Infrastructure Engineer - IS Systems Specialist III

Under general supervision, this individual performs complex and varied technical tasks related to the configuration, troubleshooting, maintenance, and monitoring of the County's infrastructure. Serves as a technical leader and subject matter expert in specific area(s), designing, analyzing, managing, and maintaining multiple physical and virtual server infrastructures and storage systems to ensure proper integration with existing system architecture. Configures, manages, and monitors backup infrastructure, and provides recommendations, support, and training to other technology services support staff and County users.

Supervision Received and Exercised

Receives general supervision from an assigned IS Systems Supervisor. May exercise technical and functional direction over and provide training to lower-level staff on a project basis.

Class Characteristics

This is the advanced journey class in the IS Systems Specialist series. Incumbents serve as subject matter experts in specific area(s), perform complex and varied technical support, provide analytical support for County-wide infrastructure, and frequently solve problems requiring analysis of unique issues or problems without precedent. Incumbents serve as technical leads for assigned projects and are required to work with a high degree of independent judgment, tact, and initiative.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes, installs, configures, maintains, and monitors hardware and software upgrades to ensure effective server performance.
• Configures and implements real-time monitoring to identify and resolve service outages and critical resource shortages.
• Monitors system performance to identify and troubleshoot deficiencies in design, security, installation, and/or integration with other technologies.
• Researches, recommends, and implements system enhancements to improve performance and reliability; researches, recommends, tests, and implements upgrades and fixes.
• Develops and recommends comprehensive standards, policies, procedures, and technical documentation pertaining to system maintenance and infrastructure.
• Provides specialized and complex technical support and assistance to staff concerning assigned systems; serves as the primary contact for resolving related issues, conflicts, and concerns.
• Serves as technical lead for assigned projects, including developing project budgets, allocating resources, gathering user and systems requirements, working with vendors and contractors, and providing technical support.
• Provides direction during major server incidents to ensure expedient response and resolution; maintains communication with stakeholders on server infrastructure status.
• Functions as a liaison between project managers, analysts, data specialists, communications specialists, and client systems specialists to ensure standards and protocols are maintained.
• Provides recommendations to managers and supervisors on the development of long- and short-term system infrastructure plans.
• Participates in the review and recommendation of contracts with outside vendors and consultants; administers, monitors, and evaluates contract scope of work.
• Stays abreast of new trends and innovations in technology related to County operations; researches, recommends, and evaluates vendor solutions and technologies.
• Writes and maintains user and technical operating instructions and documentation; provides training to users and other technical staff and advises on best practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience administering enterprise server infrastructure, with strong expertise in Windows Server environments.
• Advanced knowledge of Active Directory domain and forest administration, including group policy, DNS, replication, domain controllers, trusts, security delegation, and enterprise-scale AD design.
• Experience supporting Identity Providers (IdP) in a hybrid cloud environment, including Okta, OAuth, MFA, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure AD Connect, or equivalent.
• Deep technical experience with virtualization platforms, including VMware vCenter/ESXi and Nutanix-based hyperconverged infrastructure; Hyper-V experience is a plus.
• Experience managing servers and core infrastructure services in hybrid cloud environments, including on-premises data centers, cloud-hosted workloads, monitoring, patching, backup, and disaster recovery practices.
• Strong Windows Server administration skills, including installation, configuration, hardening, troubleshooting, performance tuning, lifecycle management, and automation at scale.
• Working knowledge of Linux server administration, including provisioning, basic configuration, patching, access control, and troubleshooting in an enterprise environment.
• Experience with infrastructure automation and endpoint/server management tools, such as Microsoft Configuration Manager/SCCM, Ansible, PowerShell, scripting, or similar platforms.
• Strong interpersonal, documentation, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical teams, vendors, management, and business stakeholders.

Knowledge Of

• Advanced infrastructure design, architecture, configuration, installation, and maintenance methods and techniques.
• Advanced techniques and methods of server infrastructure evaluation, implementation, and documentation.
• Advanced troubleshooting, configuration, and installation techniques.
• Principles and practices of project management.
• Principles of computer operating systems, enterprise infrastructure, and peripheral components.
• Advanced principles and practices of designing, installing, managing, and maintaining virtualization technologies.
• Principles and practices of configuring and using system monitoring tools.
• Principles and practices of configuring and implementing system backup solutions.
• Procedures for creating and modifying systems security.
• Applicable regulatory requirements relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with vendors and County staff.

Skills and Abilities

• Perform advanced technical support functions in the design, architecture, installation, configuration, maintenance, and repair of assigned systems.
• Perform complex functions in the design, installation, management, implementation, testing, and maintenance of support servers, storage systems, and other components.
• Monitor system and server utilization and recommend appropriate revisions to processes, procedures, and operations.
• Analyze informational requirements and needs; identify, evaluate, and solve systems problems; design and implement new or revised systems and procedures.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret procedures and data; develop sound conclusions, recommendations, and solutions.
• Deal tactfully with customers and staff in providing information, answering questions, and delivering customer service.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems.
• Organize and prioritize multiple projects and tasks effectively and timely; set priorities and meet critical deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment, including computer equipment and specialized software applications.
• Communicate effectively in English, both in person and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in management information systems, computer science, or a related field, and four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in supporting and implementing information technology infrastructure and/or server administration.
• Additional related experience may substitute for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis, up to four (4) years.

Licenses and Certifications

• Some positions may require possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver's License.
• Some positions may require possession of, or ability to obtain, industry-recognized information technology certifications.

Physical Demands

• Mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer.
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen.
• Hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone.
• Frequent standing and walking between work areas.
• Finger dexterity needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard or calculator and to operate standard office equipment.