Systems Engineer

Systems Engineer

Role Overview

The Project Engineering department is responsible for the design and delivery of public address, voice alarm, and control systems comprising of company and supplier products. The systems are designed, built, and tested in-house before being dispatched to customers.

The Systems Engineer will support the development and testing (factory acceptance testing and site acceptance testing) of bespoke systems utilising the company’s control and reporting system. They will support Test Engineers and Project Managers to ensure systems are delivered to customers on time and in line with pre-agreed specifications. This role will also include coordination with other company departments, including the Software team, and will, at times, require attendance at customer sites.

Key Responsibilities

· Assembly and configuration of control system products, including all interfaces to third-party systems, with a disciplined approach to system configuration, backup, and restoration

· Writing and testing of system configurations of control systems with third-party communication systems (CCTV, building management systems, passenger help points, public address systems etc.)

· Support the commissioning of system at customer locations where required

· Support the Project Manager to deliver projects on time and in line with pre-agreed specifications

· Support any on-going maintenance and support obligations

· Ensure compliance with health and safety standards

· Ensure contractual obligations are met

· Adopt a ‘full ownership’ culture across the project lifecycle

Experience

· Engineering / technical role within software project development and testing

· Working knowledge of Linux (Ubuntu):

- Strong Linux fundamentals - installation (including automated / unattended installation) and troubleshooting (preferably Debian-based / Ubuntu)

· Bash scripting and another higher-level scripting language (Python desirable, Go a bonus)

· Working knowledge of hypervisors and virtual machine management (Proxmox and VMware ESXi)

· OS hardening (SELinux / AppArmor, OS firewalls, PAM, Fail2Ban)

· Understanding of package management tools (APT and RPM)

· Use of OCI containers (Docker / Podman)

· Infrastructure as Code (Ansible and Terraform)

· Knowledge of databases (preferably Postgres with Bucardo replication) or other SQL skills

· Good networking set-up and monitoring skills with an understanding of TCP/IP and supporting protocols; layer 2 and 3 understanding; VLANs; routing:

- Working knowledge of Hirschmann / Mikrotik / Cisco switches in a lab environment

- Knowledge of IGMP and IGMP routing and SNMP and Wireshark analysis

· Cyber security compliance frameworks and standards:

- Patching in secure air-gapped environments

· Troubleshooting and fault-finding of systems and articulating issues to the wider team and Software Engineers:

- Direct equipment monitoring, logging, and observability (use of Grafana / Nagios / CheckMK beneficial)

· Good working knowledge of GIT version control and procedures

· Use of Gitlab CI/CD pipelines

· Writing software test documentation

· Performing system testing in factory and on-site

· Previous experience with high-availability or dual redundant A/B systems would be useful

· Reporting and managing technical risks & issues and their mitigations throughout the project lifecycle

Attributes

The successful candidate will:

· Work with customers, colleagues, and stakeholders to resolve technical and logistical problems, taking a broad perspective to identify innovative solutions

· Be a team player who is comfortable working in a close-knit team and building strong professional relationships

· Have good communication skills and be comfortable working with people at all levels of the organisation

· Be good at keeping documentation, issues, and progress up to date in Confluence and Jira

· Have an interest in leading-edge control system and telecommunications technology

· Be comfortable working independently, but also not afraid to ask questions

· Be able to quickly adapt to new challenges

· Above all, have strong technical skills and a desire to develop these

· Able spend extended periods (~5 days) working at the customer facilities when required, including occasional weekend and night working

Education & Qualifications

Higher education qualification in a relevant subject such as Engineering or Computer Science or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience.