Systems Engineer II

The Systems Engineer II is an established contributor who operates with meaningful independence across their domain. This role doesn't wait to be assigned every task — it identifies what needs doing, owns it through completion, and actively improves the team's processes and tooling. Success at this level is about reliable execution, sound judgment, and beginning to multiply the team's capability, not just add to it. Essential Position Responsibilities - This is a salary exempt position Design Thinking. Contributes meaningfully to solution design discussions, bringing concrete options and trade-off analysis rather than just participation. Applies established patterns where appropriate and identifies when a situation requires a different approach. Produces design and architecture documentation that others can build from — complete, accurate, and maintained as systems evolve. Considers downstream impacts before making changes, evaluating how dependencies may be affected. Problem Solving & Critical Analysis. Diagnoses issues across multiple system layers — network, compute, identity, application, security — without defaulting to a single area. Resolves the majority of issues within scope independently, pulling in the right people when the problem is larger than one person. Performs root cause analysis after significant incidents and produces findings the team can act on. Builds a personal knowledge base from solved problems and shares that knowledge so the team gets smarter, not just the individual. Automation & Continuous Improvement. Writes and maintains scripts and runbooks that others on the team can reliably execute. Automates defined, repeatable workflows in ways that are auditable and version-controlled. Identifies process gaps and proposes improvements — not just flags them for someone else to own. Tracks and communicates the outcomes of improvements: time saved, error rates reduced, reliability gained. Infrastructure & Systems Ownership. Manages the design, deployment, operation, and maintenance of assigned systems with minimal day-to-day direction. Keeps systems healthy through proactive monitoring, capacity awareness, and timely patching. Handles backup, recovery, and availability requirements for managed systems without needing to be reminded. Maintains accurate, current documentation for every system under ownership — not as an afterthought, but as part of the work. Development & Delivery Lifecycle. Plans and executes changes with appropriate scope, risk assessment, and rollback preparation. Contributes at multiple stages of project delivery: requirements, design, testing, deployment, and handoff. Communicates proactively when timelines shift or blockers emerge, managing expectations before they become problems. Works within the team's operating framework (Agile, ITIL, or equivalent) as a disciplined practitioner. Security & Compliance Mindset. Incorporates security considerations — least privilege, segmentation, encryption — into routine work without being prompted. Participates actively in vulnerability management and access reviews, following through on assigned remediations. Recognizes and escalates security events appropriately, knowing the difference between noise and a signal. Understands the compliance requirements applicable to managed systems and ensures they are met. Collaboration & Communication. Communicates technical context clearly to both technical peers and non-technical stakeholders, adjusting the explanation without altering the facts. Builds effective working relationships across IT teams and with business partners, treating handoffs as partnerships. Gives feedback constructively and receives it the same way, contributing to a team culture of shared accountability. Acts in accordance with Simmons' core values: Put People First, Act With Integrity, Take Responsibility, Be Curious, and Take Action. Participates as a member of the Team. Participates in the ongoing development, communication and implementation of team concepts, programs and policies; coordinates work to ensure best practices with all team members. Attends appropriate team meetings. As a member of the Team, fosters strong cohesiveness regarding all major issues; e.g., direction, annual plan, budget, policy changes, etc. Accepts responsibility to quickly identify any areas that lack cohesiveness, bringing them to the attention of the team leader and working with the team in a supportive manner to resolve issues and actively look for ways, and reinforce actions needed, to achieve synergy possible within the larger organization. On-Call Availability & Operational Support. Participates in an after-hours, weekend, and holiday on-call rotation to ensure continuous coverage of Simmons’ infrastructure. Responds to incidents outside of business hours as required to minimize impact to plant operations and business continuity. Understands that system availability is directly tied to production uptime and treats that responsibility accordingly. Simmons Operating systems principles and objectives. Is familiar with Simmons' established operating systems (e.g. quality, security, office environment, company policies, LEAN); understands the responsibility to maintain familiarity with the systems and this position's role in support of these systems - including a consideration of the impact of individual actions on the systems and the responsibility to communicate concerns and improvement ideas. Performs other duties as necessary in support of business objectives. This position description is intended to guide the activities of the person in this position and is not intended to limit the thinking and creativity of the person as to the work of this function nor is it intended that this describe all the work that may be required of the person in this position. Physical Activities. Primarily desk-based; uses a computer for extended periods. Communicates with team members and stakeholders by phone, in person, and electronically. May present to small or large groups. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). As required by visiting facility. Travel. Occasional travel to Simmons locations and industry or vendor events (estimated 1–3 trips per year). Technical Experience. 3–5 years of experience in systems engineering, infrastructure administration, or an equivalent technical role. Demonstrated ability to independently design, deploy, and maintain systems across compute, networking, identity, and cloud domains. Proficiency with scripting or automation (PowerShell, Python, or Bash) and familiarity with version-controlled infrastructure practices. Experience with Windows Server, Active Directory, VMware or Hyper‑V, and cloud platforms (AWS or Azure). Strong troubleshooting skills across multiple system layers. Industry Experience. Preference for multi-site or manufacturing environments; experience supporting distributed operations is a plus. Minimum Education. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field; or 4 years of equivalent hands‑on experience. Preferred Education. Relevant certifications (e.g., Microsoft, AWS, VMware) or advanced degree preferred. We value military experience and welcome veterans to join our team. #J-18808-Ljbffr Simmons Foods