Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect

van den boom & associates llc; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

vdB&A SecureOps seeks a Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect to lead Microsoft-centric, security-hardened environments for life sciences clients. You will be the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, shaping architectures and automation that scale the delivery team.

You’ll design end-to-end solutions spanning Microsoft 365, Azure, identity/security, and endpoint management, while partnering with sales to scope engagements and estimate effort.

Qualifications

• Must come from a scaled MSP, supporting multiple clients/environments.
• Deep hands-on expertise in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365/O365 administration and architecture.
• Strong security background: identity and access management, endpoint security, conditional access.
• Strong scripting ability, particularly PowerShell.
• Experience designing technical solutions for clients, including scoping and documentation.
• Excellent communication with clients and internal teams.

Responsibilities

• Escalation & Technical Leadership: Tier 3 escalation for complex issues across infra, cloud, and security.
• Solution Design & Architecture: design end-to-end MS-based solutions and onboard migrations.
• Microsoft Cloud & Security Engineering: administer Azure, Entra ID, Intune, Exchange Online, and security controls.
• Automation & AI Tooling: build automation and AI-enabled tooling to improve workflows.
• Infrastructure & Networking: support Windows Server AD, virtualization, DR, and core networking.

Skills

Azure

Microsoft 365 / O365

PowerShell

Security best practices

Client communication

Escalation point

Automation & AI tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

ConnectWise

NinjaOne

Claude AI

Job description

About the Role

vdBA SecureOps is building a security-led managed services practice for life sciences clients. The Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect is the most senior technical resource on the delivery team — the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, the designer of the Microsoft-centric, security-hardened environments our clients run on, and a builder of the automation and AI tooling that keeps the team efficient as we scale. This role blends deep hands-on engineering with client-facing solution design.

Key Responsibilities

Escalation & Technical Leadership

• Serve as the Tier 3 escalation point for the service desk, resolving the most complex issues across infrastructure, cloud, and security.

• Mentor and train Tier 1/2 technicians; build technical documentation and runbooks that raise the team's overall capability.

• Own root-cause analysis for recurring or high-impact incidents.

Solution Design & Architecture

• Design end-to-end technical solutions for clients spanning Microsoft 365, Azure, identity/security, networking, and endpoint management.

• Partner with sales and leadership to scope new client engagements, contribute to proposals/SOWs, and estimate effort.

• Lead technical onboarding and migrations for new clients into the managed environment.

• Establish and maintain architecture standards and reference designs the team can build against consistently.

Microsoft Cloud & Security Engineering

• Architect and administer Microsoft 365 and Azure environments: identity (Entra ID/Azure AD, conditional access), Intune/endpoint management, Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive, and Azure infrastructure.

• Implement and maintain security controls across the Microsoft stack: MFA/conditional access, endpoint protection, DLP, and identity governance.

• Support alignment of client environments to compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA, HITRUST) in partnership with the security team.

Automation & AI Tooling

• Build automation using PowerShell (and other scripting languages) to streamline provisioning, monitoring, and remediation across client environments.

• Design and build AI-assisted tooling and agents — using platforms like Claude — to automate documentation, ticket triage, reporting, and other repeatable workflows.

• Continuously look for opportunities to reduce manual ticket volume through automation and self-service.

Infrastructure & Networking

• Support broader infrastructure needs: server administration (Windows Server, Active Directory), virtualization, backup/disaster recovery, and core networking (firewalls, switching, VPN).

• Participate in on-call/escalation rotation for critical incidents as needed.

Qualifications

Required

• Must come from a scaled MSP, with experience supporting multiple clients/environments at once — not a single-organization IT background.

• Deep, hands-on expertise in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365/O365 administration and architecture.

• Strong security background: identity and access management, endpoint security, conditional access, and general security best practices.

• Strong scripting ability, particularly PowerShell.

• Experience with — or strong interest in — building automation and AI agents using tools like Claude.

• Proven experience serving as an escalation point for a service desk or support team.

• Experience designing technical solutions for clients, including scoping and documentation.

• Strong communication skills — able to work directly with clients on technical solutions, not just internally.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.

• Experience serving healthcare or life sciences clients.

• Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert, Security+, or similar).

• Experience with additional scripting/automation languages (e.g., Python).

• Experience with RMM/PSA platforms common in MSP environments (e.g., ConnectWise, NinjaOne).

What We're Looking For

• A senior technologist who enjoys both deep technical work and mentoring others.

• Comfortable being the “buck stops here” person for the hardest technical problems.

• A builder mindset — excited to create automation and tooling that makes the whole team more effective.

• A fast learner who is energetic and adaptable in a fast-growing environment.

vdB&A is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and consider qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.