IT Projects Engineer

Description

Be a part of the best team in Property Management!!!

Vesta Corporation is seeking to hire an experienced, results-driven, customer-focused IT Project Engineer to support and lead technology initiatives based in Weatogue, CT. We're looking for a hands-on professional with strong technical expertise, proven project management skills, and the ability to successfully deliver IT infrastructure, systems, and business technology solutions. The ideal candidate takes pride in operational excellence, collaborates effectively with stakeholders, and is committed to providing outstanding service and support to both internal teams and clients.

What we Offer:

At Vesta, we take pride in hiring the best talent in Property Management. We work hard and we have fun doing so. In addition to our generous benefits package, we offer service awards, performance bonuses, team member appreciation events and opportunities for growth. Our benefits include: 

• Medical, dental & vision insurance 
• Company matched 401(K). 
• Paid time off- Vacation, sick, floating holidays 
• 12 additional paid holidays 
• Tuition Reimbursement 
• PetPlan Pet Insurance 
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Long & Short-Term Disability Insurance 
• AND MORE 

The IT Projects Engineer plans, drives, and lands the technology projects that move Vesta forward — property transitions, infrastructure upgrades, software and platform delivery, and ERP and property management system initiatives, including the move to EliseAI. This role reports to the VP of Information and partners with other VestaTech leaders.

This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports, reporting directly to the VP of Information. It combines disciplined project management with real technical credibility: the incumbent leads projects end to end — scope, schedule, budget, risk, and stakeholders — and also performs select hands-on network, telecom, and vendor work. The role requires being very well versed in the Vesta technology stack, communicating with exceptional clarity in writing and in person, and earning the confidence of executives, regional managers, site staff, and vendors alike.

Essential Functions:

Project Delivery and Portfolio Management

• Lead IT projects from intake through closeout across three areas: infrastructure projects; software development lifecycle (SDLC) projects — including vendor-delivered, configured, and internally built solutions, using Agile, waterfall, or hybrid approaches as the project requires; and ERP and property management platform projects.
• Define project charters, scope, schedules, budgets, resource needs, risks, and success criteria; secure sign-off from the VP of Information and affected stakeholders before work begins.
•  Maintain a single, current view of the IT project portfolio — status, milestones, risks, dependencies, and budget — and keep it up to date in the project tracking tools used by the department.
• Run project cadence: kickoffs, weekly status calls, risk and issue logs, change control, and formal closeout with lessons learned.
• Prioritize and sequence competing demands against the VestaTech long-term plan initiatives and available team capacity and escalate trade-offs to the VP of Information with a clear recommendation and options.

Property Transitions and Technology Onboarding

• Own the IT work-stream for properties entering the portfolio — new construction, acquisition, and management takeover — from site assessment through post-cutover validation and handover to steady-state support.
• Maintain and apply the standard property onboarding checklist, “IT ready” standard, and cutover runbook; keep percent-complete status current in the property transition dashboard for review on weekly start calls.
• Coordinate the network, firewall, telephony, internet service, endpoint, and peripheral work required at each site, sequencing vendors, carriers, and internal teams so the property is ready by the committed date.
• Personally perform select hands-on work where it adds the most value — for example site assessments, firewall and switch configuration, telephony port-overs, and cutover-night validation — while directing vendors and other team members on the remainder.
• Conduct post-cutover validation and structured follow-up with site teams to confirm stable service before a transition is closed.

ERP, Property Management Platforms, and Software Projects

• Plan and coordinate technical work for ERP and property management platform initiatives, including the EliseAI migration, working closely with the Director, MIS & Platforms and third-party migration partners.
• Manage SDLC activities on software, integration, and automation projects: requirements gathering, vendor selection and statements of work, build or configuration, testing and user acceptance, training, go-live, and hypercare.
• Coordinate cutover plans and dependencies across platform, infrastructure, security, and AI enablement teams so that systems, data, networks, and users are ready together.
• Manage third-party implementation partners and software vendors against scope, schedule, and deliverables.

Infrastructure, Vendors, and Lifecycle

• Own day-to-day relationships with infrastructure vendors, carriers, and resellers for project work, including escalation of service faults and warranty claims.
• Source competitive quotes for network equipment, endpoints, and connectivity; support negotiation of pricing and contract terms with the VP of Information.
• Plan and schedule maintenance windows and infrastructure refresh projects, with advance written notice of expected impact to affected staff.
• Contribute project-driven inputs to the annual IT budget, including end-of-life replacement forecasts and licensing expirations, and track annualized savings realized through vendor, carrier, and licensing actions.
• Support security remediation projects led by the Manager, IT Security and Service Delivery, including firewall hardening, network segmentation, and replacement of end-of-life devices.

Communication, Reporting, and Documentation

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders at every level — regional managers, site staff, Accounting, department heads, and external partners — and keep them informed before they have to ask.
• Provide clear, proactive written status updates: what moved, what is stuck, what is needed, and what is recommended. Set expectations up front on timelines, particularly when a vendor or dependency will take time.
• Produce precise, well-organized project documentation: charters, plans, runbooks, standards, decision logs, and closeout summaries.
• Record all project and technical work in the ticketing system (Zendesk) so that effort is visible and accurately reported.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required:

• Very strong communication skills, written and verbal, with a track record of managing stakeholders from site staff to senior leadership and of producing clear, accurate project documentation.
• Very strong working knowledge of firewalls and network infrastructure — SonicWall, Cisco Meraki, or comparable — including managed switching and wireless.
• Very strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Azure, including Active Directory / Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and endpoint or mobile device management tooling.
• Demonstrated command of project management fundamentals: charters, scope control, scheduling, risk management, budgeting, and change control.
• Experience managing vendors, carriers, and implementation partners against defined scope, schedule, and cost.
• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, across multiple concurrent projects and sites.
• Disciplined documentation habits, including consistent recording of work in a ticketing or ITSM system.

Preferred:

• Hands-on experience with Yardi Voyager, RentCafé, EliseAI, or comparable property management platforms.
• Prior experience in property management, real estate, or affordable housing.
• Working knowledge of VoIP and UCaaS platforms (such as Zoom Phone) and carrier port-over processes.
• Experience with Zendesk or a comparable ITSM platform, and with portfolio tools such as Smartsheet.
• PowerShell scripting for account, device, and reporting automation.

Interested? Apply now!!!

Requirements

Required Education and Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education, industry certifications, and hands-on experience will be considered in place of a degree.
• Experience: 7–8 or more years of IT project management experience with demonstrable, quantifiable results in each of the following: infrastructure projects (for example network buildouts, migrations, multi-site rollouts), SDLC projects (vendor-delivered and internally built, Agile and waterfall), and ERP projects (any ERP; implementation, upgrade, or migration).
• Certifications (preferred): Project Management Professional (PMP), preferably with an IT focus. Additional relevant credentials such as PMI-ACP, Certified ScrumMaster, ITIL, CompTIA Network+ or Security+, or SonicWall or Cisco Meraki certifications
• Successful completion of a background check and drug screening required.
• Valid Driver's License and clean driving record required.

Vesta is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Vesta has an ongoing commitment to a diverse workplace free of discrimination and harassment. Vesta recruits, hires, trains, and promotes individuals in all job titles without regard to any protected characteristic, including but not limited to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, age, sex, physical or mental disability, being a disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era, or other eligible veteran, or any other protected category under any state or Federal laws. At Vesta, we are committed to a fair and equitable workplace.