Principal Systems Engineer (Police)

The PPD Platform Engineering Group is responsible for the cross-platform technologies that provide technical delivery of applications and services used in day-to-day operations. The Principal Systems Engineer position is a lead technical position in the PPD Platform Engineering Group which oversees management, administration, and operations for the department’s IT systems infrastructure and data centers. This position requires high proficiency in areas of infrastructure operations including server operating systems, Windows Active Directory, on-prem and cloud-based infrastructure virtualization, middleware and application deployment, network integration, and data recovery. The individual will have an operational focus on Business Continuity, Security Risk Management, AD modernizations, and Disaster/Data Recovery. Under the supervision of the IT Architect, the candidate will lead and mentor a team of engineers in performing analysis, planning, implementations, maintenance, troubleshooting and enhancements on Police systems and networks. These include a combination of servers, mainframes, cloud tenants, storage arrays, LANs, WANs, VPNs, and the physical and logical components that integrate these systems together as an enterprise backbone or platform. This position includes participating in project teams at both local and central enterprise levels so subject matter expertise, professional demeanor, customer service skills, along with the ability to work within a team is necessary.  This requires creativity and resourcefulness to accomplish goals and objectives as well as applying concepts, plans, and strategies which may deviate from traditional methods and practices. The position is also expected to have the flexibility to assist in other areas as needed.  Due to the 24/7/365 operational requirements with Public Safety, this position will also require the individual to work some non-standard work hours including nights, weekends and holidays when needed. There is also a requirement to participate in an off-hours call rotation. Primary Responsibilities:    Lead efforts in configuring, testing, implementing, deploying, and troubleshooting all server infrastructure and associated systems    Identify and improve AIM (identify and access management) strategies for Police systems and networks    Oversee protocols for business continuity, including data retentions, backups, and disaster recovery     Manage escalations for incident tickets and requests related to engineering operations     Support systems and data compliance per internal, state, and federal compliance policies and standards    Maintain software/firmware upgrades across systems at recommended code versions or levels     Perform risk management and mitigations for known and discovered system exploits and vulnerabilities     Pursue automation methodologies to enhance operations tasks    Monitor availability and performance of virtual environments and associated components     Develop and improve documentation on operational procedures and systems/environments     Develop, enhance, and generate monthly statistics and regular capacity planning reports    Train and mentor team members and junior technical staff     Oversee all aspects of equipment/product lifecycle, including provisioning and asset management    Provide level 3 systems troubleshooting & problem resolution for internal and external customers    Maintain current knowledge of areas of responsibilityAdditional Responsibilities:     Participate as a principal lead role in assisting with forward-looking strategic planning relating to infrastructure and operations    Other duties as neededCompetencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities    Expertise in Windows Active Directory, including AzureAD and Active Directory Domain Services.    Advanced skills in PowerShell, VB, Bash, or Batch scripting.    In-Depth knowledge of VMware virtualization components including vSphere, Site Recovery Manager, and vRealize Operations.    Experience with VLANs, VRFs, IPAMs, switching, routing, and other network components.    Expert technical knowledge of Windows and Linux server operating systems and related tools and utilities.    Sizing, selection, and provisioning of hardware for virtualization environments.    Familiarity with backup and DR systems and techniques.    Good foundational understanding of SQL platforms such as Microsoft SQL, Postgres, and Oracle.    Demonstrated technical leadership abilities.    Excellent troubleshooting skills.    Strong communication and interpersonal skills.    Ability to work nonstandard hours including nights, weekends and holidays as needed.    Good organizational skills and attention to details.    Ability to work independently and be reliable.     Honesty and integrity.