System Engineer

Summary The United States Court of Federal Claims is seeking to fill a System Engineer position in the court's IT/Systems Office. The Systems Engineer is responsible for all servers and related equipment hosted locally at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (USCFC) as well as the virtual servers and environment hosted at the Judiciary Datacenters (JDC). Duties The incumbent is responsible for the engineering, configuration, installation, maintenance, and upgrade of all windows-based equipment including all servers, storage, and host operating systems on physical or virtual servers; provides technical IT support and training to the court unit staff; works with major national systems and those developed or customized for local use. The incumbent works with management in planning, design, maintenance, and support of systems to improve efficiencies. Design, configure, and implement enterprise class computer system hardware and operating system software. Install, configure, and maintain enterprise storage solutions. Design, install, and maintain server environments using virtualization technology. Provides expert level systems administration of Windows Active Directory including maintaining file servers, group policy, replication, print servers, DNS, DHCP, and VMware with DEM. Install, configure, and utilize enterprise tools for the monitoring and administration of enterprise network and server systems, ensuring efficient operations 24/7. Plan, coordinate, implement, and test system security measures to protect data, software, and hardware. Monitor and optimize hardware, operating systems, and databases to improve system performance and reliability. Develop and implement short-term and long-range system improvement plans for the court unit, ensuring that the changes can be implemented with minimal disruption at the court site. Provides expert level assistance to other IT/Systems Office Staff in areas including system administration, PC configuration, troubleshooting, and management. Provide training on new hardware, programs, and databases to all staff members as well as refresher training as needed. Provide day-to-day system backup, and regularly monitor day-to-day operations of the equipment and systems. Recommend updates to ensure continued operation, and act as the technical expert in solving computer system problems. Install security, operating system patches, and database software upgrades. Other technical duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of employment The successful candidate must be a self-starter as well as detail oriented. Customer service is a key to the success of the court unit and must be demonstrated by the incumbent. The candidate must be highly organized and tactful, possess good judgment, poise and initiative, and maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times. Must have strong prioritizing and problem-solving skills. Must have solid communication skills (written & oral) to communicate effectively with persons within the court of various levels of technology expertise front line staff to chambers, as well as with persons outside the court. A demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with others in a team environment and to exhibit a professional manner is a must. The ability to create and maintain appropriate system configuration documentation is also required. All appointments are subject to a full background check including an FBI Fingerprint Background Check, as well as periodic reinvestigation. If offered employment, such employment will be provisional pending the satisfactory completion of a mandatory Fingerprint and Background Investigation. The provisional nature of your employment, however, will not affect your start date, salary, or other benefits. Qualifications To qualify at the CL 28 level: Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-27 or the completion of a master's degree or two years of graduate study (27 semester or 54 quarter hours) in an accredited university in information technology or a field closely related to the subject matter of the position. To qualify at the CL 29 level: Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-28 or the completion of a master's degree or two years of graduate study (27 semester or 54 quarter hours) in an accredited university in information technology or a field closely related to the subject matter of the position. Specialized experience is progressively responsible experience in or closely related to the work of the position that has provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position successfully. Preferred Qualifications: Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in information technology or a related field. Five (5) years of specialized experience which demonstrates working knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Systems Engineer may be substituted for the degree requirement. IT experience in federal courts, law firms, or other legal environments is highly desirable, as is training in or a working knowledge of the following areas: Office 365, SharePoint, OneDrive, Kace Systems Deployment, and other areas relevant to the position. Candidates with certifications from Microsoft and VMware are strongly preferred. The ideal candidate will have significant experience and certifications in the areas of VMWare and Microsoft Windows Server/Active Directory. Education The court requires a bachelor's degree or five years of specialize experience. Additional information This is an "Excepted Appointment" and an "At Will" position. Federal Government Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply. CL Level will be determined based on experience. Salary shown is based on 2025 pay tables and are subject to change for 2026. This position is eligible for regular and recurring telework. The actual amount of telework is based on the suitability of the candidate, the position, and the needs of the court. The United States Court of Federal Claims is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, and/or to commence interviews immediately, any of which actions may occur without prior written or other notice. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits The Judiciary offers a comprehensive benefits package to include: 11 holidays - 13-26 days annual leave (increases with service) 13 days sick leave Federal Employees Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan Commuter Benefit Program/Metro Transit Subsidy Program Flexible Spending Accounts Insurance available for health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care. Review our benefits