Senior Systems Engineer (Production Support) - II

symsstrategicgroup; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 85,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Syms Strategic Group is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer focused on production support for cloud environments. The role is fully remote in the United States, supporting VA systems, and requires a Public Trust security clearance.

You will manage large-scale production systems, automate where possible, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. You will handle monitoring, incident response, and deployments while maintaining strict security and compliance.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in systems engineering or related field in production environments.
• Strong cloud experience with AWS and/or Azure and enterprise apps.
• Proficient in Linux/Unix and Windows administration with scripting.
• Experience with automation and IaC for cloud deployments.
• Security, audits, and compliance experience for production systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform high-level, day-to-day operational support of complex application cloud systems.
• Develop solutions to routine technical problems of limited scope.
• Follow standard practices and procedures in analyzing situations or data.
• Detect, isolate, document, and rapidly report system outages or problems during operations.
• Accurately document problems in logging and discrepancy reporting tools.
• Work directly with the customer in day-to-day activities.
• Respond to user calls regarding hardware and software problems and escalate when needed.
• Communicate status updates to users and senior management.
• Perform maintenance/installation of computing infrastructure.
• Implement continuous improvement methodology through IT systems or procedures.
• Maintain inventory of system assets.
• Ensure compliance with VA standards and security policies.
• Provide documentation, training, and additional duties as assigned.

Skills

AWS Cloud

Azure Cloud

Linux/Unix

Windows Server

Python/PowerShell

Ansible/Puppet/Chef

IaC (CloudFormation)

Monitoring (CloudWatch)

SQL Server / Oracle RDMBS

Networking basics

On-call support

Security/compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/SE

Tools

Git

GitHub Actions

CodeBuild/CodeDeploy

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS CLI

PowerShell

Job description

Syms Strategic Group (SSG) is seeking a talented Senior Systems Engineer (Production Support)

Location: Remote

Department: Veterans Affairs (VA)

Type: Full Time

Min. Experience: Experienced

Security Clearance Level: Public Trust (MBI)

Salary Range: $85,389 - $116,975

Military Veterans are highly encouraged to apply!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform high-level, day-to-day operational support of complex application cloud systems
• Develop solutions to routine technical problems of limited scope
• Follow standard practices and procedures in analyzing situations or data from which answers can be readily obtained
• Detect, isolate, document, rapidly report, and resolve system outages or problems encountered during operations of the scientific workstations, which includes the collections of diagnostic data, restoring the system operation, development of workarounds, and other activities necessary for recovery of a system
• Accurately document problems in logging and discrepancy reporting tools
• Work directly with the customer in most aspects of the day-to-day activities
• Respond to user calls regarding hardware and software problems, correcting or ensuring that problems are escalated when required
• Communicate with users and senior management the status of key problem statuses
• Perform maintenance/installation of computing infrastructure
• Implement continuous improvement methodology through the use of IT systems or procedure
• Maintain inventory of system assets
• Ensure compliance with VA standards and security policies
• Provide documentation, training, and additional duties as assigned

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience with AWS and/or Azure Cloud, namely S3, Step Functions, Batch Jobs, and CloudWatch
• Proven track record of managing and maintaining large-scale production systems
• Strong proficiency in Linux/Unix and Windows operating systems
• Experience with system administration tasks including user management, permissions, and system monitoring
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, Bash, or PowerShell for automation and configuration management
• Experience with automation tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or SaltStack
• Knowledge of cloud-native technologies and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools such as Cloud Formation
• Experience with monitoring tools like DynaTrace, Science Logic, and CloudWatch
• An ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance and reliability
• An understanding of network protocols of network protocols, firewall configurations, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) setup
• Experience with network monitoring and diagnostic tools
• Experience with secure best practices for production systems
• Experience with implementing security measures, conducting audits, and ensuring compliance with industry standards
• Working knowledge of database systems such as AWS RDS SQL Server and Oracle RDMBS/RDS
• Knowledge of database performance tuning and backup/recovery processes
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with version control systems like Git and CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, AWS CodeBuild and CodeDeploy
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot complex system issues
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams
• An ability to prioritize tasks, manage time effectively, and meet deadlines in a high-pressure environment
• Strong attention to detail to ensure system stability and data integrity
• An ability to quickly adapt to new technologies and processes
• A willingness to be on-call for production system support as required
• Strong documentation skills for maintaining system configurations, processes, and procedures
• An ability to manage and contribute to multiple projects, ensuring timely completion and quality results
• An ability to work collaboratively with development, operations, and security teams to ensure seamless production system operations

Professional Certifications

None required

Years of Professional Experience

8+ years of experience in systems engineering or a related field, particularly in production environments

3+ years of experience with SQL query and monitoring

Desired experience

Electronic Data Interchange X.12 (EDI) Medical Claims

• X.12 medical claims (837, 834, 277, etc)

Advanced certifications in relevant areas (e.g., Red Hat Certified Engineer, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, AWS Certified Solutions Architect)

Formal Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related field

Citizenship Requirement

U.S. Citizenship required for this specific opportunity

Security Clearance Requirements

Must possess or qualify for a Public Trust (MBI)

CRITICAL NOTES

1. SSG will not make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Your answers to the mandatory screening questions must be supported by the information on your resume. Applications with inconsistencies will not be considered.
2. Recruiters or Third parties will not be considered.
3. This is a 100% U.S. based remote position. However, candidates from CA, CO, IL, MN, NJ, NY, OR, or WA will not be considered.
4. This is a W-2 position.
5. All interviews will be conducted on Microsoft Teams with your camera on; there will be no exceptions.
6. As part of our screening process, you will be requested to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

U.S Citizenship is required for this specific opportunity. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and be able to obtain a government-granted security clearance. Individuals may also be subject to a background investigation including, but not limited to criminal history, employment and education verification, drug testing, and creditworthiness.

Syms Strategic Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or genetic information.