IT Lead Infrastructure Engineer (m/w/d)

Photronics has been a global leader in photomask technology for more than 50 years, powering the innovation behind smartphones, computers, automotive technology, and countless everyday devices. Our success is built on precision, collaboration, and the dedication of our people. Join us and be part of a company recognized for cutting‑edge technology, exceptional service, and strong customer partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the design, engineering, and continuous improvement of global infrastructure standards across networking, compute, storage, and end‑user computing.
Develop secure‑by‑design technical blueprints, configurations, and reference architectures aligned with global security frameworks.
Assess existing EMEA infrastructure, identify gaps or deviations, and engineer migration paths toward global standardization.
Collaborate with APAC and AMER engineering teams to ensure cross‑regional interoperability and consistent system performance.

Local Operations Leadership & Support

Act as the primary point of contact for site infrastructure stability and performance in the EMEA region.
Partner closely with local administrators (including Linux administrators) to capture, analyze, and resolve site‑specific incidents.
Oversee incident management processes, ensuring accurate logging, prioritization, and resolution aligned with service‑level objectives (SLOs).
Provide hands‑on Level 2 backup support for the Dresden site during technician absences or high‑impact incidents.

Technical Expertise & Problem Solving

Serve as the Level 3 escalation point for complex infrastructure issues impacting availability, security, or performance.
Design and execute proof‑of‑concept (PoC) initiatives for new infrastructure technologies, validating scalability and operational readiness.
Develop and maintain automation and Infrastructure‑as‑Code solutions to support standardized deployments and operations.

Documentation & Governance

Produce and maintain high‑quality documentation, including architecture diagrams, configurations, SOPs, and operational runbooks.
Ensure all infrastructure designs and operations comply with information security policies and regulatory requirements, including GDPR.

Qualifications

Deep expertise in enterprise networking, including routing, switching, WAN technologies, and core protocols (BGP, OSPF, VLANs, STP, VPNs).
Strong ability to lead local operations while collaborating effectively with global teams and site‑level administrators.
Advanced troubleshooting skills, including diagnosing complex issues and modernizing or reverse‑engineering legacy environments.
Experience with scripting and Infrastructure as Code to automate deployment and operational tasks.
Ability to create clear, professional technical documentation and reference architectures.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confident serving as a global technical SME.
Business‑fluent English required (reading, writing, and speaking).

Experience

8+ years of progressive, hands‑on experience in IT infrastructure engineering and architecture.
Proven experience supporting local IT operations and partnering with Linux administrators.
Demonstrated success delivering infrastructure standardization or consolidation projects across multiple sites or regions.
Deep expertise in at least three of the following domains:

Advanced Networking (Routing, Switching, Firewalls, SD‑WAN)
Enterprise Cloud Architecture (Azure and/or AWS)
EMEA infrastructure experience strongly preferred.

Education & Certifications

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent practical engineering experience.
Relevant industry certifications are a plus.

Travel: 10‑20% globally for site support, regional deployments, site assessments, and cross‑regional collaboration