Inside Higher Ed
Lead Web Systems Engineer (Hybrid/Remote Opportunity)
Inside Higher Ed, Amherst, Massachusetts, us, 01002
Overview
Be among the first 25 applicants. Job no: 528647. Work type: Staff Full Time. Location: UMass Amherst. Department: IT Engineering. Union: PSU. Categories: Computer & Information Technology, PSU A.
About UMass Amherst The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land‑grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450 acres in Western Massachusetts and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We strive for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives.
Job Summary The Lead Web Systems Engineer has primary responsibility to lead the design, implementation, and management of the multi‑tier and hybrid web hosting infrastructure as the senior member of the campus web infrastructure team. This role ensures well‑performing, secure, and reliable web services across cloud and on‑premises environments. It requires deep technical expertise in web infrastructure, content delivery networks (CDNs), web security, and Tier 3 support, with a collaborative approach to support academic and administrative stakeholders and content providers.
Responsibilities
Architect, deploy, and maintain scalable web hosting environments across hosted cloud provider services and on‑premises platforms using CI/CD pipelines in VM and container environments.
Lead and contribute to multiple projects to research, propose, and implement strategies for automation, migration, and consolidation of complex distributed systems across private and public clouds (e.g., Akami CDN/WAF, Acquia Cloud hosting, CampusPress).
Engage external stakeholders and campus users of web platforms; collaborate to align technical solutions with strategic goals and deliver responsive, customer‑focused support.
Lead and mentor a team of web applications professionals; foster a collaborative and high‑performance culture.
Manage and optimize content delivery networks (CDNs) and local caching infrastructure for fast, reliable access to institutional web resources.
Implement, monitor, analyze, and update web security measures in line with industry best practices (encryption, DDoS mitigation, vulnerability management).
Serve as Tier 3 escalation point for complex web infrastructure issues; perform root cause analyses and design improvements to prevent recurrence.
Collaborate with developers, system administrators, and network engineers to support web applications and services.
Manage DNS information required by web infrastructure and automate infrastructure tasks using scripting and relevant tools.
Monitor system performance and availability; drive continuous improvement and proactive issue resolution.
Lead the Web infrastructure team to implement process improvements; document designs and develop operational procedures and troubleshooting guides.
Provide consulting to IT and campus staff on system provisioning and centralized maintenance and monitoring.
Minimum Qualifications
High School Diploma (or equivalent) with nine years of relevant experience, or an associate's degree with seven years of experience, or a Bachelor's degree with five years of experience.
Minimum 5 years of experience in web infrastructure engineering or a similar role.
Lead or supervisory experience.
Strong knowledge of Linux system administration (RHEL, Ubuntu, or similar).
Experience with virtualization tools (VMware, Nutanix).
Proficiency in networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, firewalls, VPNs, load balancers) and in HTTP/S protocols.
Experience with DNS management and SSL certificates; familiarity with SSO.
Strong understanding of SQL databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and their integration with web platforms.
Proficiency with Apache, PHP, Varnish, and other LAMP/LEMP components.
Strong scripting skills (Bash) and automation experience (e.g., Python, Ansible).
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and on‑premises web infrastructure; experience with Drupal or WordPress.
Familiarity with web security tools (SSL, WAFs, vulnerability scanners) and monitoring/logging tools (Nagios, Prometheus, ELK stack).
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related field.
Certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, RHCE, or CISSP.
Experience in higher education or other multi‑stakeholder environments.
Experience hosting, supporting, and maintaining Drupal instances.
Familiarity with Nutanix, Docker, Kubernetes, and F5 appliances.
Experience with Entra ID SSO and InCommon SSL certificates.
Use of Ansible, Jenkins, Terraform, and Git in CI/CD pipelines.
Work Schedule
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Occasional nights and weekends as needed; participate in off‑hours on‑call rotation.
Opportunity for hybrid or remote work, subject to the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.
Salary Level 29. PSU Hiring Ranges.
Application Instructions Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Be prepared to provide contact information for three professional references. The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti‑discrimination laws.
