IS Systems Specialist III (Open & Promotional)

County of San Mateo; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking county's Information Services Department as an IS Systems Specialist III, where you'll play a pivotal role in enhancing security infrastructure. This dynamic position involves complex technical tasks, including the administration of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and cloud security services. As a technical leader, you'll analyze and implement solutions that align with best practices while ensuring compliance with county policies. If you're passionate about security and technology and want to make a significant impact in a collaborative environment, this role offers the perfect opportunity to showcase your expertise and creativity in solving complex challenges.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in IT infrastructure and server administration.
• Bachelor's degree in related field required.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, install, configure, and maintain hardware and software upgrades.
• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot deficiencies.

Skills

Palo Alto Firewalls

Network Protocols

Security Orchestration

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Creative Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Management Information Systems

Tools

SolarWinds

Active Directory

OKTA

Job description

The County of San Mateo's Information Services Department seeks an IS Systems Specialist III to serve in the Security Division. Under general supervision, the individual in this position performs the most complex and varied technical tasks related to the configuration, troubleshooting, maintenance, and monitoring of the County's security infrastructure. This position serves as a technical leader and technical subject matter expert in specific security area(s) and is called upon to analyze existing and future computing environments and ensure that all solutions comply with County policy, frameworks and industry accepted best practices.

As an integral part of the Security team, the IS System Specialist III will be responsible for system administration across a variety of platforms and services such as: Firewalls (Palo Alto); Intrusion Detection and Prevention (Palo Alto Threat Prevention and Wildfire); Endpoint Protection Suite/XDR; Security Orchestration Platform (XSOAR); Cloud Security services; XDR SIEM monitoring and management; Vulnerability identification and mitigation/remediation. The position also requires support in ancillary systems that support IAM/ARM platforms such as SolarWinds, Active Directory, OKTA. Additionally, this position will perform intrusion event investigative and reporting activities as required. Similarly, incumbents in this class must regularly analyze requests for new system implementations and ensure that strategies are applied that support best practice security design and integration with existing security infrastructure. Furthermore, this position will be tasked with performing analysis and data production and reporting in support of any identified indicators of compromise, audit and policy compliance across the enterprise.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This is the advanced journey class in the IS Systems Specialist series. Incumbents serve as subject matter experts in specific area(s), perform complex and varied technical support, provide analytical support for County-wide infrastructure, and frequently solve problems requiring analysis of unique issues or problems without precedent and/or structure. Incumbents serve as technical lead for assigned projects. Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to assigned area(s) of responsibility, working with a high degree of independent judgment, tact, and initiative.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in management information systems, computer science, or a related field and four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in supporting and implementing information technology infrastructure and/or server administration and specific to the specialty area assigned.

Responsibilities:

• Analyzes, installs, configures, maintains, and monitors hardware and software upgrades to ensure effective server performance.
• Configures and implements real-time monitoring to identify and resolve service outages and critical resource shortages in a timely and efficient manner.
• Monitors system performance to identify and troubleshoot deficiencies in design, security, installation, and/or integration with other technologies.
• Researches, recommends, and implements system enhancements to improve the performance and reliability of the system; researches, recommends, tests, and implements upgrades and fixes as needed.
• Develops and recommends comprehensive standards, policies, procedures, and technical documentation pertaining to system maintenance and infrastructure.
• Provides specialized and complex technical support and assistance to staff concerning assigned systems.
• Serves as technical lead for assigned projects, including developing project budget and allocating resources.
• Provides direction during major incidents to ensure an expedient response and resolution.
• Maintains relevant industry and security trends and innovations in technology related to County security operations.

Ideal Candidate:

• Extensive experience supporting Palo Alto Firewalls or substantially similar platforms.
• In-depth understanding of network protocols, and IP subnet assignments and schema management.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in Security Orchestration platforms such as Cortex SOAR.
• Knowledge and ability in identity and rights management concepts and supporting systems such as Okta, Active Directory, and SolarWinds.
• Strong analytical skills - ability to interpret complex information from various sources to reach accurate conclusions.
• Strong communication skills - ability to explain complex issues in a way that both the average user and technologists will understand.
• An excellent sense of creativity – ability to find innovative solutions to business problems while still incorporating sound security strategies.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Some positions may require possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver's License.
• Some positions may require possession of, or ability to obtain, industry-recognized information technology certifications.

Physical Demands:

Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone.

Application Process:

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.