Director, Systems Engineering

Position Summary

Cloud/Systems is a key domain within Southland's Infrastructure organization, focused on enabling secure, scalable, and reliable cloud-first technology services across the enterprise. This role supports the company's growth by driving consistency in how cloud platforms, identity services, M365 foundational services, and core enterprise systems are designed, governed, and operated.

As the Director, Systems Engineering, you will lead the strategy, standardization, and ongoing improvement of Southland's cloud infrastructure and systems platforms. This includes Microsoft Azure, M365 foundational services, Entra ID, core identity capabilities, infrastructure automation, platform governance, and the operational practices required to keep enterprise systems reliable and secure.

The focus is simple: make it easier for teams to scale securely, integrate new business needs quickly, operate cloud services consistently, and reduce risk through strong architecture, automation, governance, and operational discipline.

You will work closely with Cybersecurity, Network, Platform Engineering, Support Services, business leaders, and key vendors to ensure cloud and systems platforms support how the company operates today and how it needs to grow. Travel to offices or project locations will be required depending on business needs.

Position Details

Cloud Architecture & Platform Strategy

• Lead the development and governance of enterprise cloud architecture with primary focus on Microsoft Azure, M365 foundational services, and cloud-first infrastructure capabilities.

• Define and enforce standards for cloud compute, storage, platform services, tenant configuration, cloud-side networking dependencies, and core enterprise systems.

• Establish repeatable architecture patterns, landing zones, naming standards, tagging standards, service models, and reference architectures that support growth and consistency.

• Drive modernization through infrastructure-as-code, automation, standardized service deployment, and simplification of legacy or inconsistent system practices.

• Ensure cloud architecture balances scalability, security, cost efficiency, resilience, and operational supportability.

• Provide technical direction for cloud platform decisions, ensuring designs align with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity standards, and business priorities.

• Translate business growth plans into practical cloud and systems roadmap decisions that can scale across divisions, offices, and project environments.

Identity & Access Management

• Own the enterprise identity strategy as a core control plane for access, security, and platform integration.

• Lead governance of Entra ID, authentication methods, role-based access control, conditional access, identity lifecycle management, and enterprise access patterns.

• Partner with Cybersecurity to align privileged access, zero trust enforcement, identity protection, and access monitoring with enterprise security requirements.

• Ensure identity services are designed to scale with organizational growth, acquisitions, new offices, new applications, and changing compliance requirements.

• Establish standards for administrative access, service accounts, groups, application integrations, and identity-related operational processes.

• Drive consistent identity practices across M365, Azure, SaaS integrations, infrastructure platforms, and business-facing services.

Cloud Operations & Reliability

• Own the operational performance, reliability, and availability of cloud and systems platforms under the Cloud/Systems function.

• Establish monitoring, alerting, logging, and observability practices that allow teams to detect issues early and reduce business impact.

• Lead operational maturity efforts including incident response coordination, problem management, root cause analysis, change management, and continuous improvement.

• Define and enforce configuration management, lifecycle management, backup, recovery, patching, and service health practices for cloud and systems platforms.

• Ensure operational practices are scalable and repeatable rather than dependent on tribal knowledge or one-off manual processes.

• Partner with Support and Platform Engineering to ensure clean handoffs, escalation paths, and visibility into platform issues that impact users.

Automation & Infrastructure Engineering

• Drive automation of infrastructure provisioning, platform configuration, reporting, and recurring operational tasks.

• Establish infrastructure-as-code standards using appropriate tools such as Terraform, Bicep, PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, or similar automation frameworks.

• Promote reusable templates, modules, scripts, and deployment patterns that improve consistency and reduce manual effort.

• Align infrastructure automation with change management, auditability, access control, and operational governance requirements.

• Support the development of automated workflows for provisioning, deprovisioning, system configuration, and compliance reporting.

• Create an engineering culture that favors repeatable, documented, and measurable solutions over ad hoc administration.

M365 Platform Governance & Administration

• Own administration and platform governance of M365 foundational services, including SharePoint Online, Teams, Exchange Online, OneDrive, and related tenant-level capabilities.

• Ensure M365 services are configured consistently with enterprise standards for security, retention, provisioning, lifecycle management, and service integration.

• Partner with Technology Delivery to support collaboration capabilities while maintaining Cloud/Systems ownership of tenant configuration, platform controls, and technical governance.

• Define guardrails for site provisioning, storage, sharing, lifecycle, service settings, and administrative ownership across M365 services.

• Support data governance requirements by implementing platform-level controls for retention, classification dependencies, auditability, and access management.

• Ensure M365 configuration decisions are documented, supportable, and aligned with Cybersecurity, Legal, Compliance, and business needs.

Security & Compliance Integration

• Partner with Cybersecurity to ensure cloud and systems platforms meet enterprise security, data protection, and compliance expectations.

• Support implementation of controls for logging, monitoring, audit readiness, vulnerability management, secure configuration, and incident response.

• Ensure cloud and systems platforms align with zero trust principles and applicable frameworks such as NIST, CMMC, or other regulatory requirements.

• Maintain clear ownership boundaries between Cloud/Systems platform controls, Cybersecurity policy and monitoring, and Technology Delivery business enablement.Drive remediation of platform risks related to identity, configuration drift, excessive permissions, unsupported services, and inconsistent administration practices.

