Senior IT Systems Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

: Community Power is seeking a highly experienced Senior IT Systems Engineer to join our growing team of technology experts who are building a world-class IT & Data Analytics presence. A key priority of this role will be to provide advanced systems engineering services for Community Power’s IT and data systems. The Senior IT Systems Engineer will implement, deploy, and monitor IT infrastructure and computing systems to empower Community Power staff with technologies and IT systems. This role will report to the IT Manager and will assist in ensuring that Community Power is effectively using the latest technology.

WHO IS COMMUNITY POWER?

Community Power is a community-driven, not-for-profit public agency providing cleaner energy to the San Diego region. Formed in 2019, Community Power is the second largest Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) in California, serving nearly 1 million customer accounts across its member agencies: the Cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa and National City, as well as the unincorporated areas of San Diego County.

OUR HISTORY

Community Power was formed in 2019 as a public, not-for-profit community choice aggregator (CCA) in the San Diego region. We began electric service in 2021 and now serve seven member agencies: the Cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, La Mesa and National City, as well as the unincorporated communities of San Diego County. Community Power was formed to bring local control and customer choice to San Diego while also providing clean and renewable energy at competitive rates. We are the second largest CCA in California, serving nearly 1 million customers. For more information, please visit SDCommunityPower.org.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

At Community Power, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We represent a diverse customer base and hope to hire employees that reflect our communities. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITES

- Design, configure, and deploy network infrastructure (LAN, WAN, WLAN, VPN), server infrastructure (physical and virtual, primarily Windows Server), storage solutions, and cloud services (Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, Google Cloud).

- Perform advanced systems administration tasks, including server patching, configuration management, performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and capacity planning for both on-premises and cloud environments.

- Manage and maintain network devices (firewalls, switches, routers, load balancers), ensuring optimal performance, security, and availability. Implement and enforce network security policies and procedures.

- Architect, deploy, and manage resources within our Microsoft Azure, GCP and AWS environments, including virtual machines, storage, networking, security services, and serverless technologies. Optimize cloud costs and performance.

- Implement and maintain security best practices across all systems and networks, ensuring compliance with relevant industry regulations and practices (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, GxP, SOX). Participate in security audits and vulnerability assessments.

- Ensure secure and reliable remote access for our remote users and contractors. Implement and support collaboration tools and platforms.

- Participate in the development, testing, and maintenance of disaster recovery and business continuity plans for IT systems and infrastructure.

- Create and maintain comprehensive documentation of network topologies, system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps.

- Liaise with external vendors for hardware, software, and services, ensuring effective communication and service delivery.

- Lead or participate in IT infrastructure and systems projects, ensuring timely completion within budget and scope.

- Stay current with new and emerging technologies, making recommendations when appropriate, including attending training courses and webinars.

- Analyze business requirements by partnering with key stakeholders across the organization to develop solutions for their IT needs.

- Collaborate and lead in root cause analysis and troubleshooting of hardware and software issues related to internal IT and their resolution.

- Collaborate and lead in implementing broader IT strategies, IT policies, and best practices.

- Collaborate and lead in creating and running workshops and training programs for staff.

- Collaborate and lead in developing and managing intranet websites and content.

- Assist other IT department members.

- Other related tasks as required by the IT department.

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

- Advanced working knowledge and experience dealing with IT infrastructure (on-premises and cloud), email exchange servers, networking, firewall, VoIP, audio & video conference room setup, and SharePoint administration.

- Demonstrated experience in Microsoft 365, AWS, and Google Cloud environments.

- Advanced knowledge of IT and data systems engineering, architecture, and design.

- Advanced experience performing root cause analysis on internal and external data and processes to answer specific business questions and identify opportunities for improvement.

- Advanced experience in leading the implementation of large IT projects across various technologies.

- Excellent working knowledge of computer systems, security, network, systems administration, databases and data storage systems, and phone systems.

- Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills.

- Excellent project management skills and strong ability to prioritize.

- Advanced experience in supporting IT infrastructure and end-user operations.

- Advanced experience in implementing IT best practices.

- Advanced experience supporting and working with cross-functional teams in a dynamic environment.

- Experience in the energy sector and/or supporting the implementation of programs funded by California state agencies (e.g., California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board)

- Ability to strongly represent the organization in various professional engagement settings from local to national convenings (conferences, workshops, executive meetings, etc.).

QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the knowledge and abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

A four-year degree or higher from an accredited college or university AND a minimum of five (5) years of related professional experience.

Experience:

- Proven experience architecting, deploying, and managing infrastructure in Microsoft Azure, GCP, and AWS, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS offerings.

- Relevant Azure and AWS certifications (e.g., Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert, Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional) are highly desirable.

- Microsoft software: Windows Server, Windows Client OS, Exchange, Intune, Defender, Purview, M365, Teams, SharePoint, Power BI, and Power Automate.

- Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud services.

- Cisco/Meraki networking, firewall, and VoIP

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. This position requires occasional carrying, lifting, and/or moving objects up to 25 pounds. Occasional local travel may be required as needed.

At Community Power we work in the communities we serve and in the office. Community Power works to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for employees and in our communities. Community Power requires employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Exemptions to the vaccine requirement will be considered for individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated and for individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs that prohibit them from being vaccinated, consistent with governing labor laws.

Community Power is an agency required to adopt and promulgate a Conflict-of-Interest Code (“COI”). The COI code requires employees in designated positions, including those identified under the interim disclosure process, to file a Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) on an annual basis. A Successful candidate accepting this position may be required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Compensation:

Salary Range:

The position salary range is: $98,100 - $166,800; with exact compensation to be determined by Community Power, depending upon experience.

Benefits

: Standard benefits package including but not limited to:

Insurance

: Community Power covers 100% group health benefits, including medical, vision, and dental insurance, for eligible FT employees. Also provided is a $100,000 Life & AD&D policy, STD and LTD coverage that is 100% paid by Community Power.

Retirement

: Community Power offers a 457(b) plan for employee contributions and contributes 10% of eligible compensation to the employee’s Money Purchase Plan.

Paid Time Off

: 11 holidays per year + paid winter holiday (between 12/24-12/31), 160 hours of accrued paid time off per year (increases with time in service), and 96 hours per year of accrued paid sick leave.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at the discretion of Community Power as needed.