Job Description

Job Summary
The HITS Windows and VMware Services Team at Michigan Medicine is seeking a candidate to fulfill the role of Systems Architect Senior.

The Windows and VMware Services team is responsible for leading the design, support and governance of Michigan Medicine's Windows and VMware environments. This role ensures that Windows Server Operating systems and VMware virtualization environments are secure, cost-efficient, and aligned with organizational goals, supporting clinical, research, and administrative functions.

Reporting to the Manager of Windows and VMware Services, the Systems Architect Senior provides technical knowledge for the implementation of operating system deployments, security architecture, hybrid cloud solutions, and on-premises virtualization. The Systems Architect Senior collaborates closely, and works in partnership with Architecture, Security, Networking, Application, UNIX, and Storage teams to ensure seamless on-premises and Cloud integration. This role is responsible for maintaining high availability, performance, and compliance with industry regulations such as HIPAA and NIST.

The Windows Hosting Services Team within HITS Enterprise Infrastructure (EI) is responsible for overseeing strategic direction, operational excellence, and continuous improvement of Windows and VMware Services at Michigan Medicine. This is a team of 13 IT professionals, including senior systems architects, application programmers, and technical support staff, in managing a complex environment of over 3,500 Windows servers across physical and virtual (VMware) platforms, Azure Cloud, as well as critical infrastructure services such as Microsoft Exchange and Cisco hardware management within MM Datacenters.

Responsibilities*
Provides senior level expertise on decisions and priorities regarding the enterprise's overall systems architecture. Primary areas of focus are within Public Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, Continuity & Resiliency, Windows OS, VMware Virtualization, and Automation. Architects and implements solutions requiring integration of multiple platforms, operating systems and applications across the enterprise. Reviews, conducts research, evaluation, advises, and designs on enterprise software and hardware technologies. Evaluates system options, risks, costs versus benefits, service level requirements and impact on the enterprise business process and goals.
Partners with business analysts, systems analysts, process managers and engineers in requirements gathering and reviews. Facilitates technical discussions with application, infrastructure, and truster service provider teams to produce an optimal, high level, conceptual design for projects. Defines and discerns key aspects of a problem and develops an integrated solution within a broad business context of significant impact. Researches and maintains knowledge in emerging technologies and solutions, or service life-cycle and process frameworks to solve business problems. Ability to act autonomously and make decisions that influence business operations.
Facilitates the establishment and implementation of standards and guidelines that guide the design of technology solutions. With input from others, develops documents and maintains technical architecture artifacts for integration and implementation of changes to technical standards. Proposes changes in process, policy, and standards as they relate to the architecture or service and design principles. Responsible for work that is complex and varied in nature.
Partner with the Automation team to support and maintain standardized Windows Server operating system builds for both on-premises and cloud-based workloads. Responsibilities include developing and enhancing automated server build processes using technologies such as PowerShell, XAML, and Ansible Automation Platform.
Participates in, and may lead, Capacity Management discussions to determine the most appropriate scalable model taking business and service level requirements into consideration. Provides technical guidance to project team areas as appropriate. May take on role of Project Leader for special enterprise wide assignments. May coach or mentor junior technical staff.
Performs other operational duties to support the Windows / Cloud / VMWare hosting environment, which includes trouble tickets, small / medium / large customer service requests, on-call rotation, etc.
Required Qualifications*
Senior Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent experience.
5 or more years of experience in engineering support of large complex highly available Windows (2016,2016,2022, 2025) architectures
5 or more years of experience in a related role requiring customer service, organization, prioritization, troubleshooting to successfully design services and workflows in an enterprise architecture.
Experience with PowerShell scripting.