Senior IT Systems Engineer

Senior IT Systems Engineer

OCT Consulting is a business management and technology consulting firm that supports Federal Government clients. We provide consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Process Improvement, Change Management, Program and Project Management, Acquisition/Procurement, and Information Technology.

OCT currently has an opening for a Senior IT Systems Engineer to work with our federal client. The client requires a Senior IT Systems Engineer to support the agency’s IT infrastructure at its Washington, DC headquarters. This role manages a hybrid environment consisting of on-premises Cisco networking, VMware Hypervisor with fewer than 50 servers, Microsoft Active Directory integrated with Azure Entra, and the M365 cloud platform supporting fewer than 150 users.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

• Perform systems engineering and maintenance activities according to established standards across both on-premises and M365 environments.
• Apply knowledge of information systems management principles including NIST guidelines and FISMA directives to ensure compliance.
• Manage the M365 Entra t with a focus on conditional access, MFA integration, and auditing.
• Evaluate current IT systems architecture and configuration and recommend well researched and documented corrective actions.
• Identify gaps in FISMA requirements implementation and propose remediation plans.
• Apply knowledge of networking technologies including LAN, Microsoft Azure cloud environment, and wireless management in solutions implementation and troubleshooting.
• Develop and implement STIG configuration baselines for servers and configure proactive monitoring and alerting for all critical IT resources.
• Install, configure, test, and maintain servers, storage, and related networking equipment.
• Develop disaster recovery strategies for critical systems and data as directed by the System Owner.
• Implement patch management strategies and secure data according to established procedures; install firmware and security updates on servers, printers, and networking equipment.
• Maintain configuration hygiene, mitigate vulnerabilities, document systems administration processes, and support the implementation of controls to meet FISMA requirements.
• Evaluate and execute security compliance activities such as Endpoint Detection and Response policies and SCUBA compliance baselines to align with cybersecurity directives.
• Provide written recommendations to the System Owner on systems operations priorities to drive operations improvements and identify dependencies.
• Participate in special project team meetings to gather relevant systems requirements and support the integration of projects with IT operations.
• Develop and maintain accurate systems operations documentation including standard operating procedures for recurring tasks.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Minimum six (6) continuous years of experience in IT systems engineering in a federal government environment.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with Microsoft M365 administration, Azure Entra  (conditional access, MFA, auditing), and Active Directory.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and hybrid on‑premises/cloud environments.
• Experience with Cisco networking technologies (routers, switches, firewalls) and VMware Hypervisor platform.
• Proficiency with Linux and Windows Server operating system administration.
• Experience developing and implementing STIG configuration baselines and SCUBA compliance baselines.
• Strong knowledge of NIST guidelines, FISMA requirements, and federal IT governance frameworks.
• Experience with patch management, vulnerability mitigation, and disaster recovery planning.
• Proficiency with Power Shell scripting for systems administration tasks.
• Experience managing endpoint detection and response (EDR) policies.
• MCSE, Azure Administrator, VCP, CCNA, or equivalent systems/networking certification required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field preferred; relevant IT certifications may be substituted for a formal degree.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance; background investigation will involve credit, fingerprint, and law enforcement agency checks.
• Must work primarily onsite in SW, Washington, DC 20024; limited remote work may be authorized.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Retirement savings 401K plan provided by an industry-leading provider with 3% employer contributions of the employee’s gross salary
• Paid Time Off and Standard Government Holidays
• Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term disability benefits
• Training Benefits

Salary Range: $100,000 - $130,000 yearly commensurate with experience, education, etc.