IT Infrastructure and Security Lead

Zentso builds and operates CloudToolz, a revenue-critical SaaS platform layered on top of iMIS RiSE association management software, serving clients across the UK, Europe, United States, and Asia Pacific. The platform encompasses workflow automation, form building, CRM, CMS, and payment processing capabilities delivered to organisations in multiple sectors. We are seeking an experienced IT Infrastructure and Security Lead to own the global infrastructure and security posture underpinning CloudToolz and Zentso's internal systems. This is a senior individual-contributor role with direct access to and collaboration with the CTO on architecture, security strategy, and capacity planning. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating independently across a distributed, multi-region environment and taking ownership of uptime, security, and compliance outcomes for a production platform. A key part of this role is leading Zentso's transition toward a containerised, Kubernetes-based deployment model and establishing an observability practice built around Grafana OSS. The right candidate will be capable of bridging the current Windows Server and IIS-based estate with the target state architecture, and driving that migration in a controlled and pragmatic way. **Infrastructure and Platform Operations** * Manage and maintain global infrastructure spanning Windows Server 2022, SQL Server, MongoDB, Redis, and Cloudflare across four regions. * Ensure availability, performance, and scalability of the CloudToolz platform, which is revenue-critical and must meet defined SLAs. * Support the CTO in planning and executing deployments of new CloudToolz releases, an ASP.NET Core-based platform integrating with Dynamics, iMIS, Salesforce, and native CRM and CMS capabilities. * Lead the migration of CloudToolz workloads toward a Kubernetes-based container orchestration model, defining the target architecture, migration sequencing, and rollout approach in collaboration with the CTO. * Manage and evolve Kubernetes cluster operations including deployments, scaling, resource management, network policies, and RBAC. * Build and maintain an observability stack using Grafana OSS, including dashboards, alerting, and integration with metrics, logs, and traces from application and infrastructure layers. * Manage DNS, CDN, WAF, and DDoS protection through Cloudflare. * Monitor system performance, identify and resolve bottlenecks, and lead incident response and recovery. * Maintain up-to-date documentation, runbooks, configuration standards, and disaster recovery procedures. **Security Operations** * Lead IT security operations including identity and access management, endpoint protection, and vulnerability management. * Administer and enforce policies across Microsoft 365, Bitwarden, Bitdefender GravityZone, and KnowBe4. * Develop and enforce data protection and compliance policies aligned to GDPR and ISO 27001 frameworks. * Conduct and coordinate security awareness training, phishing simulations, and incident response exercises. * Monitor for threats and manage response, escalation, and remediation processes. **IT Systems Administration** * Administer and optimise Microsoft 365 across the organisation, including Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and Entra ID. * Manage Salesforce administration within scope, in coordination with the product team. * Own configuration and policy management for endpoint security tools and password management. **Strategy and Continuous Improvement** * Collaborate with the CTO on infrastructure scaling strategy, architecture decisions, and technology selection, with a particular focus on the containerisation roadmap. * Drive adoption of infrastructure-as-code practices to support repeatable, auditable deployments across environments. * Drive automation of routine operations using PowerShell, scripting, and monitoring tooling. * Provide input into sprint planning and release coordination with the Product Owner for environment-level requirements. * Participate in on-call rotation to ensure platform availability across time zones. **Essential** * 5 or more years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud operations, systems administration, or DevOps roles. * Strong hands-on experience with Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server in production environments. * Proven experience with MongoDB and Redis in operational contexts. * Demonstrated Cloudflare experience covering DNS management, WAF rules, CDN configuration, and security features. * Solid proficiency in Microsoft 365 administration, including Entra ID (Azure AD), Exchange Online, and SharePoint. * Working knowledge of enterprise security tools; direct experience with Bitwarden, KnowBe4, Bitdefender GravityZone, or equivalent products is preferred. * Strong understanding of networking fundamentals including firewalls, VPNs, DNS, and access control architecture. * Sound knowledge of GDPR and practical experience implementing or maintaining compliance controls. * Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. * Experience working with geographically distributed teams across multiple time zones. **Preferred** * Hands-on Kubernetes experience, including cluster administration, workload deployment, networking (ingress, network policies), RBAC, and persistent storage. * Experience building or operating an observability stack with Grafana OSS, including Prometheus metrics, Loki log aggregation, and Grafana dashboards and alerting. * Familiarity with container runtimes and tooling including Docker, containerd, Helm, and kubectl. * Relevant certifications such as MCSE, CISSP, CompTIA Security+, CKA, or equivalent. * Familiarity with ISO 27001 and experience contributing to certification or audit processes. * PowerShell scripting proficiency for automation, configuration management, and reporting. * Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, Pulumi, or Ansible. * Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and GitOps workflows in a production environment. * Salesforce administration experience. This is a full-time, permanent position based in Berlin, Germany, offered on a remote-first basis. The CloudToolz platform operates continuously across multiple regions; the role includes on-call and out-of-hours escalation responsibilities. **Base salary range:** €60,000 – €85,000 per year **Typical target:** €70,000 – €80,000 per year **Performance bonus:** Discretionary, based on individual and company performance **Pension:** Employer contribution in line with local requirements **Flexible working:** Remote-first; flexible hours with availability for global coordination **Probation:** 6 months Compensation is commensurate with demonstrable experience and the scope of the role. The range reflects a small-business context while remaining competitive for the Berlin IT market for this level of responsibility. **About Zentso** Zentso is a software company specialising in association management technology. We build and maintain the CloudToolz platform, which extends iMIS RiSE with advanced workflow automation, forms, analytics, CRM, CMS, and payment processing capabilities. Our clients include national professional associations, peak bodies, and member-based organisations across Australia, the UK, and the Asia Pacific region. We operate as a small, distributed team with a strong emphasis on technical ownership, direct communication, and pragmatic decision-making. The right person for this role will be someone who takes genuine satisfaction in keeping complex systems running reliably and securely, and who can operate with a high degree of autonomy. **Note: Please include a cover letter with your CV explaining why you believe your qualifications and experience make you a strong fit for this position.**