Senior IT Systems Engineer

The role

Newsela is looking for a Senior IT Systems Engineer/Senior IT Systems Administrator to join our Information Technology team. Reporting to the IT Engineering Lead, you will help manage, scale, and automate our infrastructure. You will administer and support identity and access controls for corporate applications; automate administrative processes; partner with business stakeholders to translate real-world processes into structured, repeatable workflows; and back up our support and systems staff with engineering leadership. On-call requirements are occasional but typically can be resolved from a mobile device as our infrastructure is 100% cloud.

Why you’ll love this role

System Administration

• Maintain and configure core SaaS systems and internal tools, ensuring stability, security, and scalability across applications like Atlassian Suite, Netsuite, Google Workspace, Kandji, and Slack.

Asset & Configuration Management

• Maintain accurate records of employees, devices, vendors, and applications using Jira Assets. Ensure these systems stay in sync with authoritative data sources like the HRIS and device management platforms.

Integration Platform Management

• Operate and improve data flows and business logic using Celigo, ensuring systems talk to each other reliably and in real-time.

Compliance Support & Observability

• Support compliance efforts (e.g., SOC 2) by configuring tools like Vanta, ensuring key IT workflows (onboarding, offboarding, access audits) meet SLA and documentation requirements. Build alerts and reports to monitor critical workflows.

Why you’re a great fit

• You’ve spent at least 3-5 years in an IT, systems, or infrastructure-focused role—titles may vary (System Administrator, IT Engineer, Business Systems Analyst, etc.).
• You’re comfortable managing SaaS systems, automating workflows, and solving messy access or integration problems. You have a bias for automation and care about clean documentation.
• You have hands-on experience and ability to understand, communicate, and improve technical workflows.
• Experience in tech, startups, or SaaS environments is helpful, but not required. If you’ve worked closely with cross-functional teams and business stakeholders, that’s a big plus.
• Must have a background with Google Workspace, Slack, Kandji, Atlassian, Jira Service Management, Jira Assets, Celigo, or another integration platform (Workato, Zapier, etc.), SAML/SSO concepts, Okta, Vanta or other compliance platforms, light scripting (e.g., Bash, Python, API calls)

Why you’ll love working at Newsela

• Health & Wellness: Access to the world’s leading medical experts for healthcare (pets included!). Discounts and resources to stay healthy: mind, body, and soul.
• Work From Home: Almost all of our roles are fully remote - tech stipend included!
• Supporting ALL Families: Supplemental programs and time off to take care of your family and yourself.
• Time Off: Flexible PTO to recharge, including Sabbatical Leave
• Inclusive Experiences: Robust DEIB curriculum, Identity & Experience Groups (Affinity Groups + Employee Resource Group), Authentic & Transparent conversations with Executive Leadership Teams, and integration of DEIB lens across Talent lifecycle processes.
• Professional Development: Holistic Learning & Development Programs that enable meaningful & inclusive experiences, programs that build future-focused competencies, cohort & community learning sessions that foster a sense of belonging, and individual development plans aligned with your personal and professional aspirations to turn goals into reality.
• Make A Difference: No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers.

Newsela takes authentic, real world content from trusted sources and makes it instruction ready for K-12 classrooms. Each text is published at five reading levels, so content is accessible to every learner. Today, over 3.3 million teachers and 40 million students have registered with Newsela for content that's personalized to student interests, accessible to everyone, aligned to instructional standards, and attached to activities and reporting that hold teachers accountable for instruction and students accountable for their work. With over 15,000 texts on our platform and multiple new texts published every day across 20+ genres, Newsela enables educators to go deep on any subject they choose.

Compensation

• Base salary: $100,000 - $112,000 per year. 
• Total compensation for this role also includes incentive stock options and benefits. 

#LI-Remote