Systems Engineer, Level 5 – Lab Manager

Socket.dev; Maryland; On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Independent Software seeks a System Engineer Level 5 (Lab Manager) to lead a two-person contractor team responsible for oversight of machine rooms, labs, and related spaces. You will coordinate with System Administrators, Network Engineers, customers, Facilities, vendors, and leadership to ensure secure, compliant operations.

You will monitor power, space, and cooling; manage access; support rack/cabling; troubleshoot hardware and fiber; and maintain machine room drawings.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting agency machine rooms or mission-critical environments.
• Experience racking and cabling systems for deployments.
• Hands-on hardware experience with HP, Dell, Cisco, Arista, or Juniper.
• Experience supporting and troubleshooting fiber connectivity.
• Experience creating and updating machine room drawings using Visio or similar tools.
• Strong communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations and support of mission-critical machine rooms, labs, and spaces.
• Maintain spaces and access lists per agency requirements.
• Monitor power, space, and cooling needs; coordinate infrastructure upgrades with Facilities.
• Support installation and decommissioning of racks, servers, network devices, and communications equipment.
• Work JIRA tickets for hardware replacements and coordinate vendor warranty support.
• Monitor machine room conditions and perform routine walkthroughs to identify issues.
• Rack, cable, install, and troubleshoot systems supporting operational deployments.
• Maintain machine room drawings using Visio or similar tools.
• Coordinate with customers, System Administrators, Network Engineers, Facilities personnel, leadership, and vendors.

Skills

Agency machine rooms experience

Racking & cabling for deployments

Hardware experience (HP, Dell, Cisco,

Arista or Juniper hardware

Fiber connectivity troubleshooting

Machine room drawings (Visio)

Strong communication & coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering field +15 years systems engineering

High School Diploma / GED +19 years experience

Master's degree in Engineering +13 years

PhD in Engineering +11 years

Tools

Visio

Job description

What You Will Do:

At Independent Software, as a System Engineer Level 5 (Lab Manager), you will serve as the Team Lead for a two-person contractor team responsible for supporting multiple machine rooms containing operational, mission-critical systems, as well as associated lab and communications spaces. You will oversee the day-to-day operation and maintenance of these environments, ensuring they remain secure, organized, operational, and compliant with agency standards.

In this role, you will coordinate closely with System Administrators, Network Engineers, customers, Facilities personnel, vendors, and leadership to support hardware installations, equipment replacements, infrastructure needs, and system deployments. You will monitor power, space, and cooling requirements, manage physical access requirements, support rack and cabling activities, troubleshoot hardware and fiber issues, and help ensure the infrastructure is prepared for evolving mission and customer needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily operations and support of mission-critical machine rooms, lab, and communications spaces
• Maintain spaces and access lists in accordance with agency requirements
• Monitor power, space, and cooling needs and coordinate infrastructure upgrades with Facilities
• Support installation and decommissioning of racks, servers, network devices, and communications equipment
• Work JIRA tickets for hardware replacements and coordinate vendor warranty support
• Monitor machine room conditions and perform routine walkthroughs to identify equipment or infrastructure issues
• Rack, cable, install, and troubleshoot systems supporting operational deployments
• Maintain machine room drawings using Visio or similar tools
• Support fiber connectivity, testing, and troubleshooting
• Coordinate with customers, System Administrators, Network Engineers, Facilities personnel, leadership, and vendors

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience supporting agency machine rooms or similar mission-critical environments
• Experience racking and cabling systems for operational deployments
• Hands-on experience with hardware from vendors such as HP, Dell, Cisco, Arista, or Juniper
• Experience supporting and troubleshooting fiber connectivity
• Experience creating and updating machine room drawings using Visio or similar tools
• Strong communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing or leading a team supporting machine rooms or communications spaces
• Experience supporting system build and deployment teams
• Experience working in an agency or contractor lab environment

Education and Experience:

Candidates must meet one of the following:

• Bachelor's degree in a Qualified Engineering Field or related discipline plus fifteen (15) years of Systems Engineering experience; OR
• High School Diploma or GED plus nineteen (19) years of general Systems Engineering experience; OR
• Master's degree in a Qualified Engineering Field or related discipline plus thirteen (13) years of Systems Engineering experience; OR
• PhD in a Qualified Engineering Field or related discipline plus eleven (11) years of Systems Engineering experience.

Qualified Engineering Fields include Aeronautics, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical, Nuclear, Software, Systems, and Engineering Management. Similar or comparable degrees are acceptable.

Related disciplines include Chemistry, Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, and Physics. Similar or comparable degrees are acceptable.

Clearance Requirement:

• Must possess an active TS SCI with appropriate Polygraph to be considered for this role

Why Choose Independent Software:

At Independent Software, our people are the mission. We've built a company around collaboration, integrity, and innovation and we make sure our team has the tools and support to grow, succeed, and thrive.

When you join us, you will:

• Support critical national security missions that matter
• Be part of a close-knit, employee-first culture where your voice is heard
• Expand your skills through ongoing training, mentorship, and career development
• Enjoy competitive compensation, generous benefits, and work-life balance

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.