---
title: 'Senior Platform Engineer (IT Services) at Charles River Associates'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-platform-engineer-it-services-charles-river-associates-boston-g336dyjn1ktp'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-13'
---

# Senior Platform Engineer (IT Services) at Charles River Associates

- **Company:** Charles River Associates
- **Location:** Boston, MA / Chicago, IL / Dallas, TX
- **Posted:** 2026-10-07
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/charlesriverassociates/jobs/8263192

## Job description

## About Charles River Associates

For over 50 years, Charles River Associates has been a premier consulting firm that offers employees a place to learn from a diverse group of consultants, industry experts, and academics. At CRA you will be exposed to leading minds who use economic, financial, and business analysis to solve complex world problems for an impressive roster of clients, including major law firms, Fortune 100 companies, and government agencies. Through a collegial environment, formal and informal training opportunities, and a broad array of professional development resources, your experience at CRA will open doors for you throughout your career.

Position Overview

The Information Technology (ITS) department at Charles River Associates is currently a team of more than 40 professionals dedicated to enhancing, maintaining, and developing the firm's technology infrastructure and security based in offices around the globe. The team is comprised of four functions: Service Delivery & Telecom, Enterprise Application Solutions, Infrastructure, Networking and Cloud Solutions, Information Security. Primarily a Microsoft house, CRA is looking to maximize the performance of our on-premise systems and hybrid infrastructure, meaning experience with cloud technologies is essential for this role.

The Senior Platform Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and continuously improving the firm's hybrid infrastructure platforms spanning on-premises datacenters and public cloud environments. This role focuses on platform engineering practices, automation, infrastructure-as-code, and operational excellence to deliver scalable, secure, and self-service infrastructure services.

The engineer will partner closely with cloud, networking, security, automation, and application teams to create reusable platform capabilities, automate infrastructure lifecycle management, and enable modernization initiatives across the enterprise. This position plays a key role in advancing CRA's hybrid cloud strategy through platform standardization, governance, observability, cost optimization, and automation-first operational practices. Primary responsibilities include:

Platform Engineering & Service Enablement

- Design, build, and maintain hybrid infrastructure platforms supporting public cloud and on-premises environments.
- Develop reusable platform services that enable self-service provisioning and standardized infrastructure deployment.
- Establish platform standards, golden images, reference architectures, and engineering guardrails.
- Contribute to enterprise platform roadmaps and modernization initiatives.

Infrastructure Automation & IaC

- Develop and maintain Infrastructure-as-Code solutions using Terraform, Terraform Cloud, Bicep, Ansible, and automation frameworks.
- Build automation workflows for provisioning, compliance validation, lifecycle management, patching, backup, and disaster recovery.
- Develop reusable infrastructure modules and automation pipelines following DevOps and Platform Engineering principles.

Cloud-enabled Operations & Support:

- Engineer and optimize hybrid cloud environments across VMware Cloud Foundation, Azure, AWS, and future cloud platforms.
- Support a “Cloud Landing Zone” architecture pattern.
- Assist with workload discovery and migration readiness activities, then execute migration tasks (e.g., provisioning, cutovers, validation) for workloads moving to multi-cloud strategy.
- Infrastructure optimization and improve day-day management of on-premises compute, storage, and virtualization platforms (VMware vSphere) that would introduce efficiencies thru automated workflows.
- Experience managing a Cloud-enabled Identity and Directory Services implementing and maintaining Active Directory/Azure AD integration (Entra), RBAC/ABAC, policy-based access control, service principals, and secrets management across cloud environments.
- Support a hybrid network connectivity by implementing, validating, and troubleshooting connectivity between on-prem and cloud environments (e.g. SDWAN, ExpressRoute, Direct Connect, Private Gateways) in partnership with Network Reliability team, InfoSec, including segmentation, routing, firewall rules, load balancing, and latency/bandwidth requirements for target workloads.
- Familiarity with cloud governance & FinOps enablement by implementation of governance controls (guardrails, tagging, policy enforcement), cost management (FinOps) reporting, and securing a hybrid environment.

