Gainesville (City of Gainesville)

Systems Engineer

Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, systems engineering, or related field.
  • 4 years of IT experience with 2 years as a systems administrator, engineer, or equivalent.
  • Specialization in data center operations and management is essential.
  • Relevant certifications may substitute for up to 2 years of education.
  • ITIL Foundation certification preferred within first year of assignment.

Responsibilities

  • Design, implement, and monitor multiple data center operations and security systems.
  • Coordinate with vendors to maintain and upgrade data center infrastructure.
  • Conduct regular assessments and disaster prevention planning for operational continuity.
  • Implement and monitor cloud infrastructure across platforms like Azure and AWS.
  • Develop and maintain automation scripts to enhance operational efficiency.

Benefits

  • Remote and on-site work across multiple data centers.
  • Opportunity to work within a cloud-first strategy.
  • Access to training and development opportunities.
  • Collaborative team environment focused on ITIL practices.
  • Support for relevant industry certifications and continuous learning.
Full Job Description
Department:
GG_Technology: GG Information Technology Administration

Salary Range Minimum:
$76,398.40

Salary Range Maximum:
$127,744.24

Closing Date:
06/15/2026

Job Details:
This is a mid-level position that performs advanced, complex technical work in the public sector. It involves a broad range of professional activities supporting a highly automated, multi-site enterprise computing environment for government and business applications. There is an emphasis on team-oriented system architecture and planning within an ITIL framework. Work is performed remotely and on-site across multiple data center facilities in a secure, regulated, and audited environment.
Work requires broad information technology skills with specialization in system administration, including server infrastructure, data center design and operations, public cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP), virtualization, automation, and security. The position supports the organization's cloud-first strategy while maintaining physical data center facilities, working closely with Managed Service Providers (MSPs), vendors, and cloud environments.
Incumbents in this classification report to a designated supervisor and work under general supervision. Work in this class is distinguished from higher classes by its lack of supervisory responsibility, and from other infrastructure positions by its specialized focus on system administration, data center operations, and cloud infrastructure.

Job Description:

SUMMARY

This is a mid-level position that performs advanced, complex technical work in the public sector. It involves a broad range of professional activities supporting a highly automated, multi-site enterprise computing environment for government and business applications. There is an emphasis on team-oriented system architecture and planning within an ITIL framework. Work is performed remotely and on-site across multiple data center facilities in a secure, regulated, and audited environment.

Work requires broad information technology skills with specialization in system administration, including server infrastructure, data center design and operations, public cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP), virtualization, automation, and security. The position supports the organization's cloud-first strategy while maintaining physical data center facilities, working closely with Managed Service Providers (MSPs), vendors, and cloud environments.

Incumbents in this classification report to a designated supervisor and work under general supervision. Work in this class is distinguished from higher classes by its lack of supervisory responsibility, and from other infrastructure positions by its specialized focus on system administration, data center operations, and cloud infrastructure.

EXAMPLES OF WORK*

*This section of the job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. The omission of a specific job function does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent in the job. Performance of lower-level duties may be required.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Data Center Management

Design, implement, administer, and monitor the efficient operation of multiple small data center facilities across the city and a long-distance remote data center facility, including data center floor space, rack space, power distribution systems, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, cooling and HVAC systems, environmental monitoring and alarms, fire suppression and containment systems, physical security and access control systems, and cable management in conformance with established practices for an auditable enterprise-level IT environment.

Coordinate and work effectively with vendors and contractors to maintain, troubleshoot, and upgrade data center infrastructure, including UPS systems, cooling systems, power distribution units (PDUs), environmental monitoring systems, fire suppression systems, and physical security systems.

Conduct or participate in regular data center assessments, disaster prevention planning, safety inspections, and disaster response training to ensure operational continuity across all facility locations.

Monitor and maintain optimal data center environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, airflow, and power consumption; respond to environmental alarms and incidents in a timely manner.

Cloud Infrastructure

Implement, configure, administer, monitor, and troubleshoot cloud infrastructure across public cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) including compute, storage, identity, and management services; work effectively with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to support the organization's cloud-first strategy in conformance with established practices for an auditable enterprise-level IT environment for such activities as change management, preventative maintenance, and access control.

Implement and maintain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) solutions using tools such as Terraform, ARM templates, or CloudFormation to ensure consistent, repeatable deployments and configuration management.

Servers and Virtualization

Implement, configure, administer, monitor, and troubleshoot a complex enterprise-level hybrid cloud and on-premise physical and virtual server environment consisting of hardware, operating systems (Windows Server, Linux), hypervisors (Hyper-V, VMware, Azure Virtual Desktop), and back-office/middleware applications in multiple tiers from development to production in conformance with established practices for an auditable enterprise-level IT environment for such activities as change management, preventative maintenance, and access control.

Manage server lifecycle, including capacity planning, performance monitoring, patch management, and decommissioning activities.

Identity and Access Management

Implement, configure, administer, and monitor identity and access management solutions, including Active Directory, Azure Active Directory (Entra ID), group policies, federation services, and single sign-on (SSO) solutions, in conformance with established security practices and access control requirements.

