Senior IT Solutions Consultant at CITIG in Santa Barbara, CA

Senior IT Solutions Consultant

At CITIG, we believe in the power of technology and are passionate about delivering an exceptional customer experience to our clients through great communication, customized technology solutions, and stellar support. Our employees are enthusiastic about technology and love to tackle complex challenges!

We have a fun, open layout, industrial office in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, one block off State Street and less than a 10-minute walk to the beach. We understand the necessity of a good work/life balance and encourage our employees to stay active, both mentally and physically. Regular team outings, monthly lunches, and complimentary gym membership are just a few of the many benefits we offer. The work atmosphere is a perfect blend of engaging, flexible, collaborative and fun. We take a service leadership approach to management.

We are currently seeking an experienced Senior IT Solutions Consultant.

As a Senior IT Solutions Consultant, you will be responsible for all technological aspects of your assigned clients as well as delivering a great customer experience. You will plan, design, implement, and support business level technology solutions for your clients. On the complex end this may be an AWS environment serving users around the globe; it may be an on-premise virtualization environment with redundancy and high availability; or a customer primarily utilizing 3rd party SaaS solutions; or a single server running a few applications; or a basic desktop support; or even a ‘white glove’ residential client requiring business-grade reliability. You should truly enjoy what you do and genuinely enjoy working with clients and your team members.

Senior Role Expectations and Qualities:

A successful Senior IT Solutions Consultant independently handles complex IT issues and escalations, including advanced troubleshooting and prioritization, while serving as a senior technical resource for both clients and junior staff. They are an effective communicator with a strong customer service mindset and the confidence to solve increasingly complex technical problems.

This role is best suited for candidates who are comfortable taking ownership quickly and working independently in new client environments without requiring extensive onboarding.

The right candidate will:

• Remain calm and productive under pressure, and cope well with change.
• Demonstrate empathy, kindness, and a joyful attitude.
• Contribute positively within a team through humility, passion, and emotional intelligence.
• Effectively communicate highly technical information to the average person using simple, easy-to-understand explanations.
• Be motivated, self-starting, and able to work independently without the need for constant, direct supervision.
• Know how to reach goals and do what’s needed to get the right results.

Responsibilities:

While this role spans the full client environment, from end-user systems to infrastructure and security, the primary focus is on ownership, escalation support, and complex work rather than routine task execution.

• Own assigned client environments end-to-end, including design, implementation, support, maintenance, and escalation handling.
• Manage technical projects, design technical solutions, develop project plans, and successfully execute those plans to completion.
• Develop and maintain client relationships, identify opportunities to extend existing service agreements, and suggest how clients can improve their business practices through the effective use of new technologies.
• Install, configure, and support cloud infrastructure and applications for clients.
• Design, implement, administer, monitor, and support client networks (on-premise and cloud), manage backups, apply software patches/updates, review security/event logs, and perform proactive maintenance.
• Coordinate and perform deployment of technical equipment at client sites, such as: servers, workstations, printers, switches, firewalls, WAP, UPS, NAS, IoT, desktop peripherals, etc.
• Resolve technical problems on new and existing systems, including: installation, upgrading, and providing technical support for server hardware, software, storage, and networking products and services.
• Provide end-user support and troubleshooting of Windows/MacOS desktops, applications (Office/Outlook), printers, peripherals, new user setup, email delivery problems, etc.
• Ensure compliance with company technical and quality standards while maintaining the highest degree of client satisfaction.
• Collaborate with the team by delegating tasks, providing assistance on difficult issues, communicating status/progress of work, mentoring colleagues, and participating in team events.
• Complete required documentation, time tracking, and real-time status updates for all service requests.
• Continually expand technical knowledge through ongoing education and certifications.
• Manage individual work schedule, prioritize tasks, and follow through on duties.

Skills and Core Competencies:

• People skills are essential. This is a team-oriented, client-facing position; therefore, professionalism, empathy, and clear communication with clients and staff are critical.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing assigned client environments.
• Strong client relationship management skills, including setting expectations, maintaining trust, and clearly communicating technical concepts to business owners.
• Experience serving as an escalation point and senior technical resource.
• Ability to mentor junior engineers and collaborate effectively with peers.
• Proven ability to manage and execute technical projects.
• Works interdependently and collaboratively with colleagues.
• Experience working in SMB environments (1 to 50 users) with complex infrastructure, security, or compliance requirements is highly desired. Experience working in enterprise IT is a plus.