Desired Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in a relevant technology-related discipline;
- Azure/AWS Solutions Architect or cloud related certifications preferred, HashiCorp Terraform Associate or Advanced certifications desirable;
- 8+ years supporting enterprise-scale infrastructure and multi-cloud hyperscalers (eg. Azure, AWS, GCP);
- 5+ years working with Terraform and advanced understanding of Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies;
- Deep experience designing, building, and operating CI/CD pipelines and GitOps workflows using GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and enterprise source control platforms to enable automated, secure, and scalable infrastructure and application delivery;
- Experience building automation using ansible, bash, powershell, python scripting, and Rest APIs;
- Experience with cloud governance, policy management, and FinOps practices.
- Understanding of cloud networking, DNS, cloud-enabled identity services, security controls, and hybrid connectivity;
- Hands-on experience with Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Grafana, Datadog, Splunk, or similar observability platforms;
- Familiarity with Internal Developer Platforms (IDP).

## Preferred

- Experience with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), vSphere, and hybrid cloud architectures;
- Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, AKS, EKS, or OpenShift;
- Experience with Databricks infrastructure, AI platform hosting, or enterprise data platforms;
- Experience integrating AIOps, observability, or monitoring platforms.

Career Growth and Benefits

- CRA’s robust [skills development programs](https://www.crai.com/cra-careers/talent-development/), including both formal and informal programs, encourage you to thrive as an individual and team member. Beginning with research and analysis skill building, training continues with technical training, presentation skills, internal seminars, and career mentoring and performance coaching from an assigned senior colleague. Additional leadership and collaboration opportunities exist through internal firm development activities.
- We offer a comprehensive total rewards program including a superior benefits package, [wellness programming](https://www.crai.com/benefits/) to support physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being, and in-house [immigration support](https://www.crai.com/cra-careers/immigration-global-mobility/) for foreign nationals and international business travelers.

Work Location Flexibility

CRA creates a work environment that enables our colleagues to benefit from being together in the office to best deliver on our promise of career growth, mentorship and inclusivity. At the same time, we recognize that individuals realize a range of benefits when working from home periodically. We currently expect that individuals spend at least 3 to 4 days a week working in the office (which may include traveling to another CRA office or to client meetings), with specific days determined in coordination with your practice or team.

Our Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River Associates is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Salary and other compensation

A good-faith estimate of the annual base salary range for this position is $130,000 - $150,000. Stating pay within this range may vary based on factors such as education level, experience, skills, geographic location, market conditions, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position may be eligible for additional bonus incentive compensation. CRA offers a comprehensive benefits package, subject to eligibility requirements, which include: medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with employer match; life and disability insurance; paid time off (vacation, sick leave, holidays); paid parental leave; wellness programs and employee assistance resources; and commuter benefits.

## About Charles River Associates

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Charles River Associates (CRA) is a leading global consulting firm that provides economic, financial, and strategic expertise to major law firms, corporations, accounting firms, and governments worldwide.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NASDAQ: CRAI)
- **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- **Founded**: 1965
- **Founders**: Founded by professors from Harvard and MIT

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Management Consulting, Economic Litigation Consulting, Financial Consulting, Strategy Consulting
- **Target customers**: Major law firms (98% of the Am Law 100), corporations (88% of the Fortune 100), accounting firms, and governments
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To deliver thoughtful, effective advice backed by research and real-world experience, helping clients navigate high-stakes litigation, regulatory proceedings, and critical business strategy issues.

