IT Systems Engineer, Firm Operations

About the Company Founded in 2023, Crete Professionals Alliance (Crete PA) delivers big four firepower to local American firms. Our rapid growth has made us a magnet for leading firms nationwide, eager to join our revolution in accounting. We empower small to mid-market firms with PE-backed capital, strategic technology partnerships, and innovative workforce solutions—including national recruiting and offshore support—while preserving a personal, local touch. With a presence in over half the US, 25+ regional offices, 1,000+ dedicated professionals, and offshore operations in Asia, we're the fastest-growing accounting firm in the nation and well on our way to the top 20. At Crete PA, our culture and relationships are the cornerstone of our success, and we’re always looking for talented, ambitious people to join our team. Since founding, Crete has partnered with 23 leading accounting firms to date, with significant growth anticipated through the remainder of the year. Our co-founders from ZBS Partners have a track record of launching four past successful companies, with combined enterprise value exceeding $3 billion, several now majority-owned by respected private equity firms. We plan to invest $500 million in the next two years to acquire accounting firms and equip them with artificial intelligence. In addition to ZBS, Crete is backed by leading technology investors Thrive Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. Our partnership with Thrive and their recently launched Thrive Holdings strategy is accelerating our deployment of artificial intelligence, process automation, and advanced software into our partners companies. About the Role We are seeking a skilled IT Systems Engineer with deep hands-on experience in the latest Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure technologies. This role supports the design, implementation, and ongoing improvement of reliable, scalable, and secure systems that serve our partner firms and international operations. The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise in modern Microsoft cloud environments, global enterprise IT operations, and application support within the CPA or professional services industry, along with experience participating in M&A integration activities for high growth platform companies. Key Responsibilities IT Operations & Enterprise Support Provide support to local firm IT operations including service desk, endpoint management, patching, monitoring, and incident response. Ensure consistent support for tax, audit, workflow, and document applications commonly used by CPA firms. Maintain ITIL-aligned processes that enhance reliability, uptime, and partner-firm satisfaction. Ensure system uptime, performance, and reliability by proactively monitoring and resolving issues before they impact operations. Assist firms with life cycling technology assets and implementing industry leading solutions such as cloud-based platforms, LAN/WAN infrastructure, firewalls/VPN’s, and backup systems M&A Integrations Assist with the execution of IT integration playbooks, ensuring smooth technology alignment and rapid adoption of corporate standards. Assess acquired firm infrastructure, identity, and application landscapes to design structured and relevant technology roadmaps. Coordinate cross-functionally on projects, timelines, communications, and resource allocations. Systems & Infrastructure Lead the configuration, optimization, and governance of Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Azure AD, Intune/Endpoint Manager, and related enterprise services. Assist firms with maintenance, configuration, and support of on-premises, hybrid, and cloud-based systems including servers, virtualization platforms, storage, identity management, and endpoint management tools. Ensure a modern, seamless end-user experience across all partner firms through standardization, automation, and proactive monitoring. Support access management using Microsoft Entra ID, including Conditional Access, MFA, SSO integrations, identity governance, and privileged identity management. Maintain secure, scalable identity architecture that supports cross-firm collaboration and onboarding of acquired or partner entities. Manage and optimize Azure services including compute, storage, networking, virtual desktops, security services, and hybrid-cloud integrations. Design and maintain scalable infrastructure architectures aligned with best practices in availability, performance, and cost management. Maintain Azure governance, resource organization, policies, and automation frameworks for consistent standards across partner firms. Support the implementation and management of modern security platforms including Microsoft Defender XDR, Intune, and other security-related tools. Ensure all systems adhere to firm, client, and industry regulatory requirements relevant to CPA and professional services. Contribute to the development of technology standards, cloud strategy, and long-term infrastructure roadmaps. Work closely with partner firms and business leaders to align technology with organizational goals and operational needs. Qualifications Required: Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or equivalent experience. 5–8+ years engineering global enterprise IT environments with strong focus on Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure. Demonstrated experience in building and maintaining reliable, scalable cloud systems. Experience supporting CPA/professional services applications and operations. Strong communication, leadership, and project management skills Preferred: Experience with technology integration projects within high-growth platform companies. Microsoft certifications (AZ-104, MS-102, SC-300/400, AZ-305, or equivalent). ITIL certification and/or experience with mature ITSM processes. Experience implementing Zero Trust, cloud governance, and automation frameworks. Background in hybrid and cloud-only modernization initiatives.