Business Systems - Engineering Systems

OVERVIEWA thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.Intro to PositionNPR is seeking a Systems Engineer for its Distribution IT Infrastructure team to manage, test, and maintain our enterprise virtualized infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking systems. In this role, you will deploy, configure, monitor, and troubleshoot modern virtualization platforms (such as VMware vSphere, HPE Morpheus VM Essentials, or Proxmox) to guarantee high availability, scalability, and security across NPR's core distribution technologies.This role sits at the intersection of physical and virtual infrastructure: you will help stand up new data center hardware and build NPR's private cloud environment on top of it, from rack and cable to hypervisor and host networking.Working collaboratively with Infrastructure and Security colleagues, you will analyze business workflows, implement structured change management processes, and support capacity planning initiatives to deliver resilient, mission-critical operations for NPR and our nationwide Member station network.ResponsibilitiesPhysical Infrastructure Build-Out: Partner with Infrastructure colleagues to install, rack, cable, and configure new server, storage, and network hardware, including firmware updates, out-of-band management (e.g., HPE iLO, Dell iDRAC), and RAID/BIOS configuration, to establish the foundation for virtualized workloads.Virtual Infrastructure Deployment & Maintenance: HPE Morpheus VM Essentials, Proxmox, Nutanix, Incus, or VMware) to support operational reliability.Architecture Evaluation & Testing: Evaluate virtual system architecture, compare existing applications, and create metrics to measure response times and availability for test environments.Change Management Implementation: Recommend and execute system enhancements following established organizational change management policies and procedures.Assist the Distribution Infrastructure team in executing cloud/virtualization workflows and capacity planning tools focused on return on investment and business value.Security Alignment & Compliance: Partner with Security Engineers to ensure virtual hosts, operating systems, and network configurations comply with organizational security policies.Workflow & Process Analysis: Analyze and document Distribution IT process workflows, identifying areas for continuous improvement and operational efficiency.Create comprehensive documentation, procedures, instructions, and training materials for internal colleagues and system users.Incident Escalation & Operational Support: Proactively communicate operational status to management, participate in an on-call rotation, and respond to critical system issues on a 24x7 basis as needed.Minimum Qualifications3+ years of professional experience supporting, maintaining, troubleshooting, and administering servers and networking within a data center environment.2+ years of hands-on experience in the planning, design, deployment, and management of enterprise virtualized cloud infrastructure (e.g., VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, or open-source hypervisors).Hands-on experience with physical data center hardware, including racking and cabling servers, configuring out-of-band Competence in DNS administration (BIND preferred).Experience with configuration management (Puppet preferred).Working knowledge of Windows Server administration (2022+) alongside core directory and networking protocols (Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, IIS).Comfortable with networking configuration of hosts, switches, and routers, including VLANs, trunking, and NIC bonding/link aggregation as applied to hypervisor hosts.Proven track record as a key contributor or project leader on complex technical initiatives, including the creation of detailed technical documentation and workflow diagrams.Demonstrated ability to participate effectively in a team environment, handle multiple concurrent projects, and contribute to an on-call rotation.Preferred QualificationsExperience with Unix/Linux networking configuration and Cisco switches and routers (Catalyst or Nexus/NX-OS).Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, PowerShell, or JavaScript).Knowledge of Linux operating systems and relevant industry certifications (VMware VCP, Microsoft, or AWS).Ability to systematically isolate, diagnose, and resolve complex issues across hardware, server, storage, network, and virtualized layers.Structured Communication: Strong interpersonal skills to partner seamlessly with Security, Network, and Distribution engineering teams.Commitment to staying current with emerging virtualization tools, cloud platforms, and data center technologies.Education RequirementsBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, OR equivalent practical work experience.Work LocationHybrid Permitted: This is a hybrid permitted role. Some aspects of this role require duties better performed at an NPR facility. The employee will be required to be in the office at the Washington, D.C. location at least 2 days a week. The employee must also reside in an NPR-supported location based on the number of on-site days they choose.With rack build-out in scope, confirm whether 2 days a week is enough or whether more on-site time is expected during installation.Job TypeThis is a full-time, exempt position.Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees.Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to View email address on click.appcast.io may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. 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