPS) and hardened Ubuntu and Red Hat servers
• Run virtualization and SAN storage (Pure Storage, HPE 3PAR over iSCSI and NFS), from provisioning and replication to capacity planning
• Run and manage AWS infrastructure, including EKS, S3, IAM and VPC networking, with ownership of access control, monitoring and cost.
• Administer Kubernetes both on-prem and in EKS: cluster builds and upgrades, networking and ingress, storage, RBAC, and troubleshooting workloads.
• Design and maintain the Layer 2/3 network and own segmentation across user, server, management, OT, and guest zones
• Operate Defender XDR, Sentinel, and pfSense firewalls: tune detections, investigate incidents, and drive vulnerability remediation and least-privilege access
• Design and build custom solutions where off-the-shelf tools fall short, and automate repetitive work
• Act as the senior escalation point for infrastructure incidents and lead root-cause analysis
• Document what you build in runbooks and diagrams, and mentor junior IT staff
• Join the on-call rotation and planned after-hours maintenance windows

Skills

Microsoft 365 administration

Entra ID/Azure

Intune management

Windows Server administration

Linux administration

Kubernetes administration

Cloud skills (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Networking (VLANs/ACLs)

Defender XDR and pfSense

PowerShell

Bash scripting

RBAC and security

On-call leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/IS

Tools

Active Directory

Intune

Kubernetes

vSphere/Hyper-V/OpenShift

Pure Storage/HPE 3PAR

AWS S3 IAM VPC

Entra Connect

pfSense

Job description

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.

As a Senior IT Systems Engineer, you will build the systems that connect our people, our factory, and our data: identity and endpoints, servers and storage, cloud and Kubernetes, the network, and the security layer over all of it. IT here is part of the technology we build, so it gets the same appetite for custom solutions to problems nobody has solved yet. Freeform is scaling rapidly across headcount, locations, and new technology coming online, so we’re looking for someone who’s excited to move fast and build the plane as we fly it. We want someone with broad skills, a “no job too big or small” mentality, and a taste for building.

• Run Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure in a hybrid setup with on-prem Active Directory, including Entra Connect, conditional access, RBAC, and licensing
• Manage the device fleet in Intune: enrollment, compliance, app deployment, Autopilot, and patching
• Build and maintain Windows Server (AD DS, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, RADIUS/NPS) and hardened Ubuntu and Red Hat servers
• Run virtualization and SAN storage (Pure Storage, HPE 3PAR over iSCSI and NFS), from provisioning and replication to capacity planning
• Run and manage AWS infrastructure, including EKS, S3, IAM and VPC networking, with ownership of access control, monitoring and cost.
• Administer Kubernetes both on-prem and in EKS: cluster builds and upgrades, networking and ingress, storage, RBAC, and troubleshooting workloads.
• Design and maintain the Layer 2/3 network and own segmentation across user, server, management, OT, and guest zones
• Operate Defender XDR, Sentinel, and pfSense firewalls: tune detections, investigate incidents, and drive vulnerability remediation and least-privilege access
• Design and build custom solutions where off-the-shelf tools fall short, and automate repetitive work
• Act as the senior escalation point for infrastructure incidents and lead root-cause analysis
• Document what you build in runbooks and diagrams, and mentor junior IT staff
• Join the on-call rotation and planned after-hours maintenance windows

Basic Qualifications:

• 7+ years in systems administration or infrastructure engineering, 3+ in a senior or lead role, owning a mixed Windows, Linux, cloud, and network environment
• Experience with the below technologies including administering and troubleshooting
  • Hybrid Microsoft 365, Intune, and Azure: on-prem AD synced to Entra ID, hybrid join, co-existence, and migration
  • Windows Server DNS, DHCP, and RADIUS/NPS in production
  • Ubuntu and Red Hat: systemd, storage, networking, hardening, and command-line troubleshooting
  • vSphere, Hyper-V, or OpenShift, plus SAN storage over iSCSI and NFS (hands-on with Pure Storage and HPE 3PAR)
  • AWS (EKS, S3, IAM) / Azure / GCP
  • Kubernetes (on-prem and in the cloud)
  • Layer 2/3 networking: VLANs, ACLs, segmentation, MLAG, and LACP
  • Defender XDR, Sentinel, and pfSense administration
• PowerShell and Bash scripting experience
• Clear written communication with technical and non-technical audiences

Nice to Have:

• Experience with HashiCorp Vault and Argo CD
• Experience with Ansible
• Experience administering Siemens Teamcenter
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server administration
• Hands-on experience deploying physical security systems (DVR/NVR, CCTV, access control)
• AI fluency: practical use of AI tools for scripting, troubleshooting, and documentation, with sound judgment on data handling
• Degree in computer information systems, computer science, or computer engineering

Location:

• Based in Hawthorne, our vertically integrated facility bringstechnologydevelopment, R&D, and production together under one roof. Weoperateat the center of LA's deep tech ecosystem, surrounded by some of the most ambitious hardwareinnovationhappening anywhere in the country.
• Our fast-paced, cross-functional environment is built on close collaboration, and as such, this role requires full-time onsite presence (five days a week), withvery limitedexceptions.

Why Freeform?

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions
• We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world-changing technology
• 100% employer-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance (premium PPO and HMO options)
• Life insurance
• Traditional and Roth 401(k)
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and company holidays
• Generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for the birthing parent
• Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and fully stocked kitchenette
• Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events
• Compensation
  • As a growing company, the salary range is intentionally wide as we determine the most appropriate package for each individual taking into consideration years of experience, educational background, and unique skills and abilities as demonstrated throughout the interview process. Our intent is to offer a salary that is commensurate for the company’s current stage of development and allows the employee to grow and develop within a role.
  • In addition to the significant stock option package, the estimated salary range for this role is $160,000 - $215,000 per year. The upper end of the range is reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional experience, deep domain mastery, and a proven history of high performance and impact.
• Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability sttus, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Export Compliance: Due to the nature of various Freeform customers, the person hired will have access to information and items controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), and, therefore, must be a “U.S. person” as defined in the ITAR which include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (i.e., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Freeform’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.