Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Systems Engineer
A Systems Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of computer systems. He/she works with hardware and software to create systems working to support an organization's data processing needs. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Systems Engineers.
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Main Responsibilities of Systems Engineer
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Systems Engineer:
Administer
Administer and maintain development and QA servers / environments in Windows and Linux.
Administer DNS, DHCP, SNMP, SMTP, and SSL.
Administer Windows desktop and server technologies across all environments, on-premise and cloud.
Administer Windows Servers for DNS / DHCP.
Analyze
Analyze and identify root cause, develop solution and have them implemented.
Analyze current designs and products for improvements and / or troubleshooting.
Analyze data collected from BESS' for the purposes of performance evaluation and remote diagnostics.
Analyze performance data and make recommendations to management.
Analyze functional business requirements and design specifications for functional activities.
Analyze quality audit findings and recommends modifications in products or standards.
Analyze requests and high level system architectures to help develop system requirements.
Analyze system performance, evaluate options, and define system scope.
Apply
Apply equipment types that maximize the utility of the equipment and match the desired output.
Apply GMP principles and ensure Data Integrity practices within the handling of enterprise data.
Apply mechanical tolerance analysis, simulations, FEA and CFD, and testing / reliability analysis.
Assist in / assist with
Assist in developing an architecture that.
Assist in development and execution of automated test cases and test plans.
Assist in the integration of electronic systems in a multi-disciplinary environment.
Assist personnel of other departments as a computer resource.
Assist with evaluation of new technologies for ISR.
Assist with technical tasks during weekend and after- hours maintenance windows.
Assist with usability validation.
Build
Build and maintain configuration management and orchestration tools.
Build and present technical materials for both experts and non-experts.
Build, configure and tune highly available client-facing systems.
Build scripts to automate common server tasks.
Complete
Complete and maintain all required engineering design, integration and maintenance records.
Complete BAU tasks, escalating where exceptions occur.
Complete required logs and reports of maintenance activities.
Conduct
Conduct and integrate in-depth design reviews throughout the product development process.
Conduct and keep an eye on all installed systems and infrastructure.
Conduct benchmarking and evaluation activities.
Conduct investigations and tests of considerable complexity, project progress and evaluate results.
Conduct network assessments following assessment framework.
Conduct periodic user access control checks.
Conduct research and analysis to support technical upgrades and business plans.
Conduct system / subsystem trade-offs.
Contribute to
Contribute to business case development to secure funding.
Contribute to design projects following recognised design processes.
Contribute to the growing the capabilities of the system engineering group and BOS.
Coordinate
Coordinate and respond to the customer RFI, RFP, and sales proposals.
Coordinate effectively in virtual teams.
Coordinate System Upgrade technical activities.
Coordinate the response to the customer RFI, RFP, and sales proposal.
Create
Create and maintain monitoring systems, recommend and implement tuning improvements.
Create and maintain scripts.
Create and maintain Technical Operation runbooks.
Create and test circuit edit and circuit analysis products.
Create an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture.
Create automation for security and privacy related workflows.
Create clear and accurate change / patch documentation.
Create, define, and maintain key metrics and reporting on risk and compliance.
Create design / deployment guides for both external and internal audiences.
Create industry-level system requirements and procedures.
Create, maintain, and automate operational runbooks.
Create, maintain and enforce systems standards.
Create, review, maintain and update documentation.
Create technical documentation (i.e. Technical and configuration runbook, implementation plan).
Define
Define and continuously review processes to improve efficiencies and overall performance.
Define and describe the Technical Solution during bids.
Define engineering and / or system integration.
Define, measure and achieve technical and earned value targets for assigned activities.
Define & perform BMS PCB development tests to ensure proper functionality.
Define, plan, and drive schedules for platform / system design, build, and test activities.
Define security requirements based on industry standards, best practices, and customer input.
Deliver
Deliver an analysis report to identify key risks and shortfalls.
Deliver and interprets information amongst product team members.
Deliver IT and allied IT services to the organization.
Deliver value proposition, sales presentations, competitive positioning.
Deploy
Deploy application code to UAT and Production environments.
Deploy monitoring and alerts.
Design
Design and build monitoring solutions and services.
Design large-scale distributed systems and services.
Design User Interface (GUI) for application enhancements / changes.
Develop
Develop and grow long-term relationships with customers.
Develop and maintain SOPs.
Develop and maintain tools / instruments / software / supplies and develop systems to manage them.
Develop and provide trainings for all GIS tools and applications.
