Director, Systems Engineering

AmTrust Financial Services•Cleveland, OH

About The Position

AmTrust Financial Services is seeking a Director of Systems Engineering responsible for leading the design, implementation, optimization, and ongoing support of the organization's infrastructure and platform services. As a technical and people leader, this role oversees a team of systems engineers responsible for systems architecture, platform engineering, automation, DevOps practices, provisioning, deployment, patch management, and security compliance. The Systems Engineering Director drives the development of scalable, resilient, and secure technology solutions while ensuring alignment with business objectives and IT service management (ITSM) standards. This position is responsible for establishing engineering standards, best practices, policies, and procedures, as well as managing project priorities, resource allocation, and technical roadmaps. The role partners closely with cross-functional teams to continuously improve infrastructure reliability, operational efficiency, automation capabilities, and overall technology performance across the enterprise.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in infrastructure engineering, systems engineering, cloud engineering, or platform operations
3+ years of experience leading and managing technical teams in an enterprise environment
Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence technical direction and drive organizational change
Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure, including compute, storage, networking, Entra ID, security, governance, monitoring, and cost management
Experience designing, implementing, and supporting hybrid cloud environments integrating Azure and on-premises datacenters
Strong knowledge of Kubernetes and container orchestration platforms, including deployment, scaling, monitoring, and troubleshooting
Experience implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform, Bicep, ARM Templates, or similar automation frameworks
Strong understanding of DevOps principles, Agile methodologies, and modern software delivery practices
Advanced knowledge of Windows Server, Linux, virtualization platforms, enterprise storage, backups, and enterprise hardware
Experience working within ITIL/ITSM frameworks, including Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management
Proven track record of driving operational excellence, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a team of systems and DevOps engineers providing coaching, mentorship, and performance management.
Define and execute the infrastructure and cloud engineering strategy in alignment with overall IT strategy.
Own the design, implementation, support, and optimization of enterprise infrastructure across Azure Cloud and on-premises datacenter environments.
Oversee the architecture, administration, and lifecycle management of Kubernetes platforms supporting mission-critical applications.
Partner with application development teams to design scalable, secure, and highly available infrastructure solutions.
Lead DevOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) initiatives using tools such as Azure DevOps, Terraform, ARM/Bicep, and Git-based workflows.
Manage Azure DevOps (ADO) backlogs, sprint planning, work prioritization, and engineering roadmaps including standup, sprint planning, grooming and assisting with roadblocks.
Develop and maintain infrastructure architecture documentation, system diagrams, and operational runbooks.
Ensure platform reliability, performance, scalability, and availability through proactive monitoring and capacity planning.
Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement security controls, compliance requirements, and risk mitigation strategies.
Lead disaster recovery, business continuity, backup, and resilience initiatives across cloud and on-premises environments.
Manage vendor relationships, support contracts, and third-party technology partners.
Evaluate emerging technologies and provide recommendations to improve operational efficiency and business outcomes.
Participate in budget planning, forecasting, and management of infrastructure-related expenditures.
Drive automation and self-service capabilities to reduce operational overhead and improve service delivery.