The posting
About the Role
Straight Edge Technology is looking for a Technical Alignment Engineer to proactively assess, document, and improve our clients' technology environments.
This is an independent, client-facing technical role that combines onsite field work with technical assessment, documentation, and planning.
After completing training on Straight Edge Technology's standards, tools, and Technical Alignment process, you will be responsible for conducting scheduled onsite visits for assigned clients, evaluating their technology environments, documenting your findings, and identifying areas that require attention.
You'll also play an important role in onboarding new clients by conducting technical discovery, documenting their environments, identifying risks and gaps, and helping prepare them for transition into ongoing managed services.
You won't be expected to know everything. You will, however, be expected to know how to investigate, follow established standards, document what you find, recognize when something isn't right, and escalate appropriately when an issue requires additional expertise.
Your findings help our teams understand the technical health of our clients, identify what needs attention, and determine the appropriate next steps.
What You'll Do
Technical Alignment & Client Audits
- Independently conduct scheduled onsite Technical Alignment visits for assigned clients.
- Evaluate client technology environments against Straight Edge Technology's established standards and best practices.
- Inspect network closets, server rooms, firewalls, switches, wireless equipment, UPS systems, workstations, and other technology assets.
- Review Microsoft 365, servers, endpoints, backups, security solutions, networking, and other business-critical systems.
- Verify that technical documentation accurately reflects the client's current environment.
- Identify aging or unsupported technology, security concerns, configuration inconsistencies, documentation gaps, and other areas that do not meet established standards.
- Document findings clearly and consistently.
- Determine when findings require escalation, remediation, additional investigation, or project-based work.
- Track previously identified findings and verify their status during future reviews.
- Maintain a current understanding of assigned client environments.
- Communicate significant technical or security concerns promptly to the appropriate internal resources.
New Client Onboarding
- Conduct technical discovery and environmental assessments for assigned new client onboardings.
- Develop an understanding of the client's networks, infrastructure, servers, endpoints, Microsoft 365 environment, backups, security solutions, vendors, and other business-critical technology.
- Conduct onsite discovery of server rooms, network closets, infrastructure, workstations, and technology assets.
- Identify technical risks, unsupported technology, security concerns, configuration issues, and documentation gaps.
- Gather and organize the technical information necessary for Straight Edge Technology to support the new client.
- Establish accurate technical documentation and a baseline of the client's environment.
- Identify items requiring immediate attention and those that should be considered for future improvement.
- Communicate findings to the appropriate internal teams.
- Escalate issues requiring deeper engineering expertise or additional technical investigation.
- Help ensure the client's technical environment is properly documented before transition into ongoing managed services.
Collaboration with Internal Teams
Technical Alignment doesn't work in a silo. You'll collaborate with teams across Straight Edge Technology to make sure the findings from client visits and onboardings are communicated and acted on.
- Share technical findings, risks, documentation, and recommendations with the appropriate internal teams.
- Provide the technical context needed to help plan remediation, projects, and future technology improvements.
- Communicate significant risks, lifecycle concerns, and opportunities identified within client environments.
- Participate in internal or client discussions when additional technical context is needed.
- Escalate findings that require deeper technical expertise or additional resources.
- Follow up on identified items to help ensure they continue moving toward resolution.
Your responsibility is to thoroughly assess the environment, clearly document what you find, and make sure the right people have the information they need to take the next step. You are not expected to personally implement every solution you identify.
Documentation & Standards
- Maintain accurate technical documentation for assigned clients.
- Update network diagrams, system information, asset information, configurations, vendors, warranties, and other required technical records.
- Follow established Technical Alignment standards and processes.
- Document findings accurately and consistently.
- Ensure changes discovered during client visits are reflected in documentation.
- Identify gaps between the documented environment and the actual environment.
- Maintain organized records of findings and outstanding alignment items.
What This Role Is and What It Isn't
This is a proactive technical role, not a traditional Service Desk position.
You will work independently and spend a significant amount of time onsite with clients. Your job is not to wait for tickets to come in. Your job is to go looking for the things that could eventually create those tickets.
You'll examine the client's technology environment, compare it against our standards, identify what's missing or needs attention, document what you find, and make sure the appropriate team knows what needs to happen next.
Strong troubleshooting skills are important, but you will not primarily be responsible for a daily Service Desk ticket queue.
You also won't be expected to personally fix every problem you uncover. Some findings may be appropriate for you to address, while others will be assigned to the appropriate internal team depending on the scope and complexity of the work.
Requirements
What We're Looking For
- 2+ years of hands-on IT support, systems administration, network support, or similar technical experience.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Windows environments.
- Working knowledge of business networking, including switches, firewalls, wireless networks, TCP/IP, and common network infrastructure.
- Familiarity with servers, endpoints, backups, and business technology environments.
- Understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals, including MFA, endpoint protection, patching, email security, and access management.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to independently work through an unfamiliar technical environment and gather the information you need.
- Ability to recognize when an issue requires escalation or additional expertise.
- Strong attention to detail and documentation skills.
- Ability to follow established technical standards and processes.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Comfortable working independently at client locations.
- Professional communication skills and the ability to interact directly with clients.
- Valid driver's license and ability to safely operate a company vehicle.
Experience That Would Be a Plus
- Previous MSP experience.
- Experience working onsite with business clients.
- Experience conducting IT assessments, audits, or technical discovery.
- Experience onboarding new client environments.
- Experience with Microsoft 365 administration.
- Familiarity with RMM, PSA, and IT documentation platforms.
- Experience with firewalls, switches, wireless infrastructure, servers, or backup systems.
- CompTIA, Microsoft, networking, security, or other relevant certifications.
Previous Technical Alignment or TruMethods experience is not required. We will train you on our process and standards.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means you can independently manage your assigned Technical Alignment responsibilities.
You complete scheduled client visits, thoroughly evaluate the environment, maintain accurate documentation, identify risks and gaps, and communicate your findings to the right people.
The information you provide should give our internal teams a clear understanding of the client's environment, what needs attention, and what should happen next.
The Service team should have better documentation and fewer surprises because of your work.
And when you encounter something outside your expertise, you recognize it, document it, and get the right technical resources involved rather than allowing it to go unnoticed.
Work Environment & Travel
This is a field + office position.
You'll regularly travel independently to client locations to conduct Technical Alignment visits, client audits, new client onboard assessments, and other onsite technical activities. The remainder of the role is performed from the Straight Edge Technology office.
The amount of field versus office time will vary based on client schedules, new client onboardings, and business needs.
Benefits
- Competitive Pay
- Company subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance
- PTO
- Paid parental leave
- Company Retirement Plan
- Subsidized Gym Membership