Develop and utilize scripts or deployment systems to automate repetitive tasks.
Develop an understanding of Navy C4I afloat and shore-based system architectures.
Develop ATM system interconnect diagrams.
Develop awareness of enterprise solutions and leverage them to provide the best value to client.
Develop best practices, operational procedures, and design documentation.
Develop cross-functional relationships with business users, IT departments and business partners.
Develop design and development plan.
Develop, follow and support best software engineering practices.
Develop Lab Execution System (LES) methods to enable electronic lab workflow in LIMS.
Develop new suppliers as needed and act as the technical liaison for key suppliers.
Develop or champions new systems, concepts, or technologies.
Develop plans, procedures and methods to test and characterize cameras and image sensors.
Develop procedures for automated monitoring and proactive intervention, preventing customer impact.
Develop project objectives and strategies, develop timelines and milestones.
Develop subsystem requirements, specifications and technical evaluations.
Develop systems engineering concepts for avionics upgrades and missionized suites.
Develop technical and training presentation.
Develop, updates, and maintains program of record documentation.
Develop verification plans at all levels of assembly.
Document
Document databases such as MongoDB, ArangoDB.
Document each project to facilitate integration for users.
Document features, modules, requirements, and the risks of each project.
Document key processes and train Local IT, so they can become self-maintaining.
Document tradeoffs, rationale, and potential solutions.
Document system processes and procedures.
Document "unique to customer” or "systemic problem” resolution activities for future staff reference.
Ensure
Ensure adequate capacity for corporate computing needs and identify capacity trends.
Ensure a diverse and inclusive culture of respect and trust.
Ensure a level of Global availability of at least 99.9% over the year.
Ensure client environments are healthy and SLA goals are met.
Ensure compatibility and interoperability of computing systems.
Ensure compliance with division and department processes.
Ensure consistent application of operational data decisions and standards.
Ensure designs meet system requirements through proper verification methods.
Ensure incidents are closed within SLA.
Ensure maximum trading system availability to avoid missing any key trading opportunities.
Ensure pickup and drop off of tapes from offsite storage provider are successful.
Ensure secure user access and role validation processes.
Ensure security best practices are followed.
Ensure service delivery and customer satisfaction is met for supported services.
Ensure that assets are responsibly and properly managed through life cycle.
Ensure that proper design and validation procedures are followed.
Ensure the support and delivery of various Cloud infrastructure components.
Escalate
Escalate a production incident to application team and / or senior management.
Escalate issues as and when required.
Escalate problems of complex technical circumstances to appropriate channels.
Establish
Establish best practices and influence and shape development guidelines.
Establish, manage, and communicate team expectations, goals, roles, responsibilities, and objectives.
Evaluate
Evaluate and monitor environments for failures and performance problems.
Evaluate and test all upgrades and patches prior to deployment in production.
Evaluate and test controls in accordance with DISA, NIST STIGs.
Evaluate, design and optimize workflows and process automation.
Evaluate final products assuring accomplishment of technical objectives.
Handle
Handle a flexible and ever changing work load which may come from management or operations.
Handle complex Linux engineering and / or analytical tasks and activities.
Handle Escalated customer facing issues as needed.
Handle long running issues with tickets potentially lasting for weeks.
Help
Help prioritize various sales opportunities.
Help run and create games which bring joy to millions of players all over the world.
Help Spiff identify and implement a CPQ solution.
Help support our on-premise Gitlab instance.
Identify
Identify and define test requirements and verification methods for every requirement.
Identify and solve system issues for released RTG Implantable systems.
Identify, analyze and communicate recurring problems and develop remediation plans.
Identify and escalate situations requiring urgent attention.
Identify, assess and document risks that impact Aegis BMD.
Identifying, sourcing and selling long and short term contracts with businesses.
Identify, mitigate, and resolve technical risks and issues.
Identify potential risks (project or technical) during early.
Identify, prioritize and execute tasks in the software development life cycle.
Identify resource requirements, cost, and time schedules.
Identify stakeholders and the decisions they need to make.
Implement
Implement a new configuration management system within the first 6 months.
Implement classical control methods for testing in simulation and robotics with PID, MPC, LQR, etc.
Implement prototype versions of new algorithms to prove viability.
Implements comprehensive SOA solutions.
Implement service level standards and practices for compute, storage, and VMware deployments.
Install
Install and maintain software security systems.
Install, configure and maintain AD and third-party software utilities.
Install, configure, optimize and maintain OS, software and databases.
Integrate
Integrate new solutions with existing cloud resources and / or on-premise infrastructure.
