Systems Engineer

Job Title: Lead Systems Engineer

Job Description

This Lead Systems Engineer role focuses on designing, developing, evaluating, and refining end-to-end systems and solutions for customers in a research and development environment. You will serve as the platform subject matter expert, working closely with software developers to address hardware, hypervisors, Kubernetes, orchestration, deployment scenarios, high availability, and software packaging. The position is based in The Colony, Texas and involves building and configuring lab systems, integrating software and hardware components, and troubleshooting complex solutions both in the lab and at customer sites.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and evaluate end-to-end customer solutions, ensuring they meet functional, performance, and reliability requirements.
• Build lab systems, load software, configure components, integrate subsystems, and verify complete solutions in a lab environment and at customer sites.
• Configure, integrate, and troubleshoot solutions using internal networking products, third-party products, and customized software packages.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert and primary technical interface for internal and external customers in assigned platform areas.
• Collaborate with the R&D team to design, implement, and functionally test products, ensuring seamless integration between hardware, hypervisors, Kubernetes, and software components.
• Contribute to R&D activities related to product releases, new features, requirements definition, and development of test tools.
• Lead a small customer project team of engineers, providing technical direction and oversight to deliver high-quality solutions on schedule.
• Work with hardware and software suppliers as needed to support solution design, integration, and troubleshooting.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proactively maintain and expand technical skillsets to stay current with emerging technologies and best practices.
• Take initiative in identifying issues, proposing improvements, and driving tasks to completion with minimal supervision.
• Interact with project managers, vendors, and other stakeholders to meet project schedules and deliverables.
• Interface with Customer Support to ensure customer issues are addressed promptly, accurately, and in alignment with product capabilities.
• Work under pressure to meet deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality in deliverables.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree (BS) in an engineering discipline or related field.
• 8–10+ years of experience in an engineering discipline related to telecommunications.
• Strong expertise in virtual environments and software-defined networking using platforms such as VMware ESXi, Hyper-V, Docker, Linux KVM, or similar technologies.
• Demonstrated experience with VMware hypervisors, including recent versions (e.g., ESXi 3 or 4 and newer).
• Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, preferably RKE2, including deployment and management of hardened and security-hardened Kubernetes environments.
• Excellent knowledge of installation and configuration of servers, routers, and switches across hardware, operating systems, and application layers.
• Solid understanding of networking concepts from physical infrastructure through operating systems to application-level networking.
• Proven ability to design, configure, integrate, and troubleshoot complex networked systems in lab and customer environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading or actively participating in new product development activities.
• Ability to deploy and manage secure, hardened Kubernetes-based networks, including RKE2 deployments.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality results.
• Effective communication skills, with fluency in English, and the ability to convey technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and build strong working relationships with cross-functional teams.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is highly preferred if not already required
• Experience with wireless technologies and related protocols, such as LTE and GSM, is a strong plus.
• CCNA or equivalent networking certification is a plus.
• Experience working as a platform subject matter expert in R&D or product-focused environments.
• Experience in designing and deploying secure, hardened Kubernetes distributions such as RKE2.
• Experience collaborating with suppliers and vendors for hardware and software integration.
• Proven ability to take initiative, stay current with evolving technologies, and continuously improve technical skills.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of The Colony, TX.

The pay range for this position is $62.50 - $77.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in The Colony,TX.

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 5, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.