Senior Email Engineer
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
Position Purpose
As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state, and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills, and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. UW is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all employees. Together, our community strives to create and maintain inclusive, equitable, and welcoming working and learning environments.
Job Description UW Information Technology (UW‑IT) is the central IT organization for the University of Washington, responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and direction of the UW’s IT infrastructure, resources, and services. It provides critical technology support and shared services to all three campuses, UW medical centers, and research operations worldwide. The Infrastructure division delivers the technology infrastructure that sustains UW as a leading research, teaching, learning, and academic medical institution. The Senior Email Engineer will support the Email Infrastructure service, leading architecture, administration, and operational integrity of enterprise‑scale email systems that process over 5 million messages daily for more than 700 000 email identities.
Position Complexities The role involves end‑to‑end management of Proofpoint security solutions and core centralized mail transport systems. It requires advanced proficiency in managing and customizing MTAs, specifically Sendmail (with m4 macro language) and Postfix, to design, optimize, and troubleshoot complex mail flows in a high‑availability environment.
Position Dimensions and Impact to the University Supports critical services and infrastructure integral to administrative, research, and teaching functions. The work affects the quality of IT platform services for the University and its extended community, supporting 80 incoming email domains and over 700 000 email addresses.
Position Responsibilities
Email Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainment (60%)
Implement and sustain enterprise‑grade email systems leveraging Sendmail and Postfix to ensure high availability, performance, and reliability.
Provide advanced administration and support for Proofpoint security tools (POD, EFD, TRAP/CLEAR, DLP, PSAT, SER).
Continuously monitor Proofpoint and mail queues to proactively detect, diagnose, and remediate delivery anomalies.
Serve as a subject matter expert for Tier 3 escalation and engineering‑level support requests.
Lead incident response for email‑based threats (spam, phishing, malware).
Demonstrate in‑depth knowledge of SMTP, DMARC, DKIM, SPF.
Analyze system logs for error diagnosis and message tracing.
Design, develop, and maintain automation scripts and tools for monitoring and performance tracking.
Consult with stakeholders to design and implement tailored infrastructure solutions.
Operational Excellence and System Maintenance (20%)
Maintain and monitor services in alignment with SLAs.
Generate utilization metrics and performance reports.
Participate in on‑call rotation.
Lead incident management and service restoration.
Investigate and resolve complex infrastructure issues.
Maintain knowledge base of known issues.
Support disaster recovery strategy and contingency plans.
Drive continuous improvement of documentation and runbooks.
Technical Consulting and Stakeholder Engagement (10%)
Provide expert technical consultation on integration and optimization.
Ensure solution architecture aligns with UW‑IT standards.
Represent email services in meetings and forums.
Participate in industry groups and professional communities.
Administrative and Professional Development Activities (10%)
Fulfill administrative responsibilities (project documentation, status reporting).
Contribute to team and organizational improvement.
Engage in ongoing professional development.
Represent UW at external conferences.
Perform additional duties as assigned.
Lead Responsibilities Serve as technical and strategic point of contact for the team, providing guidance, mentorship, and oversight on complex projects. Lead design, implementation, and optimization of systems, ensuring alignment with goals and industry best practices. Coordinate cross‑functional collaboration, manage priorities, and drive continuous improvement. Represent the team in stakeholder meetings, contribute to planning, decision‑making, and issue resolution. Develop and deploy new security software and upgrade existing infrastructure. Lead the engineering team to architect future state while maintaining current service.
Supervisory Responsibilities N/A
Requirements Bachelor’s Degree in computer science or related field or equivalent experience and minimum of 4 years’ experience managing and maintaining Proofpoint.
Additional Requirements
Experience troubleshooting email deliverability issues.
Experience managing email servers using Sendmail on Linux and mastery of m4 macro language.
Demonstrated knowledge of IETF email‑related RFCs (SMTP, SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Knowledge of Data Loss Prevention practices.
Knowledge of regulatory/compliance requirements (FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA).
Ability to learn quickly and apply new technologies.
Excellent written/oral communication skills and technical documentation, user liaison, and personal interaction abilities.
Desired
Experience with Microsoft Exchange.
Experience with Postfix.
Experience working with email systems in trusted environments such as Microsoft GCC High.
Experience with Perl, Python, or shell scripting for automation.
Experience with project or task tracking tools (JIRA, Trello, Asana, Planner, Smartsheets).
Familiarity with ITIL service management practices.
Prior experience in a research university or other academic institution.
Working Environmental Conditions Typical office environments; hybrid work may be possible. Position participates in on‑call rotation and must respond to outages during off‑hours, including holidays and weekends.
Other Comments A satisfactory outcome from a criminal history verification may be required prior to hire.
Compensation, Benefits and Position Details Pay Range: $97,080.00 – $157,764.00 annual. Other compensation details for benefits can be found at https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/. Shift: First Shift (United States). This is a regular position, 100% FTE, not unioned.
