IT Infrastructure Engineer

Working for Equity Residential (EQR), a leading multi-family real estate investment trust (REIT), means being part of a community and striving to provide the best in apartment living, speaking boldly about new ideas for innovation, and inspiring creativity in the ways we work together. Our portfolio of high-quality properties in urban growth markets – New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles – provides homes where people most want to live, work and play. We've got the best people in the business, and our experience shows in our dedication to our residents and in how much we value each other as colleagues. That’s why our employees say they are proud to work at Equity, a company that gives our residents a place where they can “Live Remarkably,” and offers a culture where our employees have the opportunity to make their mark.

We are currently seeking an IT Infrastructure Engineer to join our IT team at our corporate headquarters in Chicago, IL. In this role, you will be responsible for various functions across the IT infrastructure, such as networking technologies, server hardware/software, virtualization, endpoint management, and cloud operations. As an IT Infrastructure Engineer, you will put your excellent critical thinking, troubleshooting, and interpersonal skills to use on a daily basis, as well as your ability to learn quickly and to display your enthusiasm and passion for IT Infrastructure. Your primary responsibilities will include configuring, troubleshooting, and managing technologies across the infrastructure stack, including but not limited to: Windows Server/Active Directory, DNS/DHCP, endpoint management, network route/switch, load balancing platforms, virtualization technologies, and cloud IAAS services.

As an IT Infrastructure Engineer, you will also assist in managing identity and secrets platforms, as well as initiatives related to the implementation of all individually assigned infrastructure components. You will be responsible for the management and oversight of complex IT devices and act as a key technical member for various project teams. Additionally, you will be responsible for providing infrastructure support across multiple disparate technologies as part of the standard escalation procedure.

• Knowledgeable.  You have a broad-based familiarity with the latest technologies of infrastructure engineering, planning, implementation, and management.  When it comes to technical knowledge, you are an expert in Microsoft Operating Systems, Active Directory, Group Policy, Identity Management, SSO, SCCM, DNS and network file servers. Through your past work experience, you have also successfully demonstrated your ability to make project decisions, monitor project progress, and report timely and accurate results.  And to keep your knowledge fresh, you’re often researching new technologies whenever time permits.
• A Strong Communicator. Your writing and speaking skills are clear, articulate, and effective, demonstrating your ability to interact with and be understood by all levels and various teams across the organization.
• A Problem Solver. You are a creative thinker, who focuses on the problem as stated and gathers information to identify root cause and achieve an appropriate solution.  You have excellent knowledge of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, and a fundamental networking/TCP/IP understanding. You anticipate IT industry direction and make recommendations to support current and future infrastructure needs and projects. You also enjoy the challenge of advanced troubleshooting and providing support to IT business partners and end users alike, whenever an unexpected infrastructure issues arises.
• A Collaborator and Business Liaison. You are united with teammates and follow through on commitments, so you are known as a trusted business partner and someone your teammates can count on.
• Organized, Efficient, and Accountable. You have a keen eye for detail and pride yourself on delivering quality work. You multitask well, re-prioritize accordingly, and meet deadlines consistently. Above all, you are flexible and able to juggle the needs of changing priorities of the business, even if that means an occasional after-hours project.
• Passionate, Motivated, and Eager to Learn.  You are resourceful, ask smart questions, challenge the status quo, and regularly seek to understand.

• Recommend, plan and manage the implementation of hardware and software as they relate to assigned infrastructure components.
• Assist with general network administration tasks and management.
• Manage the Windows/Active Directory Infrastructure.
• Administer various aspects of endpoint management solutions.
• Help manage SSO and Identity Management platforms.
• Act as key cloud technologies infrastructure contributor.
• Maintain a functional understanding of virtualization, storage, and compute technologies.
• Participate in various IT projects intended to continually improve/upgrade the infrastructure, such as evaluation of new software and hardware required to meet a business need or to make a process more cost-effective.
• Accountable for the successful delivery of assigned projects; providing accurate and consistent status reports.
• Interface with project team and Infrastructure Group members to ensure assigned project charters are consistent with Group objectives and goals; apply program management approach to all project related activities.
• Research new technologies for infrastructure strategies and other related projects; evaluate and recommend new software or systems to meet company requirements; manage the implementation of changes in such systems.
• Manage the maintenance of infrastructure, ensuring compatibility and compliance with regulations, contracts and licensing agreements.
• Develop and maintain procedures and ensure documentation exists for all aspects of installations and operation.
• Provide input to the establishment of technical standards and procedures.
• Act as liaison between EQR and vendors, as needed.
• Provide third level support to IT personnel and end users, as necessary.
• Perform situation analysis and makes recommendations for solving problems.
• Focus on the provision of a stable performance environment, enterprise-wide, by monitoring and analyzing problems that occur, ensuring they are identified and solved as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related discipline preferred; equivalent experience is acceptable.
• Minimum of 5 years related experience in enterprise level IT environments performing infrastructure engineering, planning, implementation and management using the latest technology.
• Cisco CCNA, Microsoft MCSE, Azure Administrator or equivalent certifications preferred.
• Minimum of one year experience in project management with demonstrated experience in effectively managing projects in a cross-functional environment; comfort with making project decisions, monitoring progress, and reporting results is essential.
• Significant experience and knowledge in new computing infrastructures is needed.
• Experience in creating and defining new architectural models and explaining complex problems or situations is essential.
• Excellent technical knowledge and aptitude in the areas of network administration, Active Directory, Microsoft Operating Systems, DNS/DHCP, load balancers, network file servers, applicable software, and troubleshooting techniques.
• Must be proficient in Cloud Infrastructure platforms and understand compute, storage, network, and virtualization derivatives; must have the ability to solve infrastructure issues.
• Ability to modify and create scripts (powershell, VB, batch).
• Experience in effectively communicating with a broad base of end users and multiple management layers is needed, including the ability to interact with vendors and handle trouble tickets and maintenance from start to finish.
• Must have the ability to effectively adapt to rapidly changing technology and apply it to business needs. 
• Ability to anticipate user requirements and identify and resolve complex problems; strong customer service skills.
• Good judgment and analytical skills; strong follow-up and organizational skills.
• Must have the ability to conduct and prepare feasibility studies; including estimates for costs, time and resources; prepare statistical reports; complete cost/benefit analysis and conduct business.

We recognize that everyone has different needs outside of work. That’s why, in addition to a competitive benefits package (medical, dental, vision and paid time off), we offer many unique benefits options to employees, like pet insurance and paid time off for community service projects. To learn more, view our Total Wellbeing page here.