Systems Engineer

About AWTA Ltd

AWTA Ltd (Australian Wool Testing Authority) is the world's largest wool testing organisation — a not-for-profit company with over 65 years of history at the heart of Australia's wool and agricultural industries. Operating across three core divisions (Raw Wool, Product Testing, and Agrifood Technology), we provide independent testing and certification services that are critical to industry, commerce, and food safety in Australia and internationally.

Our Melbourne Head Office at Kensington is the hub of a multi-site Australian operation, supported by a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary and a joint venture in China. We are a purpose-driven organisation where your work genuinely matters — and our IT infrastructure directly underpins the science and data exchange that keeps the industry moving.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a senior Systems Engineer & Solutions Architect to join our small but highly capable IT team. This is a broad, hands-on role with real ownership — you will be the primary technical expert across our hybrid on-premises and cloud infrastructure, working directly alongside our Infrastructure Manager to keep our environment secure, reliable, and continually improving.

Crucially, this is an engineering role as much as it is an administration role. We need someone who can design, build, and commission new systems from the ground up — someone who proactively identifies gaps and improvement opportunities, draws up a plan, and sees it through to delivery. If you thrive on building things properly and leaving environments better than you found them, this role is for you.

What You'll Do

Your responsibilities span both keeping the lights on and building what comes next:

Infrastructure Engineering & Systems Administration

• Design, build, and commission new server infrastructure — including SQL Server, file servers, print servers, and application servers — from requirements through to production handover

• Plan and implement new on-premises solutions, including server deployments, storage expansion, virtualisation changes, and datacenter upgrades

• Administer the VMware cluster, SAN storage, and Windows Server environment (AD, DNS, DHCP, GPO, file services) across all sites

• Manage LIMS-supporting systems at Agrifood and Fremantle; maintain DC facilities including UPS, power, and cooling

• Plan and execute backup, DR, and patching schedules to Essential Eight ML2 standards

Microsoft 365, Azure & Cloud

• Plan and implement new solutions in Azure and M365 — including new workloads, migrations, and platform improvements

• Design, configure, and maintain DLP policies, sensitivity labels, retention policies, and information governance controls across the M365 tenant

• Administer Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Entra ID; manage Intune for device compliance, configuration profiles, and app deployment

• Maintain hybrid identity via AD Connect; design and manage conditional access policies and MFA controls

Networking

• Administer LAN/WAN infrastructure across all sites — switches, firewalls, VLANs, VPN, and wireless

• Monitor performance, respond to faults, and maintain network documentation

Cybersecurity & Essential Eight

• Assist in maintaining AWTA's alignment to the ACSC Essential Eight at Maturity Level 2 across all eight mitigation strategies

• Support gap analysis activities, assist with vulnerability scanning remediation, and contribute to endpoint hardening and privileged access controls

• Help maintain audit evidence and assist in supporting external compliance assessments

Proprietary & Legacy Systems

• Maintain and support servers running AWTA's industry-critical proprietary platforms, including the Australian Wool EDI network — the central data exchange infrastructure for the Australian and New Zealand wool industry

• Administer and support ABSUITE, AWTA's core business management system, ensuring availability, performance, and continuity

• Maintain systems built on JADE — a proprietary object-oriented language developed by NZWTA and used across AWTA's core platforms (full training provided)

• Perform manual patch evaluation and controlled installation for proprietary systems, following a structured assessment process to ensure stability and compatibility

• Liaise with vendors and internal stakeholders on system upgrades, releases, and issue resolution for proprietary platforms

Continuous Improvement & Project Delivery

• Proactively identify infrastructure improvements and inefficiencies; propose solutions and roll them out to end users

• Lead or contribute to IT projects from scoping through to delivery, including user-impacting rollouts and change communications

• Produce design proposals, risk assessments, and implementation plans for new technology initiatives

• Support IT roadmap planning in collaboration with the Infrastructure Manager

What We're Looking For

Essential:

• 5+ years in a senior systems engineering or IT infrastructure role in a multi-site organisation

• Demonstrated experience designing and building new server infrastructure end-to-end — SQL Server, Windows file and print services, and application servers

• Experience planning and delivering new solutions in Azure and on-premises hybrid environments

• Hands-on VMware vSphere/vCenter and enterprise SAN administration

• Solid Microsoft 365 and Intune administration — Entra ID, Exchange Online, compliance policies, and conditional access

• Hands-on experience configuring DLP policies, sensitivity labels, and information governance controls in M365

• Sound networking fundamentals — TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, firewalls, VPN

• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks, particularly the ACSC Essential Eight

• Experience maintaining or supporting proprietary or legacy business systems, including structured patch evaluation processes

• A proven track record of identifying improvement opportunities and driving them through to completion

• Relevant IT qualification or equivalent experience; proficiency in PowerShell for automation

Highly Desirable:

• Microsoft certifications — M365 Enterprise Admin Expert, Azure Administrator Associate, or equivalent

• VMware VCP-DCV and/or CCNA

• Essential Eight ML2 experience; Pure Storage administration; Veeam or equivalent

• Experience in a scientific, laboratory, or regulated industry environment

• Familiarity with LIMS, OT device environments, EDI systems, or similar industry data exchange platforms

What We Offer

• A senior, autonomous role with broad technical scope and genuine engineering variety

• Stable, purpose-driven not-for-profit organisation with a strong industry reputation

• Complex, modern infrastructure environment alongside unique legacy systems

• Full training provided on proprietary platforms including JADE

• Supportive team and direct access to leadership

• Kensington location — well-connected and close to the Melbourne CBD

• The chance to make a genuine, lasting contribution to Australia's agricultural industry

How to Apply

If you're an experienced infrastructure professional ready to take ownership of a meaningful senior role, we'd love to hear from you.

Applications close: 28th August 2026