Staff IT Systems Engineer- Palmdale, Ca- Secret Required

Standard Job Description

The System Engineer (Level 4) is a senior technical individual contributor responsible for the design, implementation, optimization, and support of complex enterprise‑wide IT systems. This role provides technical leadership across multiple platforms, ensures high availability, performance, and security of critical services, and mentors junior engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations & Performance Monitor and tune system performance; develop capacity‑planning models and implement scalability improvements. Own incident response for Level 3/4 issues; conduct root‑cause analysis and drive corrective actions.
• Security & Compliance Apply hardening standards (e.g., CIS Benchmarks, DISA STIGs) and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001). Participate in vulnerability assessments and implement remediation strategies.
• Collaboration & Mentorship Partner with networking, security, application, and database teams to deliver integrated solutions. Provide technical mentorship, conduct knowledge‑transfer sessions, and review work of junior engineers.
• Documentation & Best Practices Create and maintain detailed design documents, runbooks, SOPs, and change‑management records. Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of IT standards and best‑practice libraries.
• Continuous Improvement – Identify opportunities to modernize legacy systems and consolidate platforms that reduce operational overhead.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, a related field or equivalent work experience
• Must possess DoD 8570 IAT Level II or III certification (i.e. Security+, CASP, CISSP)
• Active Secret Clearance; Ability and willingness to obtain Top Secret Clearance
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience designing, deploying, and supporting enterprise infrastructure
• 2+ years in a senior and/or lead role.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities; excellent communication (technical & non‑technical); proven leadership/mentoring capability.

Desired Skills

Interview Questions