Job Summary

The Staff, IT Infrastructure Platform Specialist, serves as a technical anchor for the infrastructure operations team and a key driver of platform reliability, modernization, and operational excellence. This role owns the design, stability, and continuous improvement of a hybrid infrastructure environment spanning on-premises datacenters, colocation facilities, and Microsoft Azure.

The position functions as a technical lead without direct supervisory responsibilities, providing day-to-day direction to contractors and vendor partners and serving as the primary escalation point for offshore engineering teams. The ideal candidate brings deep hands-on expertise across Windows Server, Active Directory, Microsoft Intune, and Azure - paired with a strategic mindset, a service-first attitude, and a long-term view on where infrastructure needs to go.

The Staff, IT Infrastructure Platform Specialist will work in our Houston Corporate office and may work up to two (2) days a week remotely, as business needs allow.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Vendor Management

• Serve as technical lead for contractors and vendor partners, setting standards and validating deliverables
• Provide technical guidance to offshore infrastructure engineering teams based on Murphy's architectural principles
• Ensure runbooks, operational procedures, and architecture documentation are complete, current, and consistently followed
• Connects infrastructure decisions to business outcomes and contributes to the infrastructure roadmap with a multi-year perspective
• Champion proactive investments that prevent issues, balancing current operational needs with long-term architectural priorities

Infrastructure and Platform Operations

• Design, deploy, and operate infrastructure across on-premises datacenters, colocation facilities, and Microsoft Azure
• Oversee enterprise datacenter operations including compute platforms, virtualization, storage systems, and coordination with colocation providers
• Manage VMware virtualization platforms, enterprise storage systems, and infrastructure capacity planning
• Own infrastructure lifecycle management including system upgrades, patching, and platform modernization

Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure

• Maintain and optimize Azure infrastructure for hybrid workloads and server deployments
• Monitor infrastructure health, performance, and cost using Azure monitoring capabilities
• Implement server provisioning automation using PowerShell and CI/CD workflows
• Maintain seamless integration between Azure and on-premises platforms

Identity & Endpoint Management

• Administer Active Directory Domain Services, Azure Entra ID, and Active Directory Certificate Services
• Implement identity governance and least-privilege access models across infrastructure platforms
• Collaborate closely with the enterprise security team to apply controls and drive remediation actions

Automation & Operational Excellence

• Develop and maintain infrastructure automation using PowerShell and Bash scripting
• Drive CI/CD pipeline adoption for automated server provisioning and configuration management
• Actively identify, prioritize, and remediate technical debt - treating complexity as a liability and leaving every system in better shape than it was found
• Identify and implement operational improvements that increase platform stability, reliability, and efficiency
• Support infrastructure automation initiatives across hybrid and multi-platform environments

Microsoft 365 and Collaboration Platforms

• Administer Microsoft 365 services supporting enterprise collaboration and productivity.
• Maintain identity integration between Microsoft 365, Azure Entra ID, and on-premises Active Directory
• Ensure operational stability and governance of collaboration platforms
• Support adoption and operational use of collaboration platforms including Azure DevOps and related tools

Backup, Disaster Recovery, and Resilience

• Own enterprise backup strategy and oversee recovery validation processes across hybrid infrastructure environments
• Maintain operational readiness for disaster recovery in alignment with business continuity requirements

Monitoring, Incident, and Operational Reliability

• Ensure infrastructure services meet defined SLAs through proactive monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement
• Drive root cause analysis for major incidents and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence

Qualifications/ Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Minimum 16 years' experience in enterprise infrastructure engineering or administration
• Minimum of 3 years' experience managing hybrid infrastructure environments integrating on-premises systems and Azure services
• Vendor and contractor management
• Working knowledge of Agile delivery models and collaboration with product or engineering teams
• Strong experience managing VMware virtualization, enterprise storage platforms, and infrastructure operations
• Experience managing Windows (on-prem and hybrid) and Linux environments across both server and endpoint platforms
• Deep expertise in Microsoft Active Directory, Azure Entra ID, and enterprise identity management
• Microsoft Azure infrastructure (IaaS, hybrid connectivity, monitoring, cost management)
• Microsoft 365 administration and identity integration
• Microsoft Intune - endpoint policy, compliance, and device lifecycle
• Enterprise backup and disaster recovery platform experience
• Guiding team based on SLA metrics and operational monitoring
• Driving global infrastructure teams operating within offshore delivery models
• Ability to support follow-the-sun operations and participate in infrastructure on-call rotations
• Strong automation skills using PowerShell and Bash scripting

Desired/Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 12 years' experience in enterprise infrastructure engineering or administration
• Familiarity with Azure infrastructure services supporting hybrid workloads
• Hands-on experience administering Microsoft Azure infrastructure services
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines for automated server deployment and infrastructure configuration
• Familiarity with Git-based version control used in infrastructure automation and CI/CD processes.
• Experience with enterprise backup and recovery platforms such as Rubrik, Nasuni, or similar solutions
• Knowledge of enterprise security and compliance frameworks such as SOX or ISO 27001.
• Relevant certifications in Microsoft, VMware, or enterprise infrastructure technologies
• Demonstrated ability to communicate infrastructure decisions in business terms to non-technical stakeholders
• Track record of reducing technical debt through systematic identification, prioritization, and remediation
• Experience contributing to multi-year infrastructure roadmaps, capacity planning, or platform modernization strategies
• Service-oriented approach to infrastructure - measures success by the reliability and experience delivered to internal customers
• Ability to evaluate emerging platforms and make forward-looking recommendations that align with organizational direction
• Experience managing vendor relationships, SLAs, and contract deliverables
• Familiarity with ITIL, change management frameworks, or formal incident management processes

The individual is required to follow all applicable safety precautions. Work is performed almost entirely in a controlled (i.e., inside) environment and does not typically subject the incumbent to any hazardous/extreme elements; some positions may require regularly moving or transporting items weighing up to 25 lbs. around the office for various needs. The successful candidate must be able to complete all essential physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

#LI- Hybrid