Sr Platform Engineer- Windows Cloud Engineering

We architect and maintain the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure that powers CME Group’s mission-critical cloud applications. Our mission is to deliver a platform that is secure by design, resilient by nature, and optimized for cost. We empower our developers by providing a robust environment where code runs efficiently, securely, and at a massive scale.

Location & Work Model Chicago, IL or New York, NY | Hybrid

What You’ll Do:

• Architect and Implement: Build and maintain scalable IaaS and PaaS solutions on GCP, specializing in highly available Windows Server clusters and workloads.

• Advanced PowerShell Automation: Design, develop, and maintain reusable PowerShell modules and frameworks to automate complex administrative tasks, environment health checks, and self-healing infrastructure.

• Windows OS Hardening: Lead the security hardening of Windows images using CIS Benchmarks or STIGs, ensuring OS-level compliance is baked into the automated build process.

• Standardize IaC: Lead the development and lifecycle management of the Windows image pipeline and lifecycle management for use in our Google Compute Engine platform.

• Hybrid Identity Management: Manage and automate Windows identity services, including Active Directory, and Group Policy Object (GPO) design, and Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) in a cloud context.

• Manage Image Lifecycles: Utilize Packer and PowerShell to automate the creation, patching, and distribution of secure Windows machine images across multiple GCP projects.

• Operational Excellence: Perform deep-dive Windows Internals troubleshooting (analyzing memory dumps, CPU spikes, and I/O bottlenecks) to optimize system performance.

• Code Quality: Govern Git workflows for infrastructure code, ensuring PowerShell scripts follow best practices (Pester testing, error handling, and documentation).

• Secure the Platform: Integrate secrets management (HashiCorp Vault or cloud-native managers) and manage identity via SAML/SSO.

• Operational Excellence: Improve system reliability, observability, and performance through proactive engineering and troubleshooting.

• Mentor and Collaborate: Work closely with cross-functional teams like developers, networking, and SRE’s  to gather requirements and manage deliverables.

What You’ll Bring (Must-Have):

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or 7+ years of professional experience in Windows Systems Engineering at an enterprise scale.

• Expert Windows Administration: Mastery of Windows Server (2016-2022) administration, including WinRM, Kerberos authentication, NTFS permissions, and Registry-level tuning.

• Cloud Expertise: Proven experience deploying and operating enterprise applications on major cloud providers (GCP, AWS, or Azure).

• IaC Proficiency: Advanced experience with Terraform module development, including versioning and state management.

• Coding/Scripting: Proficiency in Powershell for operational automation and tool development.

• Version Control: Deep understanding of Git, SCM (Source Control Management), and collaborative PR workflows.

• Security Focus: Experience with Secrets Management (Vault), Identity Management (SAML/SSO), and compliance frameworks.

• Tooling: Hands-on experience with Packer and powershell for image lifecycle management.

Nice to Have:

• Advanced Tools: Experience with Chef, Chocolatey, Terragrunt, Argo CD, XLR, or Jenkins.

• Config Management: Familiarity with Ansible, and Chef.

• Certifications:  Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator,  GCP Associate Cloud Engineer or GCP Professional Cloud Architect.

Tech Stack / Tools GCP, Terraform, Packer, PowerShell, Pester, Active Directory, Git, HashiCorp Vault, Argo CD, Jenkins, Chef, Ansible, Chocolatey, WinRM.

CME Group is committed to offering a competitive total rewards package for our employees that recognizes their contributions to the business and reflects our long-term investment in their future. The pay ranges for this role based on location are: Chicago: $119,900-$199,800 New York/New Jersey: $131,900-$219,800. Actual salary offered will be dependent on a wide array of factors including but not limited to: relevant experience, skills, education and comparison to internal employees (where relevant). Our compensation program also includes an annual target bonus opportunity for all employees, as well as the opportunity to become an owner in the company through our broad-based equity program. Through our benefits program, we strive to offer flexibility, value and choice. From comprehensive health coverage, to a retirement package that includes both a 401(k) and an active pension plan, to highly competitive education reimbursement provisions, paid time off and a mental health benefit, CME Group offers a holistic benefits package for our team and their dependents.

CME Group: Where Futures are Made

CME Group is the world’s leading derivatives marketplace. But who we are goes deeper than that. Here, you can impact markets worldwide. Transform industries. And build a career by shaping tomorrow. We invest in your success and you own it – all while working alongside a team of leading experts who inspire you in ways big and small. Problem solvers, difference makers, trailblazers. Those are our people. And we’re looking for more.

At CME Group, we embrace our employees' unique experiences and skills to ensure that everyone’s perspectives are acknowledged and valued. As an equal-opportunity employer, we consider all potential employees without regard to any protected characteristic.

Important Notice: Recruitment fraud is on the rise, with scammers using misleading promises of job offers and interviews to solicit money and personal information from job seekers. CME Group adheres to established procedures designed to maintain trust, confidence and security throughout our recruitment process. Learn more here.