Enterprise Compute Tower Lead (Windows & Linux Infrastructure)

Location: Des Moines, IA - Hybrid (3 days work from office)

Experience: 11-15+ years. Visa transfer or sponsorship is not available for this role.

Responsibilities

• Tower Leadership & Service Delivery
  • Own the overall delivery and operational performance of the Enterprise Compute Tower.
  • Lead Windows and Linux infrastructure support teams across multiple support tiers.
  • Manage SLA, KPI, availability, capacity, compliance, and operational excellence objectives.
  • Act as the primary escalation point for critical compute-related issues.
  • Drive service quality, customer satisfaction, and operational stability.
  • Lead customer governance meetings, operational reviews, and executive reporting.
• Windows & Linux Infrastructure Management
  • Oversee day-to-day operations of:
    • Windows Server Infrastructure
    • Linux Server Infrastructure
    • Virtual Machines
    • Physical Servers
    • Hybrid Cloud Compute Platforms
  • Ensure high availability and optimal performance of enterprise computing environments.
  • Manage operating system lifecycle activities including:
    • Installation
    • Configuration
    • Upgrades
    • Patch Management
    • Security Hardening
    • Decommissioning
  • Ensure standardization across enterprise server environments.
• Server Operations & Administration
  • Windows Environment
    • Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022
    • Active Directory
    • Group Policy
    • DNS
    • DHCP
    • IIS
    • PowerShell Automation
    • Failover Clustering
  • Linux Environment
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    • Rocky Linux
    • Oracle Linux
    • Ubuntu
    • SUSE Linux
    • Shell Scripting
    • Ansible Automation
    • Linux Security Administration
• Virtualization & Cloud Infrastructure
  • Manage enterprise virtualization platforms including:
    • VMware vSphere
    • VMware ESXi
    • VMware vCenter
    • Hyper-V
  • Support cloud-hosted workloads across:
    • Microsoft Azure
    • AWS
    • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
  • Lead cloud migration and workload modernization initiatives.
  • Ensure optimal resource utilization and cost optimization.
• Incident, Problem & Change Management
  • Lead resolution of Priority 1 and Priority 2 incidents impacting compute services.
  • Participate in Major Incident Management activities.
  • Drive Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Problem Management initiatives.
  • Ensure compliance with Change Management processes.
  • Review and approve high-risk infrastructure changes.
  • Participate in Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings.
• Capacity, Availability & Performance Management
  • Define and implement capacity planning strategies.
  • Monitor utilization trends and forecast future resource requirements.
  • Ensure compliance with availability targets.
  • Drive performance optimization initiatives across server environments.
  • Maintain infrastructure health dashboards and scorecards.
• Security & Compliance
  • Ensure server security compliance with organizational standards.
  • Lead vulnerability remediation and security patching programs.
  • Partner with Cyber Security teams to address risks and audit findings.
  • Support regulatory and compliance requirements.
  • Implement CIS, NIST, and industry-standard hardening practices.
• Automation & Continuous Improvement
  • Drive infrastructure automation initiatives using:
    • PowerShell
    • Ansible
    • Terraform
    • Python
    • Azure Automation
  • Reduce manual effort through orchestration and self-healing solutions.
  • Improve operational efficiency through automation and standardization.
  • Identify service improvement opportunities and execute transformation initiatives.
• Asset & CMDB Governance
  • Ensure server assets and configuration items are accurately maintained in CMDB.
  • Drive configuration compliance and infrastructure inventory accuracy.
  • Support Asset Management and Configuration Management processes.
  • Ensure relationships between infrastructure components are maintained and documented.
• Team Leadership & People Management
  • Lead a team of Windows and Linux administrators, engineers, and technical leads.
  • Manage staffing, workload distribution, and resource planning.
  • Conduct technical mentoring and capability development initiatives.
  • Establish operational standards and best practices.
  • Develop succession and cross-skilling plans across teams.

Requirements

• Windows Technologies
  • Windows Server Administration
  • Active Directory
  • Group Policy Management
  • DNS / DHCP
  • PowerShell
  • IIS
  • Windows Clustering
• Linux Technologies
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
  • Oracle Linux
  • Ubuntu
  • SUSE Linux
  • Shell Scripting
  • Linux Security & Hardening
  • Performance Tuning
• Virtualization
  • VMware vSphere
  • ESXi
  • vCenter
  • Hyper-V
• Cloud Platforms
  • Microsoft Azure
  • AWS
  • GCP
• Automation
  • PowerShell
  • Ansible
  • Terraform
  • Python
  • Git
• Monitoring & ITSM
  • ServiceDesk Plus
  • ServiceNow
  • SolarWinds
  • PRTG
  • Nagios
  • Dynatrace
  • Splunk

Preferred Skills

• Windows and Linux Migration Projects
• Cloud Modernization Programs
• Data Center Consolidation
• Disaster Recovery Planning
• Enterprise Monitoring Solutions
• Power BI Reporting
• AI-Ops and Infrastructure Automation

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator
• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
• VMware VCP
• Azure Administrator Associate
• AWS Solutions Architect Associate
• ITIL Foundation
• Terraform Associate
• Ansible Automation Certification

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Operational KPIs
  • Server Availability (%)
  • SLA Achievement (%)
  • Critical Incident Reduction
  • MTTR Improvement
  • Patch Compliance (%)
  • Backup Success Rate (%)
• Service Excellence KPIs
  • Problem Resolution Effectiveness
  • Capacity Forecast Accuracy
  • Security Compliance Score
  • Change Success Rate
  • Automation Benefits Realization
  • Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
• Governance KPIs
  • Asset Accuracy (%)
  • CMDB Compliance (%)
  • Audit Findings Closure Rate
  • Vulnerability Remediation Compliance

Pay

The annual salary for this position is between $119,000 and $137,000, depending on experience and other qualifications. This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contribution
• Long-term/Short-term Dis