Senior Systems Engineer

Job Title: Senior Systems Engineer

Reports to: Operations Manager

Location: Concord, CA (hybrid/flexible, must be local to the East Bay area)

Salary Range: $100,000 - $140,000 DOE

Overview

The Senior Systems Engineer is a hands-on technical role at our managed service provider, working alongside our senior technical staff as an engineering peer to deliver support across all client environments. This is an engineering role for someone who wants to solve hard problems, build automation, and share the weight of supporting clients across the Bay Area and Sacramento region.

You will collaborate directly with senior engineering staff on escalations, project work, after-hours support, and proactive improvements. You will also work with client-facing leadership on technology roadmaps and with operations leadership on service delivery and professional development.

We are committed to operational excellence and are investing heavily in automation and AI to reduce reactive workload and deliver better outcomes. We need someone who sees that vision and can help us build it.

Who You Are

You handle difficult customer interactions without taking things personally. Non-technical users are not the enemy, they are why we exist. When you hit friction with an end user, your instinct is to simplify the process and find ways to prevent the issue from recurring.

You are emotionally steady under pressure. You deal with stress professionally and bring solutions, not drama. You understand that customer service is the job, not an interruption to the job.

You see inefficiency as an opportunity. When you are doing the same thing repeatedly or watching the team struggle with preventable tickets, you ask "how do I make this go away?" and you have the skills to actually build the solution.

You are a self-starter who does not need micromanagement. You see what needs to be done and you do it. You ask for help when you are stuck, but you do not need constant direction to stay productive.

You have worked in an MSP environment long enough to know that clients do not always follow recommendations, emergencies happen at inconvenient times, and the answer is rarely "that is not my job." You roll with it.

You are comfortable being on-site at client locations when the situation calls for it. Some problems cannot be solved remotely, and you understand this is part of the job.

Key Responsibilities

•       Serve as a senior escalation point for complex technical issues

•       Handle hands-on project work and complex implementations (server migrations, network deployments, cloud transitions)

•       Share on-call and after-hours support responsibilities to ensure balanced emergency coverage across the engineering team

•       Travel to client sites for on-site support, project work, and emergency response as needed

•       Drive automation initiatives to reduce reactive workload

•       Maintain and improve documentation standards

•       Collaborate with client-facing leadership on technology roadmaps

•       Contribute to security posture improvements across all client environments

•       Mentor junior technicians and contribute to their technical development

•       Participate in proactive monitoring and centralized services improvements

Required Qualifications

•       5+ years of experience in an MSP environment (required, non-negotiable)

•       Strong technical depth across Windows Server, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Azure, and networking

•       Experience with PSA and RMM platforms (ConnectWise, Autotask, Datto, NinjaOne, or similar)

•       Experience building automations (PowerShell, workflow platforms, or similar)

•       Strong emotional intelligence and professional demeanor when working with non-technical end users

•       Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences

•       Security-first mindset with experience in SMB security best practices

•       Availability for after-hours and weekend emergency support when needed

•       Must be local to the East Bay area and willing to travel to client sites

•       Valid driver's license and reliable transportation

Preferred Qualifications

•       Experience with MSP automation platforms

•       Familiarity with MSP operational frameworks and best practices

•       Experience with larger client environments (500+ users)

•       Background in cybersecurity, incident response, or digital forensics

•       Relevant certifications (Microsoft, Cisco, security certifications)

•       Experience with AI tools for automation and efficiency 

What Success Looks Like

Within 90 days: Full understanding of all client environments, established working relationship with senior engineering staff, identified top automation opportunities, integrated into after-hours rotation

Within 6 months: Measurable reduction in reactive hours per endpoint, at least two major automation workflows deployed, handling escalations independently

Within 1 year: Engineering workload distributed evenly across senior staff, automation mindset embedded in daily operations, contributing to security and incident response capabilities

About Us

We are a Concord-based MSP serving small and medium businesses across the Bay Area and Sacramento region with a dedicated team. We have been in business since 2006 and are committed to doing IT the right way. We are investing heavily in automation and AI to work smarter.

We are not hiring this role because something is broken. We have a strong senior engineer who has been carrying the engineering load, and he needs a partner. Someone who can share the weight, challenge his thinking, and help us build something bigger. If you want to be part of a team where your technical skills matter every single day and your contributions are visible from day one, this might be the right fit.