About The UW Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Our Commitment University is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, UW considers applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81. To request disability accommodation, contact Disability Services Office. Applicants will be required to disclose if they are subject to sexual misconduct investigations under Washington state law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Job Description UW Information Technology (UW‑IT) is the central IT organization for the University of Washington, responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and direction of the UW’s IT infrastructure, resources, and services. It provides critical technology support and shared services to all three campuses, UW medical centers, and research operations worldwide. The Infrastructure division delivers the technology infrastructure that sustains UW as a leading research, teaching, learning, and academic medical institution. The Senior Email Engineer will support the Email Infrastructure service, leading architecture, administration, and operational integrity of enterprise‑scale email systems that process over 5 million messages daily for more than 700 000 email identities.
Position Complexities The role involves end‑to‑end management of Proofpoint security solutions and core centralized mail transport systems. It requires advanced proficiency in managing and customizing MTAs, specifically Sendmail (with m4 macro language) and Postfix, to design, optimize, and troubleshoot complex mail flows in a high‑availability environment.
Position Dimensions and Impact to the University Supports critical services and infrastructure integral to administrative, research, and teaching functions. The work affects the quality of IT platform services for the University and its extended community, supporting 80 incoming email domains and over 700 000 email addresses.
Position Responsibilities
Email Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainment (60%)
Implement and sustain enterprise‑grade email systems leveraging Sendmail and Postfix to ensure high availability, performance, and reliability.
Provide advanced administration and support for Proofpoint security tools (POD, EFD, TRAP/CLEAR, DLP, PSAT, SER).
Continuously monitor Proofpoint and mail queues to proactively detect, diagnose, and remediate delivery anomalies.
Serve as a subject matter expert for Tier 3 escalation and engineering‑level support requests.
Lead incident response for email‑based threats (spam, phishing, malware).
Demonstrate in‑depth knowledge of SMTP, DMARC, DKIM, SPF.
Analyze system logs for error diagnosis and message tracing.
Design, develop, and maintain automation scripts and tools for monitoring and performance tracking.
Consult with stakeholders to design and implement tailored infrastructure solutions.
Operational Excellence and System Maintenance (20%)
Maintain and monitor services in alignment with SLAs.
Generate utilization metrics and performance reports.
Participate in on‑call rotation.
Lead incident management and service restoration.
Investigate and resolve complex infrastructure issues.
Maintain knowledge base of known issues.
Support disaster recovery strategy and contingency plans.
Drive continuous improvement of documentation and runbooks.
Technical Consulting and Stakeholder Engagement (10%)
Provide expert technical consultation on integration and optimization.
Ensure solution architecture aligns with UW‑IT standards.
Represent email services in meetings and forums.
Participate in industry groups and professional communities.
Administrative and Professional Development Activities (10%)
Fulfill administrative responsibilities (project documentation, status reporting).
Contribute to team and organizational improvement.
Engage in ongoing professional development.
Represent UW at external conferences.
Perform additional duties as assigned.
Lead Responsibilities Serve as technical and strategic point of contact for the team, providing guidance, mentorship, and oversight on complex projects. Lead design, implementation, and optimization of systems, ensuring alignment with goals and industry best practices. Coordinate cross‑functional collaboration, manage priorities, and drive continuous improvement. Represent the team in stakeholder meetings, contribute to planning, decision‑making, and issue resolution. Develop and deploy new security software and upgrade existing infrastructure. Lead the engineering team to architect future state while maintaining current service.
Supervisory Responsibilities N/A
Requirements Bachelor’s Degree in computer science or related field or equivalent experience and minimum of 4 years’ experience managing and maintaining Proofpoint.
Additional Requirements
Experience troubleshooting email deliverability issues.
Experience managing email servers using Sendmail on Linux and mastery of m4 macro language.
Demonstrated knowledge of IETF email‑related RFCs (SMTP, SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Knowledge of Data Loss Prevention practices.
Knowledge of regulatory/compliance requirements (FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA).
Ability to learn quickly and apply new technologies.
Excellent written/oral communication skills and technical documentation, user liaison, and personal interaction abilities.
Desired
Experience with Microsoft Exchange.
Experience with Postfix.
Experience working with email systems in trusted environments such as Microsoft GCC High.
Experience with Perl, Python, or shell scripting for automation.
Experience with project or task tracking tools (JIRA, Trello, Asana, Planner, Smartsheets).
Familiarity with ITIL service management practices.
Prior experience in a research university or other academic institution.
Working Environmental Conditions Typical office environments; hybrid work may be possible. Position participates in on‑call rotation and must respond to outages during off‑hours, including holidays and weekends.
Other Comments A satisfactory outcome from a criminal history verification may be required prior to hire.
Compensation, Benefits and Position Details Pay Range: $97,080.00 – $157,764.00 annual. Other compensation details for benefits can be found at https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/. Shift: First Shift (United States). This is a regular position, 100% FTE, not unioned.
About The UW Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Our Commitment University is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, UW considers applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81. To request disability accommodation, contact Disability Services Office. Applicants will be required to disclose if they are subject to sexual misconduct investigations under Washington state law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr