A senior systems engineer manages the computer and network systems for a company, including designing new solutions to address complex application and network issues and performance goals. This advanced position may also include integration of new technology and oversight of systems developers and other IT personnel.
Your senior systems engineer job description should target jobseekers with a significant amount of relevant experience and a four-year degree in computer science or a similar field. An ideal candidate should be proficient with systems management tools and have current knowledge of technology offerings and product capabilities.
This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, including written and verbal communication along with organizational abilities. Look through the senior systems engineer job description template below to see other information and skills to include in your own job listing.
Senior Systems Engineer Job Summary
If you have extensive systems engineering experience and are looking for a job that will present new challenges and allow you to oversee top-level implementation of new designs and technologies, we want you to be our senior systems engineer. You will work closely with database architects, DevOps experts and systems analysts to develop and implement new solutions to address our evolving performance and efficiency requirements. You will engineer mission-focused IT programs that incorporate both existing infrastructure and new system technologies, and work with senior executives to find the best strategies to meet requirements. We rely on our systems engineering team to build the foundation for our success, so we offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and professional development opportunities.
Job Responsibilities
- Study and understand all current and upcoming system requirements, including both fine-level details and overarching strategic goals, and communicate this information effectively to staff members and executives
- Support development and implementation of new technologies within a large systems environment by advising on design concepts and changes, implementation strategies and deployment timelines
- Coordinate with engineers, software developers and systems analysts to design effective solutions that meet requirements for functionality and integration with existing components
- Manage development, testing and deployment of software and other computer systems technologies to ensure compliance with operational requirements for security, performance, reliability and scalability
- Research existing and emerging hardware and software technologies to determine capabilities and cost-benefits relationship, and develop ongoing computer systems solutions that meet performance and budgetary requirements
- Oversee database administrators, network designers and lower-level IT personnel to facilitate well-organized and efficient planning and implementation of computer systems, and inform senior managers when human resources requirements change
- Create thorough documentation records of design specifications and instructional manuals as necessary to enable all computer systems personnel and end users to interact correctly and effectively with hardware and software systems
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science or related field
- At least seven years of systems engineering experience
- Proficient with MySQL, Python and Linux
- Excellent communication, organizational and time-management skills
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in information systems management or MBA
- SysOps Certification
Senior Systems Engineer Job Responsibilities
To create a more effective senior systems engineer job description, you need a targeted list of job responsibilities that narrows the jobseeker pool. More than a list of generic tasks, the job responsibilities section lays out the contributions the position offers the company and the expectations for each applicant. Specific details and an emphasis on the value of each task appeal to stronger candidates.
The responsibilities section of your senior systems engineer job description should be a tightly curated bullet list of core tasks. You should include at least six items, but no more than eight; overloading your job description with an endless list of duties can deter applicants. Furthermore, you should start each item with an engaging action verb that clearly illustrates the task, as well as contextualize the role of the duty within the greater business strategy. Ultimately, you should think of this section as a list of contributions rather than just duties.
Here are some helpful senior systems engineer job responsibilities you can review while composing your job description:
- Configure network parameters to meet company security and efficiency standards
- Develop IT strategy to improve systems management and response rates
- Advise senior management about critical updates, system malfunctions and vulnerability
- Conduct performance review and provide quarterly analysis reports
Senior Systems Engineer Job Specifications
Though less substantial than the job responsibilities section, the list of core qualifications on your senior systems engineer job description plays an equally vital role in drawing desirable applicants. The skills section should ideally reduce the number of under- or overqualified candidates, and thus you must construct it carefully.
To begin, assemble two categories of skills: preferred and required. Under each heading, list the traits you perceive as the most important and valuable for the job in order of necessity. Choose the top 3-4 from each column to include in your senior systems engineer job description, and be sure to indicate which are required or preferred. Through careful selection, you can tailor specific expectations for which only the most eligible applicants qualify.
Like the responsibilities section, the skills section should be concise and limited to six or eight points. Use short, direct phrases (sentence fragments are okay) to make the content more digestible. Finally, include the minimum prior experience and education requirements for the position.
Here are some example senior systems engineer job specifications to give you a better idea as to how you can strengthen your skills section:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in systems management, computer science or similar field
- Minimum 5-10 years’ experience required
- Effective team leader and coordinator
- Innovative problem-solver and motivated strategist