Systems Engineer II

About SLED

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is a premier statewide law enforcement agency dedicated to serving and protecting the citizens of South Carolina. With a history rooted in integrity, professionalism, and public service, SLED provides investigative, intelligence, and forensic services to support law enforcement agencies across the state. The agency values dedication, ethical conduct, accountability, and a strong commitment to justice, fostering a professional work environment where teamwork, respect, and continuous improvement are fundamental.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced‑level direction to SLED in the use of information technology.
• Design, configure, install, monitor, and support the agency’s server, storage, and cloud environments on an advanced level.
• Ensure high availability, security, and performance of IT systems by implementing best practices, optimizing resources, and leading infrastructure projects.
• Oversee the security, integrity, and safety of critical IT systems.
• Lead the architecture, configuration, installation, monitoring, and maintenance of SLED’s server, storage, virtualization, and cloud environments.
• Manage and optimize Active Directory, Exchange/M365, Azure AD/Entra ID, Intune, DNS, DHCP, SQL, storage, and backup platforms to ensure maximum performance and reliability.
• Serve as the technical lead for infrastructure modernization projects, coordinating with vendors, evaluating technologies, providing quotes, and implementing enterprise solutions.
• Administer and enhance system security by enforcing patching, hardening, backup, and recovery strategies in alignment with agency and state cybersecurity policies.
• Research and recommend emerging technologies to improve infrastructure scalability, automation, and cost efficiency.
• Mentor and train the systems engineering team, providing technical guidance on troubleshooting, design, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, including configuration standards, procedures, and disaster‑recovery plans.
• Respond to critical incidents, lead incident resolution, and conduct post‑incident reviews.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support SLED’s mission and IT infrastructure operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field (or equivalent experience on a year‑for‑year basis).
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting enterprise‑class virtual and physical Windows server environments.
• Advanced, hands‑on experience with:
  • Windows Server OS, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy
  • VMware vSphere/ESXi or Hyper‑V
  • Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online, Azure AD / Entra ID, Intune
  • SQL Server
  • SAN / NAS storage and enterprise backup solutions
  • Hybrid or cloud environments (Azure preferred)
• Strong understanding of IT security best practices, including patching, hardening, compliance, disaster recovery, and data protection.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex infrastructure projects, evaluate new technologies, and provide technical mentorship.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills; ability to work effectively across technical and non‑technical teams.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
• Successful completion of a fingerprint background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as VMware VCP, Azure Administrator/Architect, Microsoft certifications, or equivalent.
• Experience with PowerShell, Terraform, or Ansible for automation and infrastructure‑as‑code.
• Familiarity with container technologies (Docker / Kubernetes) and modern cloud architectures.
• Experience in a law enforcement or public safety IT environment.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, Vision, Long‑Term Disability, and Life Insurance for employee, spouse, and children.
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year.
• 15 days sick leave per year.
• 13 paid holidays.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs.

Schedule

Position requires participation in a rotating 24/7 on‑call schedule and may involve occasional overnight travel.