## Products & Services
CRA operates through ten distinct practice areas, offering a multidisciplinary approach:
- **Antitrust & Competition Economics**: Economic analysis for merger reviews, antitrust litigation, and competition policy.
- **Financial Economics**: Valuation, damages analysis, and financial modeling for disputes and transactions.
- **International Arbitration**: Expert economic and financial advice in international arbitration proceedings.
- **Labor & Employment**: Analysis of employment practices, compensation, and workforce issues.
- **Life Sciences**: Strategic and economic consulting for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies.
- **Energy & Environment**: Economic and regulatory analysis for energy markets, environmental policy, and climate change.
- **Forensic Services**: Investigation and analysis of financial fraud, accounting irregularities, and asset tracing.
- **Intellectual Property**: Damages analysis and valuation in IP disputes.
- **Transfer Pricing**: Economic analysis for intercompany pricing and tax compliance.
- **Strategy & Performance**: Corporate strategy, operational improvement, and performance optimization.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: As of July 2025, approximately $1.5 billion (market cap fluctuates; check latest)
- **Key Metric**: Revenue growth of 48% over the past five years (as reported on CRA's essential facts page)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Clients include 88% of the Fortune 100 and 98% of the Am Law 100. The firm is publicly traded, so major institutional investors hold shares.
- **Growth Signals**: Over 1,000 consultants across 20+ offices worldwide; staff from more than 70 countries; over 35 languages spoken; ranked as a top consulting firm by Vault and Management Consulted.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Academic Heritage**: Founded by Harvard and MIT professors, CRA maintains a culture of rigorous analysis and intellectual curiosity.
- **Expertise Depth**: Over 82% of senior staff hold advanced degrees, with more than 35% holding PhDs in economics, finance, and related fields.
- **High-Stakes Client Base**: Serves 98% of the Am Law 100 and 88% of the Fortune 100, indicating a trusted reputation for complex, high-profile matters.
- **Multidisciplinary Approach**: Ten practice areas allow for cross-disciplinary collaboration, providing comprehensive solutions to client challenges.
- **Objectivity and Integrity**: Known for fact-based, defensible analysis that withstands scrutiny in litigation and regulatory settings.

## Strategic Focus
- **Talent Development**: Heavy investment in training and professional development, including CRA Tech Labs (internal skill-building sessions) and formal mentorship programs.
- **Global Expansion**: Continued growth across 20+ offices worldwide, with a focus on attracting diverse talent from over 70 countries.
- **Practice Area Innovation**: Developing new capabilities at the intersection of economics, finance, and technology to address emerging client needs (e.g., climate, digital markets, life sciences).
- **Community and Inclusion**: Emphasis on pro bono work, volunteer programs, and Employee Resource Groups to foster an inclusive culture.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as intellectually curious, collegial, and academically rigorous. The firm emphasizes learning, resourcefulness, and integrity.
- **Work Environment**: Collaborative, with a strong focus on mentorship and peer support. Employees are encouraged to lead initiatives, from social committees to Tech Lab training sessions.
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: CRA offers flexible work arrangements, though specific policies vary by office and role. The firm supports a hybrid model for many positions.
- **Benefits & Wellness**: Extensive offerings supporting physical, mental, financial, and emotional wellbeing, including competitive compensation, health coverage, and wellness programs.
- **Career Growth**: Clear pathways for advancement, with a focus on hands-on learning from day one. Internships and entry-level roles provide exposure to high-stakes client work.
- **Immigration Support**: CRA is committed to supporting international employees through the global immigration process.
- **Notable Perks**: Access to a global network of experts, pro bono opportunities, and a strong alumni community.

## Sources
1. [crai.com](https://www.crai.com/) - Company website
2. [crai.com/cra-careers](https://www.crai.com/cra-careers/) - Careers page
3. [crai.com/about-us](https://www.crai.com/about-us/) - About page
4. [crai.com/cra-careers/essential-facts](https://www.crai.com/cra-careers/essential-facts/) - Essential facts page
5. [crai.com/cra-careers/why-cra](https://www.crai.com/cra-careers/why-cra/) - Why CRA page

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