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About Rice
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.
Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.
Position Summary
As part of the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Platform Engineering & Infrastructure (PE&I) team, the Infrastructure Engineer is responsible for administering, developing, and supporting compute, storage, collaboration, and cloud infrastructure platforms and services. This position will collaborate with OIT and PE&I peers to develop and implement scalable and secure infrastructure and computing solutions, architecture plans, technology roadmaps, and project plans. Operates as a thought leader, using expertise to drive strategy. May manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Workplace Requirements
This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.
This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.
Requirements
Bachelor's Degree
In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
4+ years of related experience in an Infrastructure Engineer and/or Systems Administrator role, including the following:
Progressive experience in the configuration and administration of enterprise-class servers, operating systems (Linux/Windows), and virtualization platforms (VMware)
Deep technical expertise in infrastructure design, build, deployment, and management of public cloud platforms and solutions (Azure/AWS/MS365/Google Workspace/GCP)
In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
Skills
Advanced knowledge of virtualization platforms, cloud compute platforms, cloud-native applications and services, networks, firewalls, and load balancers
Ability to troubleshoot issues and identify solutions in complex and disparate systems environments
Proven ability to lead and execute large deployment and implementation projects in a team environment
Strong customer service skills
Self-motivated and actively shares knowledge and experience with colleagues
Preferences
Experience
Bachelor's Degree in a Computer Science, Engineering, Management Information Systems, or related field
5 years of related experience as an Infrastructure Engineer and/or Systems Administrator
Design and deployment with one or more of Microsoft Azure, AWS, or GCP cloud platforms and systems
Experience with cloud collaboration platforms administration and support (e.g., Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Box, SharePoint, Confluence Cloud)
Experience with Windows Active Directory and associated RBAC/Group Policy infrastructure
Familiarity with container technologies such as Docker, Singularity, and Kubernetes
General coding and infrastructure as code experience (e.g., CloudFormation, Ansible, Terraform, Shell, Python, Ruby, PowerShell)
Experience with data center firewalls such as NSX, Checkpoint, Juniper, or Cisco
Implementation of security controls and zero-trust practices
Familiarity with Project Management methodologies, and experience as a project technical lead
Prior experience working in a Higher Education environment
Skills
Cloud networking and security (e.g. VPN, ExpressRoute, VNETs, VNET Peering).
Microsoft Cloud Endpoint Delivery and Management Tools (e.g., Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Intune, Autopilot)
License / Certification
Azure or AWS Cloud Computer certifications (associate or professional)
Virtualization Training or certifications (e.g., VCP, VCAP)
Microsoft systems administration/system engineer certifications (e.g., MCSE, MCTS, MCITP, MCDST)
Storage administration training and/or certifications (e.g., HPE, Dell/EMC, NetApp, etc.)
Formal information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) training
Essential Functions
Manages, administers, and supports cloud, hybrid-cloud, and private-cloud compute and storage environments
Designs, develops, installs, and maintains operating systems, utilities, and applications software on computing systems
Compares, evaluates, and recommends new technologies and enhancements to improve and enhance the infrastructure environment, including proposed implementation plans, dependencies, and resource requirements
Proactively identifies opportunities to better leverage tools, improve processes, or enhance services to be more efficient and effective
Documents systems infrastructure for users, support and consulting personnel, and developers
Performs all other duties as assigned
Additional Functions
Collaborates with other PE&I and extended IT support teams on specific projects and support issues
Assists with the maintenance of a distributed storage infrastructure, including fiber channel fabric, NAS, and SAN devices
Implements security policies for software-defined networking, firewalling, and infrastructure across all compute environments
Provides technical support for escalated tickets and peer customer support personnel
Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University
Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.
