Systems Engineer II

Talentify; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

Paid holidays

Parental Leave

State Retirement Plan

Deferred Compensation

Job summary

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) seeks a Senior Systems Engineer to design, implement, and support agency-wide IT infrastructure across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. The role emphasizes security, availability, and performance of critical systems.

You will lead infrastructure modernization, manage AD/Exchange/Azure, SQL, storage, and backup, and mentor the team while ensuring compliance with cybersecurity policies. On-site in Columbia, SC with rotating on-call duties.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience supporting enterprise-class Windows server environments.
• Advanced hands-on experience with Windows Server OS, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, VMware vSphere/ESXi or Hyper-V.
• Experience with Microsoft 365/Exchange Online, Azure AD/Entra ID, Intune.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, configuration, install, monitor, and maintenance of server, storage, virtualization, and cloud environments.
• Manage and optimize AD, Exchange/365, Azure AD/Entra ID, DNS, DHCP, SQL, storage, and backup platforms.
• Provide technical leadership on infrastructure modernization projects and vendor evaluations.
• Enforce patching, hardening, backup, and disaster recovery per policy.
• Develop system documentation and disaster-recovery plans.
• Respond to incidents, drive resolution, and conduct post-incident reviews.

Skills

Windows Server

Active Directory

PowerShell

Terraform

Ansible

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

5+ years enterprise Windows server experience

Tools

VMware vSphere/ESXi

Hyper-V

Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online

Azure AD / Entra ID

Intune

SQL Server

SAN/NAS storage

Enterprise backup solutions

Job description

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is seeking a highly skilled Senior Systems Engineer to provide advanced-level design, implementation, and support of the agency’s enterprise IT infrastructure. This position is responsible for ensuring the security, performance, and high availability of SLED’s critical technology systems across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

About SLED

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is a premier statewide law enforcement agency dedicated to serving and protecting the citizens of South Carolina. With a proud history rooted in integrity, professionalism, and public service, SLED is committed to providing high-quality investigative, intelligence, and forensic services to support law enforcement agencies across the state.

At SLED, we value dedication, ethical conduct, accountability, and a strong commitment to justice. Our agency plays a vital role in maintaining public safety and supporting criminal justice efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. From advanced forensic science to homeland security, criminal investigations, and criminal justice information systems, SLED's diverse responsibilities make it one of the most dynamic law enforcement agencies in the state.

We foster a professional work environment where teamwork, respect, and continuous improvement are fundamental. Our employees are held to the highest standards and are given opportunities to grow within a mission-driven organization that makes a meaningful difference in South Carolina communities.

Learn more about why you should join our team at www.sled.sc.gov.

General Responsibilities

Provide advanced-level direction to SLED in the use of information technology. Design, configure, install, monitor, and support the agency's server, storage, and cloud environments on an advanced level. Ensures high availability, security, and performance of IT systems by implementing best practices, optimizing resources, and leading infrastructure projects. Oversee the security, integrity, and safety of critical IT systems.

Specific Duties

• Lead the architecture, configuration, installation, monitoring, and maintenance of SLED’s server, storage, virtualization, and cloud environments.
• Manage and optimize Active Directory, Exchange / M365, Azure AD / Entra ID, Intune, DNS, DHCP, SQL, storage, and backup platforms to ensure maximum performance and reliability.
• Serve as the technical lead for infrastructure modernization projects, coordinating with vendors, evaluating technologies, providing quotes, and implementing enterprise solutions.
• Administer and enhance system security by enforcing patching, hardening, backup, and recovery strategies in alignment with agency and state cybersecurity policies.
• Conduct research and make recommendations on emerging technologies to improve infrastructure scalability, automation, and cost efficiency.
• Mentor and train the systems engineering team by providing technical guidance and leadership on troubleshooting, design, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, including configuration standards, procedures, and disaster-recovery plans.
• Respond to critical incidents, lead incident resolution, and post-incident reviews.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support SLED’s mission and IT infrastructure operations.
• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field and a minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting enterprise-class virtual and physical Windows server environments. Related experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis.
• Advanced, hands-on experience with the following technologies is required:
  • Windows Server OS, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy - VMware vSphere / ESXi or Hyper-V
  • Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online, Azure AD / Entra ID, Intune
  • SQL Server, SAN / NAS storage, and enterprise backup solutions
  • Hybrid or cloud environments (Azure preferred)
• Must have a strong understanding of IT security best practices, including patching, hardening, compliance, disaster recovery, and data protection.
• A demonstrated ability to lead complex infrastructure projects, evaluate new technologies, and provide technical mentorship.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams is required.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
• Must successfully complete a fingerprint background check.
• Position requires participation in a rotating 24/7 on-call schedule and may involve occasional overnight travel.
• Professional certifications such as VMware VCP, Azure Administrator/Architect, other Microsoft certificates, or equivalent.
• Experience with PowerShell, Terraform, or Ansible for automation and infrastructure-as-code.
• Familiarity with container technologies (Docker / Kubernetes) and modern cloud architectures.
• Experience in a law enforcement or public safety IT environment.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited, to lactation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

SLED offers an exceptional benefits package for FTE positions that includes:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs

Supplemental questions are considered part of the official application. Any misrepresentation of yourself may be grounds for disqualification.

Conditional selection based on candidate education, training, experience, oral interviews and clearance of background investigation.