Integrate sub-contractors into the technical team.
Integrate with APIs provided by eBay to facilitate the management of listings and orders.
Interface with / interact with
Interface and support the in-house production team to industrialize the design.
Interface with team members, management staff, customers, subcontractors and vendors.
Interfac with primary stakeholders and consumers of Confluence.
Interface with vendors to ensure proper utilization of application / software.
Interact with business units to provide support for your Teams and Customer.
Interact with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot equipment and drive continual improvement.
Lead
Lead multi-functional projects within your area of responsibility.
Lead on-orbit operation, optimization and automation of radar payloads.
Lead overall solution functional delivery and quality.
Lead, plan, schedule, conduct, and monitor testing activities.
Lead moderately complex issues to determine root cause.
Lead, motivate and supervise effectively in a complex, unionized work environment.
Lead / supervisory principles, methods, and techniques.
Lead technology innovation in line with SR's product roadmap.
Lead the creation of technical design documents on complex projects.
Lead the management and design of the core Linux server infrastructure.
Lead the triages and should be able to work with multiple stakeholders at the same time.
Maintain
Maintain a 'customer focus' attitude to ensure customer satisfaction.
Maintain and update engineering drawings, technical reports, and other supporting documentation.
Maintain authority over all charges made against each assigned charge number.
Maintain clear and efficient communication.
Maintain Current and Accurate Documentation of troubleshooting steps.
Maintain deep technical knowledge of Cloud solutions, industry directions and trends.
Maintain Design constraints and ensure consistent adherence to them.
Maintain, develop, and support documentation of systems, procedures, and KB information.
Maintain Github / Bitbucket, and update logging.
Maintain high standards for content completion, integrity, and regulatory & standards compliance.
Maintain network and system documentation.
Maintain network, diagnose and troubleshoot complex problems on the network.
Maintain the health of the local satellite systems.
Maintain the highest degree of honesty and integrity at all times.
Maintain Time and Expense up-to-date daily in Connectwise.
Maintain vendor certifications and engage in continuing self-improvement studies.
Manage
Manage a Specialist Systems Engineering team including.
Manage customer and internal account team requests and coordinate technical sales activities.
Manage Exposure of Sensitive Data (Encryption at Rest, Masking).
Manage feature plan implementation.
Manage local law energy submissions.
Manage multiple teams and projects in support of multiple business partners and P&L's.
Manage servers from multiple data centers, including yearly fail-over exercises.
Manages the security of the network, systems, and enterprise information.
Manage the Oracle VM capacity and provide monthly usage.
Manage the progressive sign off of Requirements through the project lifecycle.
Manage time well and prioritize tasks to meet project needs.
Manage VMware user security group rights and assignments.
Mentor
Mentor and train less experienced engineers and support personnel.
Mentor junior designers in the development of the tools and algorithm.
Mentor other team members.
Monitor
Monitor agency ticketing system and complete assigned tickets.
Monitor and measure team progress against business plan and recommend changes as needed.
Monitor and schedule service escalations from systems and internal teams.
Monitor and tune servers for optimal performance.
Monitor automated systems recovery solutions.
Monitor the performance of systems.
Participate
Participate and contribute to architecture, code, security and operational reviews.
Participate and present at roadshows and trade shows, customer and partner trainings.
Participate in daily stand up calls and other technical meetings as necessary.
Participate in design reviews for multiple.
Participate in Disaster recovery Annual exercise and unit tests.
Participate in failure investigations and anomaly resolution boards.
Participate in high-level triages of production issues.
Participate in on-call rotations, responding to after hours incidents promptly.
Participate in Technical Reviews and customer meetings.
Participate in the design and allocation of data governance and data stewardship resources.
Perform
Perform additional assignments as required.
Perform analyses and trade studies as necessary to aid in the selection of system concepts.
Perform analysis and documentation of requirements and corresponding process analysis.
Perform and document network availability analysis for new and existing network designs.
Perform break / fix maintenance, such as RMAs, patching, builds, etc..
Perform complex research and develops recommendations for equipment and / or materials selection.
Perform functional analyses.
Perform generator planning / feasibility assessments and connections.
Perform hardware and software upgrades.
Perform hardware procurement, design reviews, and unit sell-off.
Perform hardware, server / application maintenance and housekeeping.
Perform harmonic analysis as well as basic harmonic filters design analysis.
Perform integration activities.
Perform investigation to support internal and external customer follow complaint and service process.
Perform Level 2 troubleshooting for software, hardware and power systems.