Create, maintain, remove, and audit system and end-user accounts, permissions, and access rights across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.

Automation and Scripting

Develop, implement, and maintain automation scripts and tools using PowerShell, Azure CLI, Python, or other scripting languages to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual tasks, and ensure consistency across the infrastructure.

Implement and maintain configuration management and automation platforms such as PowerShell DSC, Azure Automation, or Ansible.

Storage and Backup

Implement, administer, monitor, and troubleshoot enterprise storage solutions, including cloud storage services (Azure Files, Azure Blob Storage, AWS S3), on-premise storage systems, and hybrid storage solutions in conformance with established practices for data protection, storage allocation, change management, and access control.

Implement and manage backup and recovery solutions across cloud and on-premise environments, including regular testing of recovery procedures to ensure business continuity.

Security

Implement, maintain, and oversee enforcement of security policies, procedures, and technologies for system infrastructure, including endpoint protection, vulnerability management, security patching, and hardening standards.

Assess the need for any security reconfigurations and execute them if required. Keep current with emerging security alerts and issues.

Perform security assessments and vulnerability scanning of systems; recommend, schedule, and apply fixes, security patches, and any other measures required to maintain security posture.

Implement and maintain security monitoring and logging solutions to support incident detection, investigation, and response activities.

Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity

Implement redundant systems, policies, and procedures for disaster recovery to ensure adequate protection and integrity of system and data assets, including operating systems, cloud services, and software applications. Modify plans based on test or incident results.

Participate in simulations to test system disruptions and disaster recovery plans and procedures, as well as disaster avoidance and impact-reduction strategies, for the security and restoration of mission-critical business applications in the event of natural disasters, technical failures, power outages, and human or cyber interference.

Participate in all aspects of the recovery plan, including initial emergency response, recovery procedures, and business resumption processes.

Monitoring and Performance

Implement and maintain infrastructure monitoring solutions to track system performance, availability, and capacity across hybrid cloud and on-premise environments.

Analyze system performance data and logs to identify trends, optimize resource utilization, and proactively address potential issues before they impact operations.

Microsoft 365 Administration

Implement, configure, and support core Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Entra ID.

Manage user identities, licensing, and access policies across hybrid environments.

Monitor service health, troubleshoot issues, and coordinate with vendor support as needed.

Support integration of M365 services with on-premises infrastructure and third-party applications.

General

Participate in various IT work activities such as feasibility studies, capacity planning, performance analysis and fine-tuning, cloud migration planning, new technology evaluation, new systems and applications technical requirements specifications and review, and act as a project team member on technical IT infrastructure projects.

Provide business-hour technical support for escalated server-side hardware, software, security, and cloud infrastructure issues in a timely and customer-friendly manner.

Provide after-hours, on-call technical support for all server-side hardware, software, security, cloud infrastructure, and related systems issues, promptly and usually on a rotating schedule.

Provide after-hours and weekend work for changes that must be made outside business hours.

Support other IT teams throughout project, system, and application lifecycles.

Work within an ITIL framework for service delivery and continuous improvement.

Write and maintain technical documentation, including system configurations, standard operating procedures, runbooks, and architecture diagrams.

Attends work regularly and consistently.

NON-ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Research emerging products, services, protocols, and standards in support of infrastructure procurement, cloud service selection, enhancements, and development efforts.

Perform cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses for proposed infrastructure components and cloud services to aid management in making implementation decisions.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. Below are the required education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in computer science, information systems, systems engineering, or related field, and four (4) years information technology experience (must include two (2) years as a systems administrator, systems engineer, cloud engineer, or equivalent with experience in data center operations and management), or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Relevant industry certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate, CompTIA Security+, or similar cloud and systems administration certifications may be substituted for up to two (2) years of education; one (1) year per certification.

CERTIFICATIONS OR LICENSES

Licenses

A valid State of Florida Driver's License is required at all times while employed in this classification.

Certifications

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation certification is preferred and should be obtained within twelve (12) months of the assignment date.

One or more of the following certifications is highly desirable:

Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate or Professional

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator

CompTIA Linux+

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)

CompTIA Security+

VMware Certified Professional (VCP)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Ability, experience, and willingness to provide leadership and guidance to less experienced co-workers as well as provide adequate training to new employees and end users.

Ability, experience, and willingness to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with customers, coworkers, supervisors, and managers.

Ability and willingness to write technical documentation, including system configurations, procedures, and architecture diagrams.

Ability and willingness to self-learn and stay current with rapidly evolving cloud technologies and best practices.

Ability, experience, and willingness to effectively plan and organize work to ensure the highest quality performance of self and o

About Gainesville (City of Gainesville)

The City of Gainesville is the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States. It is located in North Central Florida and is home to the University of Florida, which is one of the largest universities in the United States. The city has a population of approximately 133,000 people and covers an area of 62.4 square miles. The City of Gainesville provides a wide range of services to its residents, including police and fire protection, waste management, parks and recreation, and public transportation. The city is governed by a mayor and six city commissioners, who are elected by the residents of Gainesville.
Learn more about Gainesville (City of Gainesville)
Size
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Industry

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