Sr. IT Systems Engineer

Leslie's Pool Supplies is the World's Largest Retailer of Swimming Pool Supplies. With over 1,000+ retail stores in 39 states plus PRO, Service, E‑Commerce, Production, and Distribution divisions, there are many career opportunities at Leslie's. With over 60 years of providing best‑in‑class products and solutions to our customers, there is nothing that we value more than the development and growth of our team.

We strive to create a positive and fun atmosphere where our Team Members feel valued and are enthusiastic about the contributions they make to the success of Leslie's.

Note: This position is based at our corporate office in Phoenix, AZ, and follows a hybrid work schedule. Remote work is not available for this role. Candidates must reside within commuting distance, as relocation assistance is not provided. Additionally, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer‑sponsored visa support.
Job Overview

The SR IT Systems Engineer plays the lead role within the IT Systems team, responsible for the administration, maintenance, and optimization of enterprise‑level systems, including SQL databases, Linux servers, Windows/VMware environments, and cloud infrastructure. This role will also work with IT Leadership to design system architectures to meet business needs and scalability goals as well as plan and lead IT Infrastructure projects.

This role requires technical expertise, strong problem‑solving skills, and leadership capabilities to ensure systems' stability, performance, and scalability. Additionally, the SR IT Systems Engineer will act as a mentor to junior team members, fostering a collaborative and growth‑oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage, monitor, and optimize SQL Server databases to ensure availability, performance, and data integrity.
• Design and implement backup, recovery, and disaster recovery strategies for Server & SQL environments.
• Perform database upgrades, migrations, and security patching.
• Manage Linux servers, ensuring system performance, uptime, and security.
• Perform software installations, upgrades, patch management, and system configurations.
• Automate tasks using shell scripting and other automation tools.
• Monitor system health, troubleshoot issues, and optimize performance.
• Maintain and administer Windows server environments, including Active Directory and associated services.
• Oversee virtualization infrastructure (VMware) to ensure efficient resource utilization and system availability.
• Perform system upgrades, patching, and troubleshooting across Windows and VMware platforms.
• Manage cloud‑based environments (e.g., Azure, OCI, GCP or AWS), ensuring scalability, performance, and security.
• Design and advise on cloud platforms and architecture in Azure, GCP, AWS, and OCI.
• Deploy and manage cloud services, including virtual machines, storage, and networking.
• Collaborate on cloud migration strategies and implementations.
• Monitor and optimize cloud infrastructure costs and performance.
• Serve as a subject matter expert across system administration disciplines.
• Mentor and provide guidance to junior administrators, fostering skill development and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to design and implement IT solutions that align with business goals.
• Participate in incident management and root cause analysis for system outages.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, including configuration details, operational procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Provide after‑hours support as required for critical issues and scheduled maintenance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in systems administration across Windows/VMware, SQL, Linux and cloud environments.
• Proven expertise with Windows Server and VMware virtualization platforms.
• Strong expertise in SQL Server administration, including performance tuning, backups, and migrations.
• Experience managing Linux operating systems (e.g., Red Hat, Ubuntu) and scripting automation.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud infrastructure platforms such as…