Systems Engineer

Salary: $48,970.00 - $63,661.00 Annually

Location: On Campus

Job Type: Civil Service

Job Number: 2600074

Department: Information Technology-SIUC

Closing Date: 5/28/2026 11:59 PM Central

FLSA: Exempt

FTE: 1.0

Description

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

The Systems Engineer, reporting to the OIT Data Center Manager and the Director of IT Infrastructure, is responsible for the reliable operation and strategic advancement of Southern Illinois University Carbondale's data center infrastructure, including enterprise hardware, software, and supporting facilities. The role provides leadership for the University's high-performance computing environment, enabling faculty, researchers, and students to effectively leverage advanced research computing resources. This position exercises technical oversight, directs complex infrastructure initiatives, and delivers strategic recommendations to senior leadership that support institutional objectives and enterprise-wide continuity.
This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored work authorization. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future university sponsorship to be considered for this role.

Examples of Duties
* Installs, operates, and maintains hardware, software, and associated physical layer connections for a R1 University data center.
* Under the supervision of senior systems administrators designs cluster architecture, configures high-speed interconnects at the OS level, and manages large-scale storage arrays.
* Conducts routine and advanced operating systems maintenance for Linux systems and servers, both physical and virtual.
* Reviews, evaluates, and recommends new systems to enhance user access and expand network services. Develops specification requirements, testing, and integration plans for new systems and services.
* Primary administrator for the SIU BigDawg high performance research computing cluster that supports research across campus; provides daily reports on job statuses and resource utilization.
* Manages the configuration and tuning for high performance computing job scheduling and queueing system (SLURM)
* Assists researchers with code parallelization, compiling scientific applications, and optimizing job submission scripts.
* Communicates with external entities in relation to institutional requirements, providing explanations of their needs.
* Administers internal systems and services supporting the Zabbix server monitoring system, and RhodeCode Enterprise version control system.
* Primary administrator for simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) relay service used by copiers/printers and ERP email processes).
* Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Any one or any combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following categories:

A. College course work which includes Information Systems Technologies (IST), Information Technology (IT), Computer Science (CS), Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), or a closely related discipline, including coursework in system administration, information systems and/or computing/storage infrastructure, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:

• 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
• Associate's Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
• 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
• Bachelor's Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)

B. Work experience in system administration, information systems or computing/storage infrastructure.
3. Three (3) years' experience in Microsoft or Linux (preferred) Operating Systems that include installation and configuration.
4. Three (3) years' experience using PowerShell or Linux scripting equivalent.
5. Three (3) years' experience operating as a lead administrator/technician.
6. Three (3) years' of experience administering Linux servers.
7. Three (3) years' of experience in virtual cluster and storage area network administration.
8. Three (3) years' of experience working with back-up, restoration, and disaster recovery.
9. Three (3) years' experience monitoring and maintaining data center systems.

10. Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position may be required.

This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored work authorization. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future university sponsorship to be considered for this role.

Supplemental Information

Illinois Residency Requirement: Pursuant to the State Universities Civil Service System, out-of-state candidates must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days of the start date for this position.

Tips for Completing a Civil Service Application:
1. To be eligible for the role, ensure that your application includes a complete and detailed employment history that highlights your relevant full-time and part-time work experience, including start and end dates of employment.
2. Relevant part-time work experience will count towards the qualifications for this position and will be converted to full-time equivalence to calculate the total length of experience.
3. Upload all official transcripts to meet the educational requirements. If the job description specifies a minimum number of college hours, transcripts are mandatory for the successful processing of your application.
4. Veterans who qualify for preference must provide proof of eligibility within ten (10) working days of submitting an application, unless the same proof has already been submitted in a previous application. The required proof of eligibility includes, at a minimum, a copy of the veteran's DD214/DD215 form (Department of Defense), NGB22 form (National Guard), or Discharge Orders or DD256 Discharge Certificate (Reserves).
5. After the position has closed, your application and supporting materials will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications, including any specialty factors associated with this position. Those who qualify will move forward for Civil Service Examination/Testing.
6. Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from [email protected] .
7. For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at sucss.illinois.gov

About Civil Service Examination/Testing: The Civil Service examination for this classification is based on your application materials and responses to the supplemental questions. No participation other than submission of application materials is required from applicants that qualify to take the exam. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, your application will move forward for examination/testing in which you will receive a score calculated based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register by exam score. This score will be emailed to the email address noted on your application. After the application deadline, the names within the top three scores will be referred to the department for interview.

Sponsorship for Work Authorization is not available. For more information visit

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an R1 Opportunity University with a statewide economic impact of $2.7 billion dollars. We offer 200+ undergraduate degrees, minors and specializations, 79 master's degrees, and 40 doctoral degrees. Our main campus is 1,136 acres, with additional acreage in University Farms, Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, and other facilities. The university is an essential part of the city of Carbondale and an important contributor to the culture of the entire region. While Carbondale includes many of the amenities of urban life, it retains its small-town flavor. Cost of living is considerably lower in the region than similar areas elsewhere, and many employees commute from nearby counties.

The Southern Illinois region is distinct from the rest of the state, boasting considerable natural beauty including the Shawnee National Forest, many state parks, national wildlife areas, and several lakes beloved for recreation. Local foods are readily available in the area, with a variety of eateries and a growing specialized food truck presence. The area is home to the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, an official wine appellation designation. The wineries extend the cultural reach of the community, hosting live music and continual art exhibits. The campus itself is a microcosm of the area, with a lake and forest on campus, as well as traditional collegiate architecture, quad, and residential halls. Students enjoy outdoor study areas as well as specialized computer labs scattered across campus, including in the three million volume Morris Library. To learn about employee benefits , employee tuition waivers , and find resources about Carbondale and the Southern Illinois region, visit: .

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity, and diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, genetic information, marital status, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation including gender identity, unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a protected veteran. The university will comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, orders, and regulations.