About the position
Systems Engineer Specialist
Role Purpose
The Systems Engineer Specialist will provide deep technical expertise across infrastructure, systems software, operating environments and enabling technologies. The role is responsible for installing, configuring, testing, tuning, optimising, diagnosing, repairing, upgrading and maintaining internally and externally supplied hardware, operating systems, systems software and related platforms.
The successful candidate will ensure that the bank's technology platforms remain stable, secure, highly available and performant, while supporting business-critical applications and infrastructure services across complex enterprise environments.
Key Responsibilities
Systems Installation, Configuration and Maintenance
- Install, configure and maintain enterprise hardware, operating systems, systems software and related infrastructure components.
- Support internally and externally supplied systems software, including operating systems, data management products, office automation tools, embedded systems and utility software.
- Perform upgrades, patching, version control and lifecycle management across assigned platforms.
- Ensure systems are configured according to the bank's standards, security policies and architecture guidelines.
- Maintain accurate technical documentation, configuration records and operational procedures.
Technical Support and Problem Resolution
- Provide specialist-level support for complex technical incidents, system failures and infrastructure-related issues.
- Diagnose root causes across hardware, operating systems, middleware, utilities and systems software.
- Perform corrective actions including repairs, configuration changes, upgrades, patches and performance adjustments.
- Collaborate with infrastructure, application, security, architecture and vendor teams to resolve cross-platform issues.
- Support incident, problem and change management processes in line with ITIL practices.
Performance Tuning and Optimisation
- Monitor system performance, capacity, availability and stability across assigned environments.
- Identify bottlenecks and implement tuning recommendations to improve system efficiency and reliability.
- Optimise operating systems, data management products and utility software to support business-critical workloads.
- Conduct proactive health checks, trend analysis and capacity planning.
- Recommend improvements to reduce operational risk, downtime and recurring incidents.
Testing, Validation and Quality Assurance
- Test new hardware, systems software, upgrades, patches and configuration changes before production deployment.
- Support regression testing, performance testing, failover testing and operational readiness testing.
- Validate that systems meet functional, technical, security and performance requirements.
- Participate in disaster recovery testing and resilience planning.
- Ensure changes are implemented with minimal disruption to business operations.
Security, Risk and Compliance
- Apply security hardening standards across operating systems and infrastructure platforms.
- Support vulnerability remediation, patch compliance and audit requirements.
- Ensure access, configuration and system controls comply with the Bank's governance and risk frameworks.
- Identify operational risks and recommend mitigation actions.
- Maintain compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and enterprise technology standards.
Vendor and Stakeholder Management
- Engage with vendors and third-party providers for escalations, support, upgrades and technical guidance.
- Review vendor recommendations and assess suitability for the bank's technical environment.
- Work closely with internal technical teams, business stakeholders and service providers.
- Provide technical input into solution design, infrastructure planning and operational improvements.
- Mentor junior engineers and share specialist knowledge across the team.
Technical Skills and Experience
Essential Experience
- Strong experience as a Systems Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Platform Engineer or Technical Specialist in a large enterprise environment.
- Hands-on experience installing, supporting, upgrading and maintaining enterprise operating systems and systems software.
- Strong troubleshooting experience across hardware, operating systems, middleware, utilities and related infrastructure.
- Experience with performance tuning, capacity management, patching and system optimisation.
- Experience working in high-availability, business-critical environments.
- Solid understanding of ITIL processes, especially incident, problem and change management.
- Experience working with vendors and third-party technology providers.
Technical Knowledge
Depending on the specific bank's environment, relevant experience may include:
- Windows Server and/or Linux/Unix operating systems
- Virtualisation platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V
- Storage, backup and recovery technologies
- Data management products and database-adjacent systems software
- Office automation platforms and enterprise productivity tools
- Monitoring and observability tools
- Scripting or automation using PowerShell, Bash, Python or similar
- Patch management and vulnerability remediation
- Infrastructure security hardening
- Networking fundamentals, including DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP and firewalls
- Disaster recovery, resilience and high availability
- Embedded systems or specialised utility software, where applicable
Professional Knowledge
- Enterprise infrastructure support
- Operating system administration
- Systems software lifecycle management
- Hardware diagnostics and maintenance
- Performance tuning and optimisation
- Capacity and availability management
- Incident, problem and change management
- Risk, compliance and audit controls
- Security patching and vulnerability remediation
- Technical documentation and knowledge sharing
- Vendor escalation and service management
Minimum Requirements
- Relevant IT qualification, certification or equivalent practical experience.
- Extensive experience in systems engineering, infrastructure support or platform operations.
- Proven experience supporting complex enterprise technology environments.
- Strong knowledge of operating systems, systems software, hardware and related utility tools.
- Banking, financial services or other highly regulated enterprise experience would be advantageous.
Advantageous Experience
- Banking or financial services environment experience.
- Experience working within large-scale infrastructure estates.
- ITIL certification.
- Microsoft, Linux, VMware, cloud, storage, database or security certifications.
- Experience with automation and infrastructure monitoring.
- Experience supporting systems in regulated, audit-heavy environments.
- Exposure to hybrid cloud or cloud-adjacent infrastructure.
- Experience with disaster recovery and business continuity environments.
Desired Skills:
- Systems Engineer
- Systems Engineer Specialist
- Infrastructure Engineer