Perform migration of DHCP scopes.
Perform migration of print servers, printer queues, and printers.
Perform network and applications engineering for multiple CIENA products.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned or apparent.
Perform other related duties as needed.
Perform regular scheduled out of hours maintenance window support.
Perform scoping and risk assessments.
Perform systems integration activities.
Perform trade studies to meet program requirements.
Perform validations for new configurations, connectors and views.
Plan
Plan and lead systems engineering activities for post-market projects or geographic.
Plan, design, deploy, maintain servers and application.
Prepare
Prepare and lead design reviews with the supplier, with other departments and with the customer.
Prepare briefings and reports as requested.
Prepare End Item Data Packs and Body of Evidence for distribution.
Prepare systems engineering event tasking for contractual documentation such as PWSs, SOWs, SOOs.
Prepare the solution or product integration, verification and validation tests.
Provide
Provide a steady stream of high-quality qualified sales leads to our Inside Sales team.
Provide exceptional level 2 and 3 solution support for the IT team.
Provide expert input and guidance on thought papers or other initiatives such as Future Ready.
Provide expertise about standard practices on coding standards.
Provide field engineering support for sensor development.
Provide guidance on how solutions can be most effectively integrated with Cisco architectures.
Provide ideas / insights as to new products or services that the company can offer its clients.
Provide input into developing departmental and site processes and procedures.
Provide input into risk management documentation including FMEA and risk analyses.
Provide input on policy issues.
Provide input to security policies.
Provide key inputs to / draft analysis reports to identify key risks and shortfalls.
Provide leadership in a team-driven, cross-functional environment.
Provide leadership in the delivery of a product.
Provide on-going maintenance including updates, patches and anit-virus updates.
Provide operational expertise to ground and flight engineering and software development teams.
Provide orientation and training to end-users for all modified and new systems.
Provide preliminary and detail design of rail transit communication and related infrastructure.
Provide product support for pre- and post-launch activities.
Provide product update and enhancement training to other SEs in the region or theater.
Provide prompt response and engineering resolutions on any critical electrical related matters.
Provide realistic time estimates and deliver to those estimates.
Provide regular updates of projects to Stakeholders and the Senior Manager.
Provide status of ongoing projects and future projects.
Provide support and thought leadership of small and medium efforts.
Provide support for User enrollments.
Provide support to the MSSP safety function for the management safety risks.
Provide technical expertise using RSLogix 5000 to troubleshoot, program and modify PLC code.
Provide technical support to customer, user lab, and on-aircraft testing.
Provide technical support to ThreatConnect staff and participate in on-call rotations.
Provide technical writing support for large scale C4ISR proposal efforts.
Provide Tier III Support for LANs, WANs, network segments, Internet, and Intranet systems.
Provide timely status reports to supervisors and project managers.
Provide training on control Systems to technicians.
Provide training on tools and the associated processes and procedures.
Provide updates on the technical progress of the vehicle / project as a whole.
Provide written disposition and evidence to resolve anomalies generated from integration issues.
Read
Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports.
Recommend
Recommend corrective repair actions using root cause analysis.
Recommend and implement upgrades that enhance its reliability and efficiency.
Recommend security improvements.
Recommend new products and participate in the selection process for new solutions.
Review
Review aircraft systems data and identify root cause of failure once in service.
Review and complete post implementation review forms with the team post a failed change.
Review and influence the evolving architecture and standards for our SaaS infrastructure.
Review current systems and make technical / process recommendations for improving efficiency.
Review, generates, and approves related inputs such as drawings and specifications.
Review,Generates,And approves related inputs such as drawings and specifications.
Review technologies to assess if they can meet DoD requirements for interoperability and security.
Review usage and utilization statistics.
Review verification and validation reports to verify compliance with requirements.
Setup
Setup and administer Crystal Reports for reporting.
Setup and use of lab equipment.
Supervise
Supervise and manage other engineers.
Supervise the migration of existing solutions and apply needed updates.
Support
Support a culture of collaboration, enthusiasm and a proactive nature within the Project.
Support and encourage each other.
Support and manage throughout the SDLC.
Support budgetary estimations and logistical inputs for contract proposals.
Support continuous improvement and change management efforts.
Support developers, QA, and other company groups using test systems.
Support engineering activities for proposal efforts.
Support Enterprise technical Integrated scheduling and planning.
Support for planning and project reporting.
Support global Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (DSS) activities.
Support i n the development of pricing strategies and i ncenti ves to win bus i ness.
Support in Verification and Validation testing efforts through design, development and post launch.
