Systems Engineer II

North County Transit District•Oceanside, CA

About The Position

Under limited direction, the Systems Engineer II plans, engineers, implements, and sustains mission-critical technology systems that support District operations. This advanced role provides technical leadership, independent decision-making, complex escalation support, project leadership, vendor coordination, and mentoring for Systems Engineer I staff. The classification includes two specialty tracks under one title and grade: Track A—Network/Infrastructure, covering traditional IT platforms and services; and Track B—Transit Systems/Train Control, covering operational systems integration and safety- and availability-focused engineering. The Systems Engineer II leads end-to-end engineering for assigned systems, from requirements and design through deployment, operations, and continuous improvement. The role owns complex escalations and root-cause analysis; manages system lifecycle activities, security remediation, backups, and disaster recovery; develops technical documentation; and coordinates with internal teams and external vendors. Specialty duties depend on the selected track and may include enterprise IT infrastructure and endpoint management, or transit operational technology and train-control systems. The position reports to the Program Network Operations Manager for Track A, or to the Train Control Systems Manager or Transit Systems Manager for Track B. It provides functional supervision, technical guidance, and mentoring to Systems Engineer I staff. Work takes place in office and field environments, with regular travel between District facilities. Evening and weekend work is regularly required for maintenance, upgrades, and emergency response, and on-call availability for critical system issues is expected.

Requirements

Five years of progressively responsible systems engineering experience aligned to the declared specialty focus, including project leadership and complex operations support.
Strong scripting and automation skills, such as PowerShell or an equivalent.
Experience or capability in backup and disaster recovery design and execution, monitoring and observability, and technical documentation.
Knowledge of network fundamentals, including IP, routing, switching, VLANs, QoS, and ACLs, as well as security best practices and change management.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
Excellent project management and organizational skills.
Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Superior written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Strong vendor management and negotiation skills.
Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple complex priorities.
California Class C driver's license with fewer than 6 points in the preceding 36 months and no DUI convictions in the preceding 7 years; must be maintained.
Maintain compliance with the District’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics policy.
Ability to lift equipment up to 50 pounds and work in varied environmental conditions, including railway right-of-way areas.
Ability to use computers and communication devices for extended periods, perform manual technical tasks, hear, see, and communicate verbally, and travel between District locations.
Ability to walk, climb, balance, bend, carry, push, reach, sit, and stand for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Electrical, Computer or Systems Engineering, or a related field; equivalent education and experience may also be considered.
For Track A: Advanced Microsoft certifications, such as Endpoint Administrator Associate, Identity and Access Administrator Associate, Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, or Azure Administrator Associate; VMware VCP; or enterprise storage/network certifications.
For Track A: Experience with identity governance and endpoint management at scale.
For Track A: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and CompTIA Security+ or equivalent.
For Track A: Experience with Hyper-V failover clustering, 802.1X/network access control, or certificate services.
For Track A: Experience building enterprise automation or workflows with AI tools.
For Track B: Prior experience with PTC or signal interfaces, SCADA or telemetry, CAD/AVL, fare systems, and station systems.
For Track B: Experience on railroad or transit OT networks and control-center integrations.
Knowledge of enterprise and operational technology systems architecture, high-availability patterns, security and compliance practices, vendor and statement-of-work management, and ITIL-aligned service management.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end engineering for assigned systems, including requirements, design, build, testing, deployment, operations, and continual improvement.
Own complex escalations and root-cause analysis; develop runbooks, standards, and system diagrams.
Plan and execute system lifecycle and refresh activities, patching, vulnerability remediation, backups, and disaster recovery tests.
Manage vendors and statements of work, evaluate technologies, and develop budget and replacement recommendations.
Create and maintain technical documentation and disaster recovery and continuity procedures.
Mentor Systems Engineer I staff and coordinate across Operations, Maintenance, Facilities, IT, and external partners.
For Track A, engineer and administer Windows Server, Active Directory, Entra ID, hybrid identity synchronization, identity access controls, virtualization, enterprise storage, Microsoft 365, and endpoint management.
For Track A, engineer and maintain LAN/WAN switching and routing, network segmentation, security controls, monitoring, wireless access points, switches, and routers; provide secondary network coverage during absences, after-hours events, and major incidents.
For Track A, maintain controls connecting devices, identity, and networks, including device compliance, certificate-based authentication, 802.1X, and network access control.
For Track A, implement and test enterprise backup and disaster recovery solutions; coordinate endpoint protection, patch orchestration, and vulnerability management.
For Track A, use District-approved AI tools with validation of AI-assisted outputs, develop PowerShell or other automation, and contribute to responsible AI standards.
For Track B, integrate and sustain transit operational technology, including PTC ecosystems, signal and train-control interfaces, wayside devices, interlockings, SCADA/telemetry, CAD/AVL, passenger information, fare collection, station assets, and operational databases.
For Track B, engineer and support operational networks, including field radios, resilient backhaul, and segmented OT networks designed for high availability and appropriate performance.
For Track B, implement system monitoring and alarming aligned with operational control centers, and establish failover, rollback, and hot/warm standby strategies.
For Track B, coordinate system cutovers, test plans, field commissioning, configuration management, and post-incident reviews with Rail Operations and Maintenance.
For Track B, maintain configuration baselines, application and configuration files, and documentation for regulated systems; support audits and incident investigations.