Job DescriptionJob Description
About Us
Founded in 1998, Advantage Microsystems provides complete, outsourced IT departments for nonprofits and businesses with 100 to 1,000 employees across the Bay Area. Our clients are mission-driven organizations — nonprofits, behavioral health providers, and professional services firms — who rely on us as their full technology team. Our approach is built on three pillars: Service, Security, and Strategy. We don't just keep the lights on; we help clients build toward something. We're a well-established firm with strong team dynamics, a culture of mutual respect, and zero tolerance for micromanagement. We hire responsible people and trust them to do their jobs.
Advantage Microsystems is seeking an exceptional engineer to serve as a technical anchor for our clients and a collaborative force on our team. This is a role for someone who has already operated as an L3 or lead engineer — and who combines deep technical expertise with the presence and communication skills to serve as a fractional IT leader for our clients. You'll own complex architecture and escalations, but you'll also build IT roadmaps, develop technology budgets, and lead quarterly business reviews with executive stakeholders. If you can hold your own in a server room and a boardroom, we'd love to talk.
We promote to this level from within whenever possible — this is a rare external search driven by our current growth.
Why Advantage Microsystems?
Tenure – Our average employee tenure is 9.5 years. We think that speaks for itself.Compensation – Our people are well compensated with pay and benefits, because employee retention is extremely important to us.Ownership and Impact – You'll have real ownership over client outcomes, architecture decisions, and technical standards. You'll be working within a strong team and well-developed systems, with experienced colleagues and a CIO who want your expertise and judgment in the mix.Culture – Our team is great. We have each other's backs, we have fun with our work, and our clients love us. We're all learning and growing together, so input and suggestions from our
engineering staff directly shape how we operate.Lifestyle – We were a work-from-home company before COVID and we'll continue to be one. That said, this role involves periodic onsite client visits — reliable transportation is a must.Transparency – As part of the interview process, you'll have the opportunity to speak directly with other AM employees and get a real feel for what it's like to work here.
What You'll Be Doing
You'll serve as a principal technical resource across a portfolio of clients, contributing to their technology strategy and owning complex projects and escalations end-to-end. This is a collaborative role — you'll work closely with fellow engineers, L1/L2 technicians, and AM's CIO to deliver outcomes that matter. Most client engagements happen remotely, with onsite visits scheduled in advance for project work, executive meetings, and major cutovers.
Client Leadership and Strategy
Serve as a fractional IT leader for assigned clients — owning technology roadmaps, annual budgets, and quarterly business reviews with executive stakeholdersTranslate complex technical concepts and risk into clear business language for non-technical audiencesLead client-facing conversations on compliance, security posture, and IT investment prioritiesTranslate business requirements into technical architecture and multi-quarter project plans
Architecture and Project Delivery
Design and lead implementation of complex projects: Microsoft 365 / Entra tenant design, Conditional Access and Zero Trust rollouts, Intune MDM/MAM deployments, server and network refreshes, cloud migrations, and M&A integrationsOwn the technical standards and reference architectures our team deploys againstLead security and compliance initiatives — SOC 2, CMMC/NIST 800-171, HIPAA — including policy development, control implementation, and audit support
Escalation and Technical Ownership
Serve as the final escalation point for the most complex client issues — the engineer who owns the problem when nobody else can solve itLead post-incident reviews and drive the remediation work that prevents repeat issuesOwn the deep-dive troubleshooting on identity, hybrid cloud, networking, and security problems
Team Collaboration and Mentorship
Collaborate with fellow engineers and contribute to a culture of shared knowledge and continuous improvementMentor L1 and L2 technicians through technical coaching and project shadowingContribute to hiring, technical interviews, and onboarding of new engineersDrive continuous improvement of our internal documentation, runbooks, and tooling
What You Should Bring
Required Technical Depth
Microsoft 365 / Entra ID — tenant architecture, hybrid identity, Conditional Access, Intune (MDM and MAM-WE), Defender suite, Purview/compliance, Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive governanceIdentity and Access — Active Directory, Entra Connect, SSO/SAML/OIDC, privileged access management, phishing-resistant MFA (FIDO2, passkeys)Security Architecture — Zero Trust principles, endpoint protection (EDR/XDR), application allowlisting, email security, vulnerability management, incident responseNetworking — firewall administration (Meraki, Fortinet, SonicWall, or similar), VLAN design, VPN and SD-WAN, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing fundamentalsServer and Virtualization — Windows Server (current versions), VMware or Hyper-V, storage (SAN/NAS), backup and DR architecture (Datto, Veeam, or similar)Cloud Platforms — Azure (required); AWS or GCP exposure a plusMSP Tooling — RMM platforms (Datto RMM, Kaseya, NinjaOne, or similar), PSA platforms (ConnectWise Manage, Autotask, HaloPSA, or similar), documentation systems (IT Glue, Hudu)Compliance Frameworks — working knowledge of at least one of SOC 2, CMMC/NIST 800-171, HIPAA, or PCIScripting and Automation — PowerShell at a production level; Graph API, Power Automate, or similar a plus
Experience
8+ years in IT with at least 3 years in a lead engineer or equivalent hands-on technical capacityPrior MSP experience strongly preferred — you understand the cadence of multi-client workDemonstrated history of owning projects end-to-end, from discovery through handoffExperience developing IT roadmaps and technology budgets and presenting them to business stakeholdersExperience mentoring junior technicians and contributing to team growthRelevant certifications are valued: Microsoft (MS-102, SC-300, AZ-104, AZ-305), CISSP, CISM, CCNP, or equivalent
Who You Are
Comfortable leading executive conversations and translating technical risk into business languageStrong written communication — you document what you do and explain decisions clearlyCollaborative by nature — you make the people around you better and you build on the work of your teamBackground supporting or operating within small businesses, with strong multitasking skills and comfort in dynamic, lean environments.Takes pride in excellent work; thorough, detail-oriented, and follows throughMaintains composure under pressure and handles concurrent priorities wellGenuinely enjoys mentoring and sees team growth as part of the job
Benefits
Base compensation: $100,000–$140,000 depending on experience and certificationsPaid vacation: 15 days/year to start, increasing to 20 days after 3 years and 25 days after 5 yearsPaid sick time: 40 hours per annual year9 paid holidays plus your birthday offCompany-paid health insurance (Blue Shield PPO or Kaiser — your choice), dental, and vision; dependent coverage available at a significant company subsidyLife and short/long-term disability insuranceEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)Employee Anniversary Recognition ProgramCompany-funded training materials and professional certification examsMileage and vehicle wear-and-tear reimbursement for all client visits401k with company matching (after 90 days)Virtual lab environment for self-directed learning and experimentation
We are an equal opportunity employer. This position is open to local Bay Area candidates only — no relocation benefits are available. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
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