Vendor, Licensing & Cloud Financial Management

• Manage relationships with cloud providers, Microsoft, service partners, and key enterprise platform vendors.

• Oversee cloud consumption, licensing, cost visibility, and cost optimization practices in partnership with Finance, Procurement, and technology leadership.

• Establish FinOps-aligned practices for cost accountability, forecasting, service usage review, and optimization of cloud and M365 investments.

• Evaluate vendor capabilities, platform roadmaps, and service changes to determine practical value and risk for Southland.

• Ensure contracts, licensing models, and platform decisions support scalability, reliability, compliance, and responsible cost management.

Leadership, Team Development & Governance

• Build and lead a high-performing Cloud/Systems organization, including cloud engineering, systems engineering, identity, and M365 platform administration capabilities.

• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, service ownership, performance expectations, and development paths for team members.

• Set priorities, manage staffing and budget needs, and align team capacity with enterprise initiatives and operational commitments.

• Promote a culture of accountability, standardization, automation, documentation, and continuous improvement.

• Serve as a strategic advisor to Infrastructure leadership by clearly communicating risks, tradeoffs, roadmap needs, resource constraints, and business impacts.

• Develop governance practices that allow the organization to move quickly while maintaining secure, reliable, and supportable platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in information technology, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, or a related field.

• 10+ years of experience in cloud infrastructure, systems engineering, enterprise infrastructure, or related technology leadership roles.

• 5+ years of experience leading technical teams, including responsibility for planning, staffing, performance management, budgeting, and prioritization of work.

• Strong experience with Microsoft Azure, M365, Entra ID, and cloud-first enterprise platform operations.

• Deep understanding of identity and access management, including authentication, RBAC, conditional access, privileged access, group strategy, and identity lifecycle processes.

• Experience designing and operating scalable cloud environments that support distributed companies, rapid growth, multiple offices, and diverse business needs.

• Strong understanding of cloud operations, monitoring, incident response, change management, lifecycle management, backup/recovery, and service reliability practices.

• Experience with infrastructure automation and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, Bicep, PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, or similar platforms.

• Strong understanding of M365 platform governance, including SharePoint Online, Teams, Exchange Online, OneDrive, tenant settings, provisioning controls, retention, and platform lifecycle management.

• Ability to partner effectively with Cybersecurity on zero trust, logging, secure configuration, vulnerability remediation, compliance readiness, and audit support.

• Ability to work across Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, Technology Delivery, Support, business teams, vendors, and executive stakeholders to align technology decisions with business priorities.

• Strong communication, listening, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; ability to explain complex technical topics clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience managing vendor relationships, cloud consumption, licensing, and cost optimization is preferred.

• Knowledge of regulatory or security frameworks such as NIST, CMMC, CIS, or similar frameworks is preferred.

• Relevant certifications such as Azure Solutions Architect, Microsoft 365, CISSP, or equivalent experience are preferred.

• Experience in construction or similarly distributed industries is preferred.

• Willingness to travel as needed to support offices, project locations, leadership meetings, and enterprise initiatives; travel may account for up to 25% of time depending on business needs.

This is a hybrid role that is available to candidates located near our active Southland locations/sites, including:

• Dulles, VA

• Laurel, MD

• Philadelphia, PA

• Whitehall, PA

• Austin, TX

• Houston, TX

• Carrollton, TX

• Fort Worth, TX

• Corpus Christi, TX

• San Antonio, TX

• Los Angeles/Garden Grove, CA

• San Diego, CA

• San Francisco, CA

• Sacramento, CA

• Phoenix, AZ

• Las Vegas, NV

• Saratoga Springs, UT

• Vancouver, WA

• Kennewick, WA

• Redmond, OR

Benefits

As a 100% employee-owned company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package for you and your family:

• 401(k) plan with 50% company match (no cap) and immediate 100% vesting

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% paid for employee)

• Annual bonus program based upon performance, achievement, and company profitability

• Term life, AD&D insurance, and voluntary life insurance

• Disability income protection insurance

• Pre-tax flexible spending plans (health and dependent care)

• Paid parental leave

• Paid holidays, vacation, and personal time

• Training/professional development opportunities and company-paid memberships for professional associations and licenses

• Wellness benefits

About Southland Industries

As one of the nation’s largest MEP companies, Southland Industries is built on the foundation of great people. Since 1949, we have put our people first, enabling growth, professional achievement, and innovation. If you want to join a fast-paced environment where you’re engaged, challenged, and valued, apply now to join our dynamic team.

To learn more about careers at Southland, explore our career opportunities ( , follow us on social media ( , and check out our website ( .

Southland Industries and all its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing our employees with a safe work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Southland Industries are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Southland Industries will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Pay: Final pay is determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. For (Colorado/New York City/California/Washington/Maryland/Virginia/DC) this ranges from $160,000.00 - $276,549.00 plus annual incentive, benefits, and retirement program as outlined above.

Contingent Employment: All employment offers are contingent upon successful drug tests, background checks, and professional reference checks. Roles that include driving as an essential job duty will be required to have a successful Motor Vehicle Record check (MVR). We are not able to offer sponsorship of employment at this time.

External Agency Announcement: Its Southland Industries' policy not to accept candidate submissions from recruiting agencies without an active and authorized work order. Candidate ownership can only be established after a bona fide work order is issued by a member of the Southland Industries Talent Acquisition team and the candidate is appropriately submitted through our Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Required Skills

Required Experience