Senior Systems Engineer / Solutions Architect

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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).

• 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.

• Highlight any MSP experience on your resume, especially where you supported multiple tenants simultaneously.
• Prepare concrete examples of PowerShell automation you built that reduced manual effort.
• Be ready to discuss how you’ve implemented security controls like MFA, Conditional Access, or DLP in Azure/365.
• Bring a brief case study showing your role in a complex migration or client onboarding.
• Research van den Boom's focus on life‑science clients and be prepared to speak to compliance frameworks (SOC 2, HIPAA).
• During interviews, demonstrate clear communication by explaining technical concepts in plain language.
• If compensation isn’t listed, research market rates for senior Azure engineers and be prepared to negotiate based on your certifications and experience.