Senior I.T. Operations Engineer

Location: Austin, United States of America

Thales people architect identity management and data protection solutions at the heart of digital security. Business and governments rely on us to bring trust to the billons of digital interactions they have with people. Our technologies and services help banks exchange funds, people cross borders, energy become smarter and much more. More than 30,000 organizations already rely on us to verify the identities of people and things, grant access to digital services, analyze vast quantities of information and encrypt data to make the connected world more secure.

Senior I.T. Operations Engineer

United States (Remote – Texas and or EST; Austin, TX – Hybrid) 

Position Summary

Thales is looking for a Senior I.T. Operations Engineer, who will be responsible for managing and supporting a secure, scalable IT environment with a strong emphasis on Windows System Administration and Identity and Access Management (IAM) across enterprise systems.
In this position, you will oversee the administration and security of Windows-based infrastructure, as well as Mac and Windows end-user devices, ensuring effective identity governance, authentication, authorization, and access control across all systems and applications. This role requires a technically strong and detail-oriented professional who can maintain system integrity, enforce security best practices, and support a reliable and compliant IT environment while balancing operational efficiency and user access needs.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Manage stakeholder relationships and support cross-functional project execution, ensuring alignment between IT operations, security, and business objectives.
• Lead and support IT operations projects, driving planning, execution, and delivery while maintaining timelines, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Administer and optimize Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, including Single Sign-On (SSO), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and Privileged Access Management (PAM).
• Oversee Windows Server environments and core infrastructure services, including Active Directory and Group Policy, ensuring stability, performance, and security.
• Enforce access governance and security best practices by managing user lifecycle processes, conducting audits, and implementing least privilege principles across systems.
• Collaborate with security and IT teams to strengthen access controls, resolve IAM-related incidents, and drive automation, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field with 8–12+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience.
• Strong experience in Windows System Administration within large enterprise environments, including Active Directory and Group Policy management.
• Solid understanding of Identity and Access Management (IAM) concepts, including SSO, MFA, authentication, authorization, and access governance best practices.
• Hands-on experience with IAM tools such as Azure AD, PingOne, Duo, SailPoint, and familiarity with hybrid and cloud environments (Azure, AWS).
• Experience with scripting and automation (preferably PowerShell) to support IAM processes and operational efficiency.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills, with exposure to audit, compliance, and access control processes; relevant certifications are a plus.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future.

Special Position Requirements

• Schedule: Core business hours are Monday through Friday, with participation in an on-call rotation as required to support operational needs.
• Experience with IAM tools such as SailPoint is preferred.

If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!

Why Join Us?

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This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with [a] criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances.

We are an equal opportunity employer, including disability and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at [email protected].

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between

Total Target Cash (TTC) 121,446.00 - 205,102.00 USD Annual

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

(For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please reach out to your HR Shared Service, 1st Point) 

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

•Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance

•Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period

•Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off

•Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program