Platform Engineering Team Lead

Harvard University • Boston, MA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Platform Engineering Team Lead, you will guide the design, operation, and lifecycle management of core infrastructure platforms that provide the foundation for secure and reliable technology services across HMS. You will lead efforts in server operating system lifecycle management, configuration enforcement, monitoring, compliance, and platform automation. This role combines deep technical execution with operational oversight and cross-functional collaboration, helping to maintain well-managed and integrated systems in support of HMS's research, teaching, and administrative missions. You will also serve as a key contributor on platform infrastructure initiatives spanning multiple projects. The ideal candidate will bring strong infrastructure engineering skills, automation expertise, and a focus on operational excellence and system integration.

Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing server infrastructure platforms in a large-scale environment.
• Strong experience with Windows and Linux server operating systems, lifecycle management, and configuration tools.
• Experience with Active Directory, Group Policy, and identity integration.
• Experience with monitoring platforms, compliance tools, and system automation.
• Excellent troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and adapt to evolving technologies and priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and cultivate strong relationships and work effectively with diverse groups.
• Demonstrated “can do” work ethic coupled with effective time management.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee provisioning, patching, and decommissioning, administration and support of Server operating systems across the infrastructure platform lifecycle.
• Manage and maintain configuration management tools and baseline enforcement systems to ensure system consistency and compliance.
• Lead integration and administration of identity and policy systems including Active Directory and Group Policy.
• Implement and maintain system monitoring, alerting, and compliance reporting to ensure platform health and visibility.
• Automate system build processes and integrate infrastructure tools into provisioning workflows to support scalability and consistency.
• Ensure platform reliability and coordinate the integration of services across research, teaching, and administrative functions.
• Participate fully in the software development life cycle for operational tooling and infrastructure automation.
• Research, design, and implement technical solutions to meet infrastructure requirements and organizational goals.
• Identify opportunities to improve and simplify platform services and implement related enhancements.
• Contribute to the creation and maturing of operational and automation best practices.
• Act as a technical liaison to internal and external collaborators and mentor junior staff.
• Responsible for effective staff management, team workflows, and the promotion of an inclusive and innovative work environment.
• May participate in off-hours on-call rotation.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Associate degree