Support new / follow-on business proposals and ROMs as required by the program.
Support relationship expansion with top existing partners for Private Cloud.
Support role working with the Windows server OS 2008 / 2012 / 2016.
Support SoC based product EMI / EMC / ESD troubleshooting.
Support the Business Development Team as an Identiv SME.
Support the establishment of automated testing on allocated projects.
Support the preparation of technical & management proposals for institutional and commercial bids.
Support the R& D and NPI teams with the maintenance of the product Design History Files.
Support to partners looking to integrate with our APIs.
Support to the procurement team in support of approach to market activities.
Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot errors related to CDN.
Troubleshoot issues related to, but not limited to, network performance and network outages.
Understand
Understand DDC products and their capabilities, research and learn new product lines / updates.
Understand requirements necessary for prompt response to critical issues.
Understands the need for and consistently practices effective teamwork with others.
Understand the particulars of low latency server management.
Understand vendor support structures and protocols.
Utilize
Utilize AutoCad for review, modifications, and design changes to controls systems.
Utilize customer feedback to improve team performance and enhance deliverables.
Utilize PowerShell, GAM (Google Apps Manager) , Google Cloud Shell to automate various tasks.
Utilize project scheduling software to plan and track projects.
Work with
Work across functions with peers in other groups to ensure collaboration for shared goals.
Work and integrate across Radar Platforms / data sources and associated systems.
Work as a technical resource providing the assistance necessary for day-to-day data center operation.
Work both independently and across teams.
Work closely with business unit program manager.
Work closely with operation teams, architects and application teams to deliver various projects.
Work collaboratively to assists team as necessary for coverage and IT projects.
Work effectively and maintain a strong relationship with Clients and Regulatory bodies.
Workflow analysis and design, custom site and list design, branding, and UI support.
Work independently under the direction of a senior staff member.
Work on internal projects and tasks as required.
Work on projects / matters of limited complexity in a support role.
Work through a daily schedule that has been established through the dispatch process.
Work Timings - Provide support 24 / 7 with overlap for US Eastern business hours.
Work under general supervision.
Work with a team of support engineers who will provide first level support.
Work with both i nternal and external organizations to d rive solutions for ou r customers.
Work with customers to add new or custom features to software products.
Work with Development teams to ensure builds include all of the targeted bug fixes / functionality.
Work with end-users and vendors to solve problems when required.
Work with management team to create a prioritized list of needs for each business segment.
Work with other LNE team members on other initiatives as appropriate.
Work with our partners to engineer secure and stable compute platforms.
Work with Product Owner and Tech Lead on architecture and design for new features.
Work with Project Managers to ensure project schedules and budgets are maintained.
Work with Security and IT partners to ingest security and operational data into Splunk.
Work with the Engineering team to manage deployments, upgrades.
Work with users in identifying and resolving issues in business applications.
Work with vendors in the process of troubleshooting escalated incidents.
Write
Write basic SQL queries perform light database administration tasks.
Write code in Python to automate workload and analyze operation data.
Write quality code and may review others code for defect.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Systems Engineer:
Design
Powershell
Electrical Engineering
Java
Security
Active Directory
DNS
Networking
Vmware
Ansible
Bash
Troubleshooting
Windows
Computer Engineering
Docker
Scripting
Javascript
Kubernetes
Dhcp
Firewalls
Puppet
Project Management
Mechanical
Terraform
SQL
Virtualization
Perl
Software
C#
Automation
Product Development
Physics
Excel
Cloud
Continuous Sitting For Prolonged Periods
Chef
Doors
Mathematics
Deployment
Matlab
Hardware
Jenkins
Tcp / Ip
C
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Systems Engineer:
Written and oral communication skills
Analytical ability
Problem-solving attitude
Interpersonal skills
Organizational capacity
Attention to detail
Presentation
Leadership
Troubleshooting skills
Self-motivated
Time-management
Self-starter
Team player
Creative
Collaborative
Teamwork
Multi-task
Work independently with little direction
Initiative
Flexible
Organized
Drive out root cause of complex technical problems
Listening
Adaptable to changes
Detail-oriented
Communications
Solving service issues
Highly motivated
Critical thinker
Decision-making
Priority management
Dependability
Negotiation
Curious
Mentoring
Work under pressure
Conscientious attitude
Strengths
Customer focused
Reasoning
Relate them to others
Consultative
Positive attitude
Proactive
Sense of urgency
Confident
Coordination
Planning
Bilingualism
Commitment
Enthusiastic