Advertised Advertised: Oct 2 2025 Eastern Daylight Time. Applications close: Jan 2 2026 Eastern Standard Time.
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About UMass Amherst The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land‑grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450 acres in Western Massachusetts and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We strive for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives.
Job Summary The Lead Web Systems Engineer has primary responsibility to lead the design, implementation, and management of the multi‑tier and hybrid web hosting infrastructure as the senior member of the campus web infrastructure team. This role ensures well‑performing, secure, and reliable web services across cloud and on‑premises environments. It requires deep technical expertise in web infrastructure, content delivery networks (CDNs), web security, and Tier 3 support, with a collaborative approach to support academic and administrative stakeholders and content providers.
Responsibilities
Architect, deploy, and maintain scalable web hosting environments across hosted cloud provider services and on‑premises platforms using CI/CD pipelines in VM and container environments.
Lead and contribute to multiple projects to research, propose, and implement strategies for automation, migration, and consolidation of complex distributed systems across private and public clouds (e.g., Akami CDN/WAF, Acquia Cloud hosting, CampusPress).
Engage external stakeholders and campus users of web platforms; collaborate to align technical solutions with strategic goals and deliver responsive, customer‑focused support.
Lead and mentor a team of web applications professionals; foster a collaborative and high‑performance culture.
Manage and optimize content delivery networks (CDNs) and local caching infrastructure for fast, reliable access to institutional web resources.
Implement, monitor, analyze, and update web security measures in line with industry best practices (encryption, DDoS mitigation, vulnerability management).
Serve as Tier 3 escalation point for complex web infrastructure issues; perform root cause analyses and design improvements to prevent recurrence.
Collaborate with developers, system administrators, and network engineers to support web applications and services.
Manage DNS information required by web infrastructure and automate infrastructure tasks using scripting and relevant tools.
Monitor system performance and availability; drive continuous improvement and proactive issue resolution.
Lead the Web infrastructure team to implement process improvements; document designs and develop operational procedures and troubleshooting guides.
Provide consulting to IT and campus staff on system provisioning and centralized maintenance and monitoring.
Minimum Qualifications
High School Diploma (or equivalent) with nine years of relevant experience, or an associate's degree with seven years of experience, or a Bachelor's degree with five years of experience.
Minimum 5 years of experience in web infrastructure engineering or a similar role.
Lead or supervisory experience.
Strong knowledge of Linux system administration (RHEL, Ubuntu, or similar).
Experience with virtualization tools (VMware, Nutanix).
Proficiency in networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, firewalls, VPNs, load balancers) and in HTTP/S protocols.
Experience with DNS management and SSL certificates; familiarity with SSO.
Strong understanding of SQL databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and their integration with web platforms.
Proficiency with Apache, PHP, Varnish, and other LAMP/LEMP components.
Strong scripting skills (Bash) and automation experience (e.g., Python, Ansible).
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and on‑premises web infrastructure; experience with Drupal or WordPress.
Familiarity with web security tools (SSL, WAFs, vulnerability scanners) and monitoring/logging tools (Nagios, Prometheus, ELK stack).
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in a related field.
Certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, RHCE, or CISSP.
Experience in higher education or other multi‑stakeholder environments.
Experience hosting, supporting, and maintaining Drupal instances.
Familiarity with Nutanix, Docker, Kubernetes, and F5 appliances.
Experience with Entra ID SSO and InCommon SSL certificates.
Use of Ansible, Jenkins, Terraform, and Git in CI/CD pipelines.
Work Schedule
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
Occasional nights and weekends as needed; participate in off‑hours on‑call rotation.
Opportunity for hybrid or remote work, subject to the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.
Salary Level 29. PSU Hiring Ranges.
Application Instructions Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Be prepared to provide contact information for three professional references. The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti‑discrimination laws.
Advertised Advertised: Oct 2 2025 Eastern Daylight Time. Applications close: Jan 2 2026 Eastern Standard Time.
#J-18808-Ljbffr