Technical Skill Requirements:

Candidates are not expected to have deep expertise in every technology listed below, but must demonstrate strong working knowledge across most areas and the ability to learn new platforms quickly. Those who meet most of the requirements and can demonstrate strong judgment, ownership, and learning ability are encouraged to apply.

• Networking infrastructure, such as router/switching hardware (Juniper, Cisco, etc.), QoS, network protocols (HTTPS, RDP, FTP, DNS, DHCP).
• Network Security (infrastructure-level controls): Firewalls (Meraki, SonicWall, Ubiquiti, etc.), IDS/IDP, VPNs, VLANs, ACLs, principle of least privilege.
• IT Security (endpoint, identity, and threat protection): Ransomware response, phishing mitigation, DDoS prevention, wireless security, encryption, MFA, and security best practices.
• Wireless WLAN/WAP deployment (Cisco, Meraki, Aruba, Ubiquiti).
• Microsoft cloud and on-prem technologies, such as: M365 and O365, Windows, SQL, Exchange, etc.
• Microsoft Servers and Infrastructure (Active Directory, GPO, security and distribution groups, NTFS permissions/sharing, adds/moves/changes, hardware and software clustering).
• Business Automation Systems used for tracking projects and time (ConnectWise experience is a plus).
• Storage (Synology, NAS/SAN, Wasabi, etc.).
• Backup management (Crashplan, Storagecraft, ImageManager, Backblaze, N-able, Veeam, etc.).
• AntiVirus/Anti-Malware Server and Endpoint protection (SentinelOne, Sophos, Crowdstrike, Microsoft Defender, etc.).
• Spam Filtering (ProofPoint, SpamTitan, etc.).
• Server virtualization platforms such as VMware, Proxmox, and Hyper-V, including deployment and ongoing administration.
• Mobile Device Management (Kandji, Jamf, Intune, etc.).

Senior Level Experience PREFERRED / HIGHLY DESIRED:

• Advanced security experience, including IDS/IPS, security policy and standards development, compliance alignment, risk assessments, SOC tools (SIEM, SOAR), and disaster recovery.
• Cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.).
• Enterprise virtualization platforms (vSphere, Horizon, Hyper-V, Azure Virtual Desktop).
• vCIO / advisory skills, including IT strategy, security posture, technology roadmapping, budgeting guidance, vendor evaluation, and risk communication.
• Wireless design and site survey.
• Linux/Unix administration.

Required Education and Experience:

• Any combination equivalent to an associate degree in computer science, IT security, computer networking, or a related field; and at least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in IT consulting, network consulting, enterprise IT support, or similar roles.
• A+, Network+, Server+, and Security+ certifications are desired.
• Candidates with additional certifications in Microsoft, VMware, AWS, Cisco Meraki, Security, or Project Management disciplines are favored.
• Equivalent experience is valued over specific certifications.

Additional Requirements:

• Be able to pass an in-depth background screening.
• Be able to pass a driver’s license background screening.
• Be presently authorized to work for any employer in the United States of America.
• Possess a valid California driver's license and a reliable vehicle with insurance.
• This role requires regular on-site client work in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties. Candidates must currently reside within commuting distance of this region and our main office in Santa Barbara where daily collaborative work is conducted.

Physical Demands:

• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard.
• Hearing and speaking to exchange information.
• Seeing to view a computer monitor and read a variety of materials.
• Sitting for extended periods of time.
• Able to lift 50 pounds.

Compensation:

• USD 100,000 - 150,000+ per year depending on experience + bonuses based on individual and company performance.
• Full-Time Hourly

Benefits:

• 401k Contribution - Up to 3% match
• Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance
• Gym Membership
• 14 Days of paid time off plus 8 paid holidays - On an increasing sliding scale of 1 extra day per year after 2 years.
• Bonuses
• Commission
• Mileage Reimbursement for on-site client travel
• Trainings and Certifications
• High-quality office technology and ergonomic furnishings provided
• Team outings
• Employee incentive rewards program
• Occasional company paid lunches with colleagues

Requirements for Applying:

Applicants must provide ALL of the following in order to be considered:

1. Resume detailing the last 5+ years of related experience.
2. Cover letter explaining how your qualifications meet our specific requirements. Tell us why you are the best fit, but be sure to tailor your letter specifically to this role and how you would be the person we’re looking for. We will reject applications that have an incomplete cover letter or if the letter is so generic that it doesn’t give us a sense of who you are and why you want to work for CITIG. This is your chance to introduce yourself and leave an impression — make it count!

If you enjoy solving complex problems, working directly with clients, and taking ownership of meaningful technology challenges in a company that supports personal growth, we encourage you to apply today!