Lead System Engineer (Government)

AT&T•Chantilly, VA

4d•$118,000 - $251,700•Onsite

About The Position

AT&T is seeking an experienced Lead System Engineer to support a professional services effort for a U.S. Government customer in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The role focuses on designing, developing, operating, and maintaining mission communications systems, services, and supporting infrastructure. The engineer will design, install, configure, implement, and maintain customer mission solutions across multi-platform and multi-vendor applications, virtual environments, and SIP-based real-time communications applications. The position is based at the customer’s site in Chantilly, Virginia, and requires office presence at least five days per week. It is a full-time role supporting AT&T’s National Security organization and the customer’s mission objectives. The Lead System Engineer collaborates with a matrixed team of voice, network, and systems engineers, and regularly engages with the customer, engineering resources, and third-party vendors. The position supports mission systems in physical and virtual environments, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Rocky, Debian, and Windows. The role includes system lifecycle management, system administration, security hardening, documentation, troubleshooting, and Tier 3/4 escalation support. The engineer must be willing to be on call and work outside normal business hours for system maintenance. Occasional travel to Sponsor locations in the Washington Metro Area and domestically is required. The role requires a TSSCI clearance with polygraph. A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, or a similar field is specified, though education requirements are flexible depending on experience. The position requires 5–10 years of relevant experience. The stated salary range is $118,000–$251,700, with individual starting salary dependent on geography, experience, expertise, and education or training.

Requirements

TSSCI clearance with polygraph.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, or a similar field; education requirements are flexible depending on experience.
5–10 years of experience designing, configuring, implementing, and maintaining enterprise-class system solutions.
Experience with full-stack system engineering of complex systems and networks, including design, implementation, configuration, and lifecycle maintenance.
Experience analyzing requirements and collaborating with developers, database personnel, application subject-matter experts, and other engineering resources to deliver solutions.
System, network, and/or database administration experience in enterprise-class environments, with a focus on Linux and Windows.
Familiarity with user account and group policy management, application and service management, and application patching and upgrades.
Proficiency with operating systems, networking software and hardware, and networking protocols.
Strong understanding of TCP/IP networks, network troubleshooting, and protocols such as SSH, SFTP, SCP, HTTPS, DNS, and SNMP.
Proficiency with database systems and basic database administration, including Oracle, MySQL, and Postgres.
Knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and best practices, including enforcing CIS and STIG security baseline configurations in Windows and Linux environments.
Experience creating technical documentation such as system design diagrams, user guides, test plans, installation guides, and troubleshooting guides.
Experience monitoring and reviewing system, database, and application logs to audit and address anomalies.
Experience creating and implementing scripts or automation tools for routine system and application tasks, data and metrics collection, and reporting.
Experience maintaining system continuity through backups, disaster recovery plans, and failover procedures.
Strong problem-solving, analytical, critical-thinking, time-management, and written and verbal interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate effectively with colleagues, engineering teams, and the Sponsor.
Commitment to continuous learning and education to develop skills and expertise.
Ability to investigate and troubleshoot problems, inefficiencies, and performance issues using rigorous logic and appropriate network monitoring and troubleshooting methods.
Ability to train Tier 1–3 staff on voice-solution implementation, configuration, and support processes and procedures.
Willingness to be on call and work outside normal business hours for maintenance.
Willingness to travel occasionally to Sponsor locations in the Washington Metro Area and domestically.

Nice To Haves

CompTIA Server+ certification.
CompTIA Security+ certification.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
Red Hat Certified System Administrator certification.
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification.
VMware Certified Professional certification.
Experience with database administration for Oracle, MySQL, or Postgres.
Experience implementing CIS/STIG cybersecurity baseline configurations for Windows and RHEL.
Experience with Bash scripting, Python, or Perl.
Experience with automation tools such as Ansible or Puppet.
Experience with data and event management and analytics tools such as Splunk.
Experience with network management applications.
Experience with virtualization environments such as VMware/vSphere or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with system engineers to deploy, configure, maintain, and operate mission application systems in physical and virtual environments.
Engage regularly with the customer, engineering resources, and third-party vendors to implement and maintain supported products and services.
Maintain, configure, and operate mission systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Rocky, Debian, and Windows.
Manage mission systems throughout their lifecycle, including planning, designing, evaluating, selecting, implementing, maintaining, and future migrations.
Install and configure operating system, database, and application patches and upgrades, as well as hardware components such as servers, SANs, and hard disks.
Troubleshoot hardware and software errors by running diagnostics, documenting problems and resolutions, prioritizing problems, and assessing impact.
Monitor and review system and application logs to audit performance, security activity, and anomalies.
Create and implement scripts and automation tools for routine system and application tasks, data and metrics collection, dashboards, and reports.
Create and maintain application and system backups, and develop and perform disaster recovery plans and failover procedures.
Create and maintain technical documentation for system administration, installation, operation, and maintenance procedures.
Implement, maintain, and document system security hardening and compliance with customer standards and requirements.
Manage capacity, storage planning, and database performance.
Serve as a Tier 3/4 escalation resource for operations and maintenance trouble and incident response.
Provide training to Tier 1–3 staff on processes and procedures related to implementation, configuration, and support of voice solutions.
Be available for on-call work and work outside normal business hours for system maintenance activities.
Travel occasionally to Sponsor locations in the Washington Metro Area and domestically.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401(k) plan.
Tuition reimbursement program.
Paid time off and holidays, including at least 23 vacation days each year and 9 company-designated holidays, based on date of hire.
Paid parental leave.
Paid caregiver leave.
Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available but is unprotected.
Adoption reimbursement.
Short- and long-term disability benefits.
Life and accidental death insurance.
Supplemental benefit programs, including critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, and group legal coverage.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
Employee wellness programs.
Employee discounts of up to 50% on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet and fiber where available, and AT&T wireline phone.