University at Albany — Systems Architect
Filed in Administrative, Professional on April 20, 2023
About University at Albany:
Established in 1844 and designated a University Center of the State University of New York in 1962, the University at Albany’s broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research and public service engages a diverse student body of approximately 17,000 students in nine schools and colleges across three campuses.
Located in Albany, New York, New York State’s capital, the University is convenient to Boston, New York City and the Adirondacks.
Job Description:
Information Technology Services (ITS) at the University at Albany is seeking applicants for a Systems Architect. This position is part of a new group focused on advancing the state of technology in a growing research university, committed to exceeding the expectations of today’s students. She/He/They will contribute to the identification, design, and implementation of technology in support of the academic and research enterprise and a university community of nearly 23,000 students, faculty, and staff.
The Systems Architect is responsible for managing and describing current and future state architecture, facilitating requirements-gathering and design sessions, and working closely with management to develop standards, roadmaps, and strategies that align with organizational goals.
She/He/They are responsible for the design, provisioning, installation, configuration, operation, and maintenance of systems hardware, software, and related infrastructure to provide secure and robust platforms.
The Systems Architect is a subject matter expert in one or more areas and contributes as a member of multiple projects and IT service teams.
Primary Responsibilities:
Serve as a primary resource for the design and implementation of the University’s computing environment
- Facilitate information-gathering sessions with a wide range of stakeholders to document functional and technical requirements, assess the impact of implementing new technologies, and design systems/solutions that meet the evolving needs of the University
- Develop, maintain, and share architectural blueprints, templates, and tools for describing architecture
- Develop and maintain short- and long-term technical roadmaps
- Actively engage in the review/build of complex solutions that utilize innovative technologies, architectures, and techniques
- Participate as a member of the Architectural Review Board (ARB)
- Review proposed system and architectural changes to improve performance, support growth, or incorporate new technologies
- Contribute to architectural standards
- Enhance governance processes and procedures
- Serve as subject matter expert for assigned areas
- Collaborate with other systems architects and engineers to ensure changes align with architectural norms, industry best practices, ITS standards, and project and operational requirements.
- Collaborate closely with service owners to develop strategies and roadmaps for solutions and services.
Provide operational support for IT systems including patching, upgrading, configuration management, system backups, monitoring, and performance management
- Provide automated solutions that increase throughput and decrease operational expenses for the deployment and operation of systems
- Develop and maintain documentation for design, build/configuration, and operational procedures for systems assigned
- Maintain the security posture for assigned systems in accordance with industry best practices and ITS Information Security Officer and Identity & Access Management policies and procedures
Additional Responsibilities
- Ensure service documentation for architecture and operational instructions is maintained
- Maintain subject matter expertise by staying current with industry trends and following a professional development plan
- Mentor and teach junior staff members and peers
- Be available to provide scheduled support and consultation outside normal business hours, including occasional evenings, holidays, or weekends, within reasonable professional obligation and expectation
Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by a U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or internationally recognized accrediting organization
- Applicants must address their ability to work with a culturally diverse population in their application or during the interview
- Experience in design, planning, and implementation with infrastructure components including storage, network, and compute technologies
- Five (5) years of experience in systems administration
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience administering enterprise networking
- Experience with NetApp storage administration
- Experience with complex enterprise systems in a high availability, high volume environment
- Experience with automated deployment and configuration management solutions (Ansible preferred)
- Understanding of cloud application design principles (i.e., microservices, 12-factor apps, stateless applications meant for cloud, containers, etc.), clusters, and distributed architecture
- Cloud security background with experience managing privileged data
Additional Information:
Professional Rank and Salary Range: Assistant for University Systems Analysis, SL4; $90,000-105,000
Special Notes:
- Visa sponsorship is not available for this position
- This position has the potential for telecommuting up to 50%
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University’s crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University’s current campus security policies. The University at Albany’s Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml
Pursuant to NYS Labor Law 194-A, no State entity, as defined by the Law, is permitted to rely on, orally or in writing seek, request, or require in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current wage, or salary history as a condition to be interviewed, or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation, and for the purpose of verifying information, may such requests be made. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.
THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER
Please apply online via https://albany.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=160622
Application Instructions:
Applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- Resume
- Cover letter stating all the required minimum qualifications and any of the applicable preferred qualifications
- Contact information for three professional references
Note: After submitting your resume, the subsequent pages give you instructions for uploading additional documents (i.e. cover letter etc.).
This posting will remain open until the position is filled.
