Systems Engineer

Chief Administrative Officer; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, seeks a Systems Engineer in the Enterprise Messaging & Collaboration Directorate to sustain and enhance House messaging systems.

The role focuses on planning, deploying, and operating large cloud and on‑premise platforms, providing guidance to leadership and staff while ensuring security, availability, and compliant operations across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or 2 years of equivalent work experience.
• Ability to develop solutions to complex technical problems.
• SMTP email knowledge including routing, filtering, and deliverability.
• Knowledge of all phases of systems development.
• Knowledge of scripting languages and monitoring.
• Knowledge of Business Continuity concepts and practices.
• Strong communication with senior staff and non-technical users.
• Demonstrated HIR technical competencies and professional behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Gathers requirements and designs comprehensive technical solutions.
• Acquires, installs, configures, tests, operates, and maintains system software components.
• Develops documentation including SOPs, change control, tests, and disaster recovery plans.
• Prevents security issues and facilitates operational improvements.
• Works with vendors and House colleagues to implement technical solutions and resolve issues.
• Resolves customer requests via ticketing systems and clear communication.
• Provides technical guidance to management and leadership.
• Ensures high availability and security of House systems.

Skills

SMTP email knowledge

Scripting languages

Information system monitoring

Business Continuity concepts

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Email filtering systems

Job description

Job Summary:

The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) provides operations support services and business solutions to the community of 10,000 House Members, Officers and staff. The CAO organization comprises more than 650 technical and administrative staff working in a variety of areas, including information technology, finance, budget management, human resources, payroll, child care, food and vending, procurement, logistics and administrative counsel.

This position is located in the Enterprise Messaging & Collaboration (EM&C) Directorate, House Information Resources (HIR), Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), U.S. House of Representatives (House). The EM&C Directorate provides technical solutions and system engineering expertise for House enterprise messaging systems. EM&C Secure Email Routing Gateway/Fax team is responsible for the House internet email filtering, malicious message remediation, bulk email platform, and electronic fax systems supporting the entire House, along with supporting systems such as monitoring and reporting. This position serves as a Systems Engineer.

Key responsibilities include serving as a key technical resource and advisor to management on all technical issues related to the sustainment and enhancement of various cloud and on-premise platforms supporting House messaging systems.This includes planning, designing, installing, configuring, testing, migrating, operating, and monitoring large and complex technical systems; producing creative technical solutions to complex problems, and providing technical guidance to leadership, customers and colleagues, assisting them with successfully completing assigned evolutionary projects, sustainment activities, and operational tasks.

Grade level at time of appointment is determined by experience and designated level of responsibility.

The position does not have day-to-day supervisory/managerial responsibilities.

This position has access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• Gathers requirements from customers and stakeholders and designs comprehensive technical solutions.
• Acquires, develops, installs, configures, tests, operates, maintains, monitors, and supports all system software components on the applicable cloud and on-premise platforms.
• Develops documentation including but not limited to: standard operating procedures, change control documents, test plans/results, customer outreach, post-implementation reviews, after action reports, migration plans, disaster recovery plans, system security plans, architecture diagrams, IT policies
• Proactively prevents security issues, product issues, and the need for requests from customers and colleagues, to the extent possible.
• Works with vendors, industry, and House colleagues to identify products, features, and procedures to address House needs; implement technical solutions; and prevent or resolve issues.
• Resolves requests from customers and colleagues in a friendly, timely and accurate manner utilizing ticketing systems or other means as appropriate to track and communicate status.
• Provides technical advice to management regarding system evolution in response to continued evolution of messaging and monitoring technologies, vendor capabilities, the global threat environment, and commercial mailbox provider policies.
• Acts as an internal consultant providing technical guidance on complex projects.
• Provides technical guidance to leadership, customers and colleagues, assisting them with successfully completing assigned projects and tasks.
• Ensures computer systems security issues and high availability/disaster recovery are addressed effectively in the House technology environment.
• Maintains professional relationships with customers, management, colleagues, and vendors while delivering high-quality customer service.
• Provides input to management, as requested, on team goals and performance, and individual goals and performance.
• Performs other official duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or at least 2 years of equivalent work experience in:

• Ability to develop solutions to complex technical problems.
• SMTP email knowledge is required.This may include any combination of: routing, authentication, filtering techniques, encryption, troubleshooting, knowledge of email-borne threats, bulk email, IP and domain reputation management, deliverability, mailbox provider interactions, and fax-to-email.
• Knowledge of all phases of systems development.
• Knowledge of scripting languages and information system monitoring
• Knowledge of Business Continuity concepts, technologies, and practices.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both orally and in writing, with senior staff, colleagues, and non-technical users.
• Employees within this position are expected to demonstrate the following HIR Technical Competencies: Analytics; Application Administration and Integration; Consultation and Outreach; Information Assurance; Information Management; Information Systems/ Network Security; Information Technology Support; Knowledge of Emerging Trends and Industry Best Practices; Project Management; Quality Assurance and Testing; and Telecommunications.
• All employees within CAO are expected to demonstrate the following general competencies: Accountability, Adaptability, Collaboration, Communication, Customer Orientation, Knowledge of Relevant Policies, Procedures, Processes, Priority Management, and Problem Resolution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Cybersecurity or email filtering system certification desirable.
• Monitoring tool certification desirable.

Security Requirement:

• Must successfully complete a criminal history records check.
• Employee may be subject to drug testing in accordance with the CAO Drug Free Workplace Plan.
• This position requires that the applicant be able to obtain and maintain an applicable U.S. Government security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. We will not submit your application for a clearance unless you are a U.S. citizen.

**Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactorily completing a criminal history records check (or other applicable security clearance) and a pre-employment drug-test (pre-identified position only).