Sr. Associate, Systems and Platforms Engineer

Harrison Street Asset Management ("HSAM") is a leading global alternative investment management firm focused on real estate, infrastructure, and credit strategies across North America and Europe. Headquartered in Chicago, Toronto, and London with offices across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the firm has over $108 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional investors and registered investment advisors globally.

Founded on a culture of innovation, HSAM is an early mover in alternative real estate and mid-market infrastructure. Today, the firm’s global team, consisting of more than 520 professionals, is committed to creating long-term value through deep sector expertise and forward-thinking strategies.

Under the direction of the Systems and Platforms Manager, Business Technology Group (BTG), the Systems and Platforms Engineer is responsible for the day-to-day administration, reliability, and continuous improvement of Harrison Street’s on‑premises and cloud-based systems, services, and platforms. The Systems and Platforms Engineer partners closely with the Help Desk, Cyber Security, application owners, and third-party vendors to ensure stable operations, strong security posture, and scalable platforms. The role also plays an active part in adopting and operationalizing AI-enabled tools and services in a secure, responsible, and business-aligned manner.

70%     Technology Systems, Services, and Platform Maintenance

• Administer, monitor, and maintain enterprise platforms across on‑premises and cloud environments, ensuring availability, performance, and security.
• Manage Microsoft 365 services including identity, email, collaboration, messaging, endpoint management, and security tooling.
• Administer identity and access management platforms (e.g., Entra ID, Active Directory), including MFA, conditional access, RBAC, lifecycle processes, and group policy.
• Support endpoint and device management solutions, including modern provisioning, patching, configuration, and compliance.
• Operate and maintain core infrastructure services such as Windows Server workloads, directory services, cloud print services, and other cloud-hosted systems and platforms.
• Troubleshoot complex system, service, and platform issues by performing root cause analysis, testing solutions, and deploying remediations.
• Partner with the Help Desk to resolve escalated issues, cross-train support staff, and document repeatable resolutions.
• Coordinate with third-party vendors for run-and-maintain activities, support engagements, and platform upgrades.
• Participate in security initiatives including vulnerability remediation, incident response support, audits, and compliance activities.
• Support office expansions and relocations by providing systems and platform standards, technical guidance, and implementation support.
• Administer and support AI-enabled platforms and services (e.g., Microsoft Copilot and related AI tools), including access controls, configuration, monitoring, and adoption support.
• Implement automation and scripting (e.g., PowerShell, CLI) to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual effort, and increase reliability.
• Support and maintain backup, recovery, and disaster recovery solutions, including periodic testing and validation to ensure data integrity and business continuity.

25%    Documentation

• Document system configurations, platform architectures, processes, and operational procedures.
• Maintain and continuously improve SOPs, FAQs, and knowledge base articles for both IT staff and end users.
• Document incident resolutions, root causes, and preventive actions to improve future response and stability.
• Ensure documentation reflects modern tooling, security practices, and AI platform governance requirements.

5%       Miscellaneous

• Stay current on emerging technologies, cloud services, security practices, and AI platform capabilities.
• Participate in training, workshops, vendor briefings, and internal knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support evolving business and technology needs.

Bachelor's Degree in technical discipline such as Computer Science, Information Services, or related field.

3+ years of experience administering and maintaining cloud-based enterprise platforms. Experience with AI platforms, services, and tools preferred.

Experience supporting and maintaining various on-premises and cloud-based technology systems including enterprise productivity suites, identity and endpoint management platforms, email security, and directory services. Familiarity with scripting (e.g., PowerShell, CLI) preferred.

Familiarity with enterprise AI platforms, services, and tools (e.g., Copilot and chat-based AI tools, cloud AI development platforms, etc.)

Hands-on experience managing and deploying applications on cloud applications like Azure App Services, including configuration, scaling and lifecycle management.

Strong understanding of authentication and identity concepts, including Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), OAuth/OpenID Connect fundamentals, managed identities, and role-based access control (RBAC)

Experience working with IT service management platforms, remote monitoring and management tools, and endpoint security solutions.  

Experience with change control procedures, including documentation, impact assessment and approval workflows

Highly organized with the ability to work under pressure and react quickly to meet deadlines, manage competing priorities, and resolve time-sensitive support issues in a fast-paced environment

Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new technologies.

Must be able to analyze requests, determine the underlying problem, and recommend proper solution.

Must be detail-oriented, result-focused, possess effective written and verbal communication skills, and able to support change management initiatives.

Must be able to maintain professional and effective working relations with supervisors and co-workers

Must be able to work flexible hours, including weekends and evenings.

Must be able to manage support issues remotely during off hours.

Must be able to learn new skills and technologies.

Must be able to handle multiple projects simultaneously.