Why This Role Matters- The Senior Systems Engineer helps keep The Washington Post's identity, collaboration, endpoint, and core IT service platforms secure, reliable, and available.
- This role serves as a senior technical resource for Identity and Access Management, supporting Active Directory, Okta, single sign-on, and automated user-lifecycle processes.
- Through hands-on systems engineering, administration, integration, and automation, this role improves the reliability and efficiency of technology services used across the organization.
- Working with IT Operations, Cybersecurity, Legal, Compliance, HR, and other partners, this role helps translate operational and security requirements into practical technical solutions.
- As an individual contributor, this role provides technical guidance and project leadership but does not have formal people-management responsibilities.
What Motivates You- You enjoy solving complex systems and infrastructure problems through careful analysis and hands-on technical work.
- You are interested in identity management, enterprise platforms, automation, and secure service delivery.
- You look for practical ways to reduce manual work, improve reliability, and strengthen operational controls.
- You take pride in building solutions that are documented, supportable, and sustainable for the broader team.
- You are comfortable responding to immediate operational needs while continuing to improve the underlying systems and processes.
- You enjoy collaborating with cybersecurity professionals, administrators, engineers, and business partners to solve shared problems.
- You value sharing your knowledge and helping colleagues develop their technical capabilities.
How You'll Support the Mission- Administer and improve Identity and Access Management services, including Active Directory, Okta, single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and role-based access, supporting secure and reliable access to enterprise systems.
- Design and implement automated provisioning, deprovisioning, and access-change workflows within established security and platform standards, improving the accuracy and timeliness of identity administration.
- Develop and maintain integrations among platforms such as Workday, Okta, Active Directory, Google Workspace, Proofpoint, and ServiceNow, improving the consistency of data and service workflows.
- Engineer and support assigned enterprise platforms, which may include Google Workspace, storage and collaboration services, endpoint-management tools, asset-management systems, and ITSM platforms, maintaining reliable day-to-day operations.
- Use APIs, scripting, and systems-management tools to automate recurring administrative and operational processes, reducing manual effort and preventable errors.
- Troubleshoot complex incidents involving identity, access, integrations, endpoints, systems administration, and enterprise applications, restoring service and identifying corrective actions.
- Partner with Cybersecurity and Compliance to implement approved security configurations, access controls, and remediation plans, reducing identity and infrastructure risk.
- Support the technical implementation of data-retention requirements, legal holds, and e-discovery requests in partnership with Legal, Cybersecurity, and designated data owners, ensuring requests are executed accurately and securely.
- Contribute technical expertise to system upgrades, platform changes, integration projects, and service improvements, helping projects meet operational, security, and delivery requirements.
- Maintain system documentation, technical procedures, integration records, and operational runbooks, improving service continuity and reducing reliance on individual knowledge.
- Recommend improvements to system configurations, workflows, and working methods, strengthening the effectiveness and reliability of the IT Operations team.
- Provide technical guidance, cross-training, and mentoring to engineers and administrators, helping colleagues resolve issues and work effectively within established standards.
The Skills and Experience You Bring- Five or more years of relevant experience in systems engineering, systems administration, enterprise infrastructure, Identity and Access Management, or a related discipline.
- Advanced knowledge of Active Directory, Okta, SSO integrations, multifactor authentication, access provisioning, and role-based access controls.
- Experience administering Google Workspace in a large or complex environment, including experience with the Google Admin SDK, OAuth, and service accounts.
- Hands-on experience integrating enterprise systems, SaaS applications, IAM tools, HR platforms, or IT service-management platforms.
- Proficiency in at least one relevant scripting language, such as Python, JavaScript, Bash, PowerShell, or Google Apps Script.
- Experience working with REST APIs and troubleshooting system-to-system integrations.
- Practical experience implementing identity, endpoint, configuration, or access controls in partnership with cybersecurity or compliance teams.
- Experience supporting ITSM, CMDB, asset-management, endpoint-management, storage, or enterprise collaboration platforms.
- Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills, including the ability to identify root causes and resolve issues involving multiple systems.
- Ability to manage assigned projects and technical work independently while recognizing when decisions or risks require escalation.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues and recommendations to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Experience creating technical documentation, operational procedures, and support runbooks.
- Ability to provide technical guidance and mentoring without formal supervisory authority.
- Experience with infrastructure as code, version control, automated testing, CI/CD, or other modern systems-engineering practices is preferred.
- Experience supporting legal holds, e-discovery, data retention, or information-governance processes is preferred.
- A bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, certifications, training, and practical experience.
Collaboration makes us stronger. That's why our offices are designed with open layouts, modern technology, and easy access to transportation. With certain exceptions for newsgathering and business travel, we work on-site five days a week.Compensation and BenefitsWherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey:
- Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage
- Company-paid pension and 401(k) match
- Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave
- Nine paid holidays and two personal days
- 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent
- Robust mental health resources
- Backup care and caregiver concierge services
- Gender affirming services
- Pet insurance
- Free Post digital subscription
- Leadership and career development programs
Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status.
The salary range for this position is:
$108,700 - $181,100 Annual
The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.
