Infrastructure Architect

Full-time

Description

Great Lakes Industrial Infrastructure Architect

Great Lakes Industrial (GLI) is a leader in the Industrial manufacturing & distribution sector, specializing in innovative engineered solutions and products. With a strong commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, we are driven by a passion for operational excellence. As we continue to expand, we seek a skilled and motivated individual to join our dynamic team.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

We are seeking a high-impact Infrastructure Architect who will play a key leadership role in shaping the direction of our IT systems, infrastructure, and long-term technology roadmap.

This is not just a maintenance role—it’s a strategic one. You’ll be charged with rethinking our infrastructure footprint, optimizing the way systems communicate, ensuring our data is trustworthy and accessible, and bringing a visionary approach to modernization.

You’ll work side-by-side with our Associate Director of Technology, helping guide decisions about tools, systems, cybersecurity, and architecture—while being supported by a managed services partner for ticketing, support, and some execution tasks.

This is not a remote role, the ideal candidate will need to be located in Wisconsin, due to this position being on-site and reporting into our Milwaukee Headquarters.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Infrastructure Strategy & Architecture

Design and own a scalable infrastructure roadmap that aligns with business goals and reduces technical debt.

Identify opportunities to consolidate or replace legacy systems to reduce user friction and improve efficiency.

Build out a visual and documented map of our tech stack and infrastructure relationships—focusing on simplification and clarity.

Partner with internal leaders to ensure users can access the information they need with minimal effort or duplication.

Modernization & System Integration

Collaborate on initiatives like integrating ERP (IBM i) data with external tools and dashboards (Zoho, Excel workflows, etc.).

Evaluate and implement tools that create a single source of truth and reduce the need for duplicate manual reporting.

Lead the infrastructure side of forward-looking projects like AI integration, improved automation, and better data pipelines.

Cybersecurity & Compliance

Serve as the Associate Director of Technology’s right-hand partner on infrastructure-related decisions.

Delegate daily ticket execution to MSP partners or internal support structures (e.g., Clarity), so you can focus on high-leverage work.

Be a thought leader across the company—helping departments see what’s possible through better infrastructure. Collaboration & Leadership

Own the roadmap and execution for CMMC readiness.

Improve our Microsoft 365 security posture—including SharePoint organization, access controls, and identity management.

Develop and enforce best practices around data security, backups, and system hardening.

Support Oversight & Governance

Provide occasional hands-on support where needed, especially for complex or escalated infrastructure issues.

Maintain system documentation, infrastructure diagrams, and process maps to ensure business continuity.

Collaborate with other team members on software, data, and business process initiatives.

Requirements

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

Must-Haves

5+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, system architecture, or network/system administration—preferably across mixed environments.

Deep familiarity with Microsoft technologies (Azure AD, Windows Server, M365), networking concepts (VLANs, VPNs, DNS, DHCP), and virtualization (Hyper-V, VMware).

Strong project leadership skills and the ability to architect solutions from concept to rollout.

Experience with compliance or cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., CMMC, NIST, etc.).

Systems-thinking mindset—you enjoy simplifying complexity, not just maintaining the status quo.

Comfort working across both technical and non-technical teams to understand pain points and drive change.

Nice-to-Haves

Experience working with MSPs or hybrid IT environments.

Familiarity with IBM i or legacy ERP platforms and modern ways to interface with them.

Exposure to tools like Zoho, Datto, NetBox, and ticketing/documentation systems.

Experience exploring automation or AI-based efficiencies in operations.

Soft Skills

Versatile problem solver who enjoys figuring things out independently.

Team player who communicates well and collaborates with both technical and non-technical staff.

Growth-oriented—you’re eager to keep learning and take on bigger challenges.

Comfortable moving between user support and infrastructure design in the same day.

Organized, reliable, and detail-oriented when it comes to documentation and process.

Comfortable interfacing directly with end users at all technical levels—whether walking someone through an email login or explaining network changes.

Why Join Us?

Strategic Seat at the Table: You’ll partner with our Associate Director of Technology to help lead the future of our infrastructure.

Autonomy + Focus: Support structure is in place so you can spend your time building and improving, not fighting fires.

Transformational Work: We’re not patching holes—we’re reimagining how infrastructure enables business success.

Impact That Matters: You'll help our team operate with clarity, access better data, and deliver on customer commitments more effectively.