480 - Administration - Senior IT Systems Engineer

Humanetics Sensors is a precision sensing and photonics group comprising three specialist businesses — HITEC (force, torque, strain and pressure sensors), Fibercore (specialty optical fiber) and OpTek (laser micromachining and fiber processing). Around 350 people operate across six sites in the United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and China, serving customers in aerospace and defense, medical technology, industrial and energy markets.

The group is establishing a fully independent, self-sufficient IT function. This role is the lead technical point of contact for IT across the U.S. sites and the senior member of the group’s four-person IT team, working alongside colleagues in the UK and Sri Lanka.

Role Summary

This is a hands-on role as the senior member of a four-person group IT team, with colleagues in the U.S., UK and Sri Lanka. The IT Lead is the escalation point for Level 2 technical issues in the U.S. and the person who personally resolves them - a genuine “do’er” who is as comfortable at the keyboard as helping set technical direction for the team. The role combines hands-on troubleshooting across infrastructure, network and end-user computing with ownership of security standards and the delivery of migrations, upgrades and rollouts, including the group-wide integration and adoption of AI tools. The successful candidate resolves the complex issues that site-based Level 1 support cannot, and helps raise the maturity and resilience of the group’s IT environment as it moves to a standalone footing. The role suits someone with a natural curiosity for emerging technology, who enjoys finding, testing and introducing new tools that make the workplace more efficient, and who wants to grow with a business building its IT function from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

• Level 1 US Support and Level 2 support & escalation: Act as the senior escalation point for incidents raised by Level 1 IT support; diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across systems, network and end-user computing, and drive them to closure within agreed service levels.

• Networking: Identify, troubleshoot and resolve issues across LAN/WAN, VPN, Wi-Fi, DNS and DHCP; maintain reliable, well-documented connectivity across all U.S. sites and to the wider group.

• Security & compliance: Establish, maintain and verify compliance with IT security policies, standards and best practice; support audit, access-control and export-control requirements and embed a security-first operating culture.

• Projects, migrations & rollouts: Identify, scope and manage IT projects, migrations, upgrades and rollouts end to end — planning, coordination, execution and handover — with minimal disruption to the business.

• Microsoft 365, Azure & identity: Administer and optimize Microsoft 365, Azure, Active Directory and Entra ID; own identity, device and tenant management, conditional access and licensing.

• AI tools & adoption: Lead the technical integration and rollout of AI tools across the group (e.g. Microsoft 365 Copilot and approved third-party AI applications) — evaluating options, configuring access, data-protection and sensitivity controls, piloting with business users, and scaling adoption. Ensure AI use is governed so that export-controlled, customer and proprietary data remain protected, and support colleagues with guidance and training so the tools deliver measurable productivity gains.

• Documentation & knowledge: Build and maintain configuration, process and runbook documentation so that repeat issues are resolved consistently at Level 1 and institutional knowledge is retained.

• Vendor & asset management: Manage third-party suppliers, licenses, warranties and IT assets; hold vendors to agreed service and cost commitments.

• Standards & knowledge-sharing: Help set technical standards and provide day-to-day technical direction and coaching to the wider IT team and site-based Level 1 support, lifting the overall capability of the function.

Essential Skills & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience is required.

Solid hands-on experience (typically 7+ years) in systems administration, infrastructure or IT engineering, including acting as an escalation point for complex issues.

Demonstrable expertise diagnosing and resolving LAN/WAN, VPN, Wi-Fi, DNS and DHCP issues in a multi-site environment.

Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure, Active Directory and Entra ID administration.

Proven track record establishing and enforcing IT security policies, standards and best practice.

Experience planning and delivering IT projects, migrations, upgrades and rollouts on time and to scope.

Practical experience deploying or administering AI productivity tools (e.g. Microsoft 365 Copilot), including the data-governance, permissions and security configuration they require.

Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving ability, with clear written and verbal communication for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Genuine curiosity about emerging technology and a habit of self-directed learning — keeps up with new tools, including AI, and looks for practical ways to apply them in the business.

Comfortable working autonomously and owning technical decisions in a lean, standalone IT function.

ITAR Eligibility: This position may require access to technical data and systems subject to U.S. export-control regulations. Accordingly, candidates must meet the definition of a “U.S. Person” under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR § 120.62, or otherwise be eligible to access the applicable controlled information in accordance with U.S. export-control requirements.