Solutions Architect

AvalonBay is proud to be named one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work in 2019.

Do you have a passion for modernizing current IT systems and infrastructure? Are you a change champion and a thought leader? Are you a creative problem-solver and communicator? Do you want to help lead the transformation of a company and an industry? If you’re a resounding yes, we want to talk to you. At AvalonBay, we’ve embarked on a digital initiative to enhance the way in which we operate. We are transforming our current infrastructure using new and modern technologies that will impact our business nationwide! We are looking for leaders to join our team at our Headquarters in Arlington, VA that are passionate about designing and architecting new technology solutions while ensuring the highest levels of systems and infrastructure availability.

The Solutions Architect collaborates with engineers, software developers and stakeholders to design/select solutions that are reliable, performant and appropriately sized. The candidate will be involved in projects/initiatives that define the computer hardware, software, networking and server technologies that support our company. The candidate is also expected to provide guidance on current and future technology, mentors others and help create/maintain standards used by the IT department. The candidate is responsible for the development, testing, installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of any hardware/systems used by the company, including producing documentation, diagrams, and detailed procedures. Expected travel is less than 10%.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Evaluation of current or emerging technologies taking into consideration factors such as cost, portability, compatibility, or usability.
• Document design specifications, installation instructions, and other system-related information. Verify stability, interoperability, portability, security, or scalability of system architecture.
• Provide technical guidance during the development of solutions. Identify system data, hardware, or software components required to meet user needs.
• Provide customers or installation teams guidelines for implementing secure systems.
• Design and conduct hardware or software tests. Establish functional or system standards to address operational requirements, quality requirements, and design constraints.
• Evaluate existing systems to determine effectiveness and suggest changes to meet organizational requirements.
• Assist in creating cost-benefit estimates comparing total-cost-of-ownership of on-premise vs. cloud migration solutions
• Research, test, or verify proper functioning of software patches and fixes.
• Communicate project information through presentations, technical reports, or white papers.
• Complete models and simulations, using manual or automated tools, to analyze or predict system performance under different operating conditions.
• Act as a subject matter expert for AWS and Azure cloud services
• Plan and execute medium and large-scale migrations of storage, compute and server systems from private infrastructure to public cloud platforms (particularly Azure and AWS).
• Provide support for all SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS deployments.
• Troubleshoot the performance of cloud-based systems.
• Define proper security and backup procedures are for company systems.
• Ensure the stability, integrity, and efficient operation of the systems that support core business functions
• Assist with creating cloud migration strategies; defining delivery architecture, creating the migration plans, designing the orchestration plans, and more. Assist in creating and executing of migration run books.
• Act as liaison to support teams and client during migration.
• Monitor systems to achieve optimum performance levels consistently and aligned with business needs, while following IT policies and procedures

• Minimum 3 years of experience in cloud supporting and implementing cloud solutions

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Information Technology is preferred. Equivalent certification and/or work experience will be considered
• 8+ years of experience as a systems or network engineering role, in a complex distributed environment
• Experience with design or migration of on-prem infrastructure / applications to the cloud, Microsoft Azure and / or AWS
• Experience working with virtual machines, virtual networking and storage in VMWare, Hyper-V, AWS and Azure.
• Experience withmonitoring systems,virtualization and data storage technologies
• Experience implementing security best practices in production environments, and cloud technologies.
• Strong knowledge of cloud technologies using SSO, federated identity, SAML, Azure AD and cloud based email / SharePoint administration
• Strong understanding of security concepts including but not limited to firewalls, encryption, identity management, and hardening
• Ability to install, configure, and troubleshoot servers (various operating systems), storage systems, and network devices
• Ability to administer and tune complex networks, LAN/WAN, enterprise grade WiFi, switching and routing knowledge at all OSI layers
• Ability to take ownership of issues, work independently, escalate as needed and find creative ways to resolve problems.
• Comfortable with collaboration, open communication and reaching across functional borders
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly, and concisely present complicated technical concepts to end-users with differing skill levels

We know that our teams are the heart of our success and we’re committed to showing our appreciation.
We offer:

• Comprehensive benefits – health, dental & vision, 401(k) with company match, paid vacation and holidays, tuition reimbursement, an employee stock purchase plan and more!
• Growth based on achievement and promotion from within.
• Associate recognition (a company-wide recognition program that celebrates associate efforts and successes in contributing to the overall success of the organization – including destination awards, ‘AvalonBay’s Very Best’ recognition program and others!).
• A 20% discount on our incredible apartment homes.
• A culture built on purpose and our core values -a Commitment to Integrity, a Spirit of Caring, and a Focus on Continuous Improvement.

AvalonBay is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an inclusive and diverse work environment free of discrimination and harassment.? We believe that in order to achieve our purpose of creating a better way to live, we must recruit, develop and retain associates with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and create an environment that encourages all voices to be heard, understood and appreciated. With this we know we can do great things.

AvalonBay will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with requirements under the law.