Systems Engineer

Bowhead seeks a Systems Engineer who will be a part of a dynamic, energetic, and mission-oriented team providing Technical Integration Management Support (TIMS) to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Passenger Systems Program Directorate (PSPD). This position supports both the continuous monitoring (24x7x365) of mission-critical applications and Desktop and Web Application Support (DWAS) for DHS network and cloud environments. While core hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, the 24x7x365 nature of the Production Monitoring requirement means this position may require the willingness to work various shifts to accommodate coverage.

To be successful, the Systems Engineer must be able to multitask, managing system health while also providing high-level technical and development support. This work includes leveraging automated performance monitoring tools, presenting to the Engineering Review Board (ERB), and supporting the development of native, containerized web applications in the cloud (AWS).

The successful candidate must hold a current and favorably adjudicated CBP suitability background investigation.

The Systems Engineer will interact with project leads, project managers, department liaisons, and key government staff. Collaboration with other analysts, infrastructure support personnel, and application support personnel are key to success. Consequently, this role requires excellent customer service, verbal and written communication skills and the ability to provide the following services:
• Provide outstanding support of the Passenger Services Program Directorate’s (PSPD) suite of customer-facing applications
• Timely reporting of events and performance statistics; contacting the entity responsible for the application and recommending a resolution
• Monitor various applications to proactively identify system disruptions and preempt enterprise outages
• Ensure that required Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are met
• Notify internal and external departments of performance issues and trends
• Support maintenance and scheduled outages
• Review and update tickets with most current status information
• Understand applications and their interdependencies
• Incorporate monitoring of any new applications or systems
• Review and suggest monitoring tools as needed
• Perform application triage during active incidents
• Perform mitigation services for Mission Essential applications during scheduled changes and unplanned events
• Monitor and support scheduled change activity in the production environment and escalate unexpected issues
• Provide application verification support to support teams upon completion of scheduled changes in the production environment
• Root Cause Analyst (RCA) and follow up both internal and external
• Provide updated reports for monthly PMR presentation and review
• Provide daily executive reports detailing the health of the Passenger Services Program Directorate’s (PSPD) environment and any pending changes which may potentially impact PSPD applications
• Provide documentation and presentation support as needed
• Effectively document incidents describing the issue, business impact, root cause and fix actions
• Identify areas where improvements in processes or documentation will increase the team’s overall proficiency
• Other duties as assigned

• BA/BS in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related scientific or technical discipline. MA/MS degree preferred.
• At least 1-3 years of experience supporting an IT system through troubleshooting, applications maintenance, and network operations
• ITIL experience
• Experience with automated monitoring and performance management tools (i.e.: Auto Ops, App Dynamics, Splunk, etc.)
• Outstanding communications skills---both written and oral
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment as well as manage individual tasks
• Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills:
• Experience with US Government systems (preferred)
• ITIL certification preferred; OR willingness to sit for the ITIL certification exam within the first year of hire

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS: Candidates must hold a current and favorably adjudicated CBP suitability background investigation.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged amounts of time
• Must be able to twist, bend and squat periodically

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