Systems Engineer

Systems Engineer

The Systems Engineer is responsible for maintaining and improving KEXP's IT systems and network infrastructure across on-premises, hosted, and cloud environments. Working in collaboration with Infrastructure Engineering Manager and senior engineering staff, this role implements, supports, and contributes to the design of resilient, secure, and scalable infrastructure. The Systems Engineer combines hands-on technical execution with sound judgment, escalating strategic and architectural decisions while owning day-to-day operations, project work, and incident response.

Essential duties include, but are not limited to:

• Implements, maintains, and supports core on-premises infrastructure, including the Hyper-V cluster, Pure Storage and Synology arrays, Windows Server environment, and Active Directory.
• Administers core SaaS and communication platforms, including Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Dialpad, with platform-level responsibility for tenant configuration, identity federation/SSO, license and group management, integrations, and vendor escalation.
• Administers endpoint management for Windows and macOS fleets via Microsoft Intune, including configuration profiles, compliance policies, application packaging and deployment, and platform-level troubleshooting; defines endpoint standards used by the IT Support Specialist for day-to-day device support.
• Maintains and supports network infrastructure, including Cisco and Meraki switching, Meraki firewalls and Wi-Fi, and Tailscale for remote access; participates in routing and connectivity troubleshooting and configuration changes.
• Supports the Myriad playout system and its dependent IT infrastructure, including SQL Server databases, application servers, broadcast workstations, and AoIP networking components, in coordination with the Broadcast Engineering team.
• Contributes to the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects from design through deployment, in collaboration with the Infrastructure Engineering Manager and senior staff.
• Develops and maintains systems documentation, processes, and runbooks in Confluence and Google Workspace; manages assigned work and escalated tickets in Jira.
• Monitors system health, capacity, and availability; proactively identifies issues and applies structured troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Administers Veeam backup and recovery operations, including job configuration, monitoring, restore testing, and failure remediation.
• Participates in the rollout and ongoing administration of monitoring and alerting platforms, such as Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, LibreNMS, NetCrunch, and Zabbix as they are deployed.
• Develops and maintains automation scripts and tooling in Python, PowerShell, and Bash to streamline repetitive tasks and reduce operational toil.
• Supports compliance efforts aligned with the PCI DSS and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, including evidence collection, control implementation, and remediation activities.
• Participates in an on-call rotation covering core IT infrastructure and broadcast-adjacent systems (including Myriad and its dependencies), responding to critical incidents with focus on prompt resolution and minimal operational or on-air impact.
• Participates in post-incident reviews and contributes to continuous improvement of systems, processes, and documentation.
• Provides escalation support to the Systems Administrator for complex end-user and endpoint issues that exceed first-line scope.
• Assists with capacity planning and infrastructure upgrades, ensuring environments meet current and near-term demands.

General Organizational Responsibilities:

• Maintains a thorough understanding of KEXP's organizational policies and ensures the team's adherence to procedures.
• Actively participates in our culture of philanthropy, which honors the important role our donors, volunteers, business and community partners play in the life of KEXP. Collaborates across teams and departments to steward donors on behalf of KEXP and actively seeks opportunities to integrate philanthropy into their role within KEXP operations, programs, and projects.

Supervision Received: Position reports to the Infrastructure Engineering Manager

Supervision Exercised: None

Requirements:

Education & Experience: Three years of professional experience in systems engineering, infrastructure engineering, or a comparable IT operations role; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job as listed above. Experience in a media, broadcast, and/or non-profit environment is a plus.

Position Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of server virtualization, with hands-on experience administering at least one major hypervisor platform (Hyper-V preferred; VMware acceptable; k3s a plus).
• Solid Windows Server administration skills, including Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP; experience administering Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace tenants; familiarity with macOS in a managed enterprise environment.
• Experience administering Microsoft Intune (or equivalent MDM/UEM platforms) for Windows and macOS endpoints, including configuration profiles, compliance policies, and application deployment.
• Familiarity with enterprise storage concepts and administration; experience with Pure Storage, Synology NAS, or comparable array platforms a plus.
• Working knowledge of TCP/IP networking fundamentals, VLANs, routing, and VPN concepts; exposure to BGP and other WAN-based technologies a plus.
• Hands-on experience with at least one enterprise networking platform (Cisco IOS, Meraki, Ubiquiti, or similar).
• Experience with broadcast playout, automation, or AoIP networking systems (e.g., Myriad, Dante, WheatNet-IP, AES67) a plus.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language for automation and tooling (Python, PowerShell, or Bash); familiarity with configuration management tools (Ansible or similar) a plus.
• Familiarity with backup and recovery platforms, particularly Veeam.
• Familiarity with monitoring, observability, and logging platforms (Prometheus, Grafana, Loki, LibreNMS, or similar) a plus.
• Awareness of common security frameworks and compliance regimes, including PCI DSS and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework; ability to participate in compliance and audit activities under senior guidance.
• Solid troubleshooting skills, with the ability to work through unfamiliar problems methodically and document findings clearly.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to infrastructure projects from planning through deployment.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills, with a focus on operational consistency and quality.
• Must be able to work an irregular schedule, including evenings or weekends as needed and additional hours during peak times, or as required.
• Outstanding attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to take initiative and use independent judgment within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Strong self-motivation in carrying out responsibilities, organizing and prioritizing multiple tasks, and meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams, as well as provide consistent, high-quality service to a wide variety of internal and external constituents and adapt communication style to multiple cultural environments.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, relationship-building, and communication skills - both written and verbal - for a wide variety of audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain grace under pressure, especially while working in a demanding work environment with regular interruptions and competing priorities.
• Knowledge, appreciation for, and understanding of KEXP programming and mission.

Physical Requirements: Long periods of being in a stationary position; operating a computer and other office equipment; frequently moving to/from various work areas; frequently communicating in person and by email; frequently remaining in a stationary position during meetings, discerning meeting content, expressing oneself, and exchanging accurate information; rarely moving to/from off-site locations; may move equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 pounds; rarely accesses technical areas under counters, moves up/down ladders, occasional roof access, and accesses confined areas above the ceiling.

Working Conditions: Primary location in typical business office environment, with frequent access to technical broadcast areas within the main facility and at the broadcast tower. This is a hybrid position eligible for up to 40% remote work; some onsite work will be required, especially as part of on-call duties.

Compensation & Benefits: This full-time position comes with a salary of $105,000.00 per year plus full benefits. KEXP offers a generous benefits package which includes medical/dental/vision coverage (premiums 90-100% employer paid), retirement plan with matching, vacation starting at three weeks per year plus holidays and sick leave, parental leave, and much more.

KEXP is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and empowering workplace. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables K