Systems Engineer II

Systems Engineer II

We are seeking a Systems Engineer to support day-to-day operations for research data collection environments. This role will help maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the hardware, software, and processes used to collect data for internal teams. The role involves working across multiple projects, coordinating with people from various disciplines (electrical, software, research, etc.), and ensuring systems stay running smoothly during active data collection sessions. This is a hands-on operational role and won't be building systems from scratch however need to understand how they work well enough to keep them running, fix problems when they break, and improve processes over time. The work is onsite in Pittsburgh, PA research/lab environments and requires strict adherence to data handling and participant privacy protocols.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support capture operations via hardware and software troubleshooting, root cause analysis, cross-functional collaboration, process improvement, and engineering improvements.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across Linux, Windows, and macOS (Operating System) systems using terminal/CLI tools and standard diagnostics.
• Perform basic network debugging and issue triage (e.g., connectivity, DNS, DHCP, routing basics) and support common network protocols.
• Develop and maintain lightweight automation/scripts in bash and/or Python to improve reliability and operational efficiency.
• Support and maintain systems used in onsite user study environments, including coordination with internal stakeholders to ensure readiness for sessions.
• Follow established data handling, participant privacy, and operational protocols for user study environments.
• Document procedures, common issues, and fixes to support repeatable operations and knowledge sharing. Update Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) as issues are resolved or processes change.
• Provide operational support for camera/optical systems, lighting, audio systems, and/or AV equipment (e.g., Blackmagic, AVB), and assist in capture-stage or VR hardware environments as needed.
• Support multiple concurrent data collection projects spanning different disciplines (electrical, software, hardware), prioritizing and context-switching as needed.
• Coordinate with a wide range of cross-functional partners — including researchers, engineers, and non-technical stakeholders — to keep operations running smoothly.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in hardware troubleshooting (cameras, networking, Power Distribution Units (PDUs)), data collection operations, software scripting, and on-site lab support for complex Research and Development (R&D) capture systems
• Must be able to adhere to data handling and participant privacy Protocols for user study environments.
• Linux/Windows/Mac troubleshooting (terminal & CLI utilities)
• Computer network protocol knowledge and basic network debugging.
• Scripting ability in bash and/or python
• Strong communication & teamwork skills, can effectively collaborate with many people with distinct job functions (non-engineering)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Former experience with camera/optical systems, lighting, audio systems, or Audio-Visual (AV) equipment
• Ability to build scripts/tools from scratch
• Prior work with capture stage environments or Birtual Reality (VR) hardware
• Strong documentation & process improvement discipline
• Root cause analysis experience in large-scale hardware/software systems

Location: Pittsburgh, PA [Onsite]

Salary Range: The salary for this position is between $70,000 – $123,550 annually. Factors which may affect pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Benefits: The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: [medical insurance] [dental insurance] [vision insurance] [401(k) retirement plan] [long-term disability insurance] [short-term disability insurance] [5 personal days accrued each calendar year. The Paid time off benefits meet the paid sick and safe time laws that pertains to the City/ State] [10-15 days of paid vacation time] [6 paid holidays and 1 floating holiday per calendar year] [Ascendion Learning Management System]

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