Senior Project Engineer (San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles Area)

General Description

Reporting to the Director of Engineering and working closely with the Service Desk Manager and Director of Project Management, the Senior Project Engineer is a level 3 technical role that serves as the primary driver of complex technology projects for our customers. This role combines deep project execution expertise with advanced troubleshooting capabilities, functioning as a technical escalation point for project-related and reactive service issues that exceed the scope of lower-level engineers. The Senior Project Engineer collaborates closely with account managers and the Director of Project Management to scope, plan, and deliver infrastructure solutions, while seamlessly supporting reactive services when critical escalations arise. The ideal candidate combines technical expertise with excellent interpersonal skills, is proficient at managing client relationships with a history of positive client interactions, and understands the challenges and opportunities of school environments.

Responsibilities

Implement Projects

• Lead and execute complex customer project work as directed by the Service Desk Manager and the Director of Project Management.
• Architect detailed product solutions and lead the installation of designed solutions; independently handle solution design for standard infrastructure patterns.
• Assist in scoping projects, including detailed product selection tied directly to the customer's goals, constraints, and expectations for success.
• Develop project estimates for labor, materials, and timelines; contribute to quote development and scope documentation.
• Manage and work closely with third-party vendors and contractors, serving as their primary point of contact during project execution.
• Manage and complete project documents as specified by the Director of Project Management.
• Participate in pre-project meetings and post-project analyses and reviews; identify lessons learned and feed improvements back into project processes.
• Interact with customers on-site and remotely, planning and coordinating closely for successful project delivery.
• Meet or beat planned time as determined in each project's quote and scope.
• Keep active and contemporaneous records of time spent on each task, from preparation through completion.
• Work some evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed for minimal customer disruption.

Plan & Problem-Solve

• Keep active logs of issues in each project's plan in ConnectWise.
• Maintain a customer-centered orientation in devising solutions that meet project outcomes and customer expectations.
• Understand and articulate the current and historical technology profile at schools served; proactively anticipate and document project risks and risk-mitigating action plans.
• Coordinate with account managers, as appropriate, to share customer concerns and trends that need relationship support to complement technical support and reinforce our credibility as a trusted advisor.
• Contribute significantly to continual development and refinement of technical processes and project standards.
• Serve as a technical resource for reactive troubleshooting of a broad range of IT solutions, including cloud systems/services, network infrastructure, and VoIP systems.

Own & Escalate Tickets

• Serve as an escalation point for reactive tickets that cannot be resolved by Engineer I or II, applying level III expertise to diagnose and resolve complex issues.
• Own and resolve assigned escalation tickets to company standards.
• Monitor customer satisfaction on escalated tickets, involving the account manager when the resolution did not create a superior customer experience or signals a severe or non-technical problem.
• Own everything that happens to a ticket once escalated by the Service Desk Manager or a lower-level engineer, until issue is resolved or transferred.
• Step up as a resource to configure, troubleshoot, and repair network systems, servers, VoIP, cloud systems, and end-user devices as needed.

Document & Share

• Transform technical specifications into visually intuitive representations, facilitating effective communication and ensuring accurate implementation of designed solutions.
• Update system documentation; commit solutions to KT's knowledge base and share new and unique learning cases with colleagues.
• Keep clients informed through tickets and project documentation at every step: what has been done, what are the results, what are the next steps.
• Verify that solutions are still working and no further intervention is needed, if warranted.
• Ensure tickets and projects are documented completely to facilitate clarity for problem discovery.
• Respond to all communications from the Service Desk Manager, Director of Engineering, and Director of Project Management.

Qualifications

Experience

• 8+ years' progressive experience in server, storage, and networking systems design, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, configuring, updating, and operation.
• 8+ years' experience operating and diagnosing enterprise wireless management systems (Meraki, Cisco, HP, Ruckus).
• 8+ years' experience with configuration and operation of Mobile Device Management systems (JAMF School/Pro, Meraki Systems Manager, Mosyle).
• 8+ years' experience designing and implementing networks (LAN / WAN / WiFi / SD-LAN / VPN).
• 8+ years' experience maintaining and troubleshooting Windows Servers in a clustered environment (VMware and Hyper-V).
• 5+ years' experience leading and independently executing complex technical projects.
• 5+ years' experience configuring, supporting, and maintaining cloud-based phone systems and VoIP devices (Zoom, GoToConnect).
• 3+ years' experience designing and deploying MDM systems, standards, and processes.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity trends and best practices.
• Experience managing and working with third-party vendors and contractors preferred.
• Experience overseeing the installation of security camera solutions such as Verkada preferred.

Abilities and Attributes

• Expert at setup, configuration, and training others on Google Workspace and the general Google ecosystem.
• Fluent in troubleshooting and solving problems with switching and wireless networks.
• Expert in configuring, maintaining, diagnosing, and solving problems with Windows server systems, including hypervisor, HA storage, backup, network services, and file services.
• Expertise in configuring and diagnosing VoIP systems, using on-prem PBX or cloud environments.
• Familiarity and experience with switches, firewalls, access points by Cisco, Meraki, SonicWall, HP, Ruckus, Aruba, Ubiquiti; UPSs by APC; VoIP by Zoom; security cameras by Verkada; projector mounting and configuration; switch cabling and cable troubleshooting; mass deployment of end-user devices.
• Strong verbal and written communicator, with a keen eye for detail and a commitment to high-quality work.
• Strong listening skills with curiosity to ask questions; action-oriented problem-solver able to deliver in a fast-paced environment using superior organizational skills to manage up and laterally, juggle changing priorities, and drive toward deadlines.
• Takes initiative to appropriately close open loops in service, skills, and customer experience.
• Experience in supporting users in educational environments.
• Exceptional record of accounting for actions, results, SLAs, and time in tickets.
• Ability to travel up to 30% of the time per year to various customer sites, primarily in California and Washington.
• Must reside in the greater Los Angeles or San Francisco Bay Area.
• Able to lift equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

Certifications

• Advanced certification (CCNP/CCIE)
• Cisco Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Engineering Cisco Meraki Solutions

Classification and Compensation

Reports to Director of Engineering

Exempt, full-time

Salary Range: $160k - $180k per year plus bonus and benefits*

How To Apply

Please submit your resume, and, in lieu of a cover letter, compose an answer to the following question (limit your response to no more than one page): Describe a project you worked on where an unexpected issue arose in the middle of the project’s execution. What strategies did you employ to tackle the issue? How did you keep the impacted user informed? What were the results? No direct emails or phone calls please.

*Assumes Redwood City market. Geographic differentials will be applied to candidates residing in markets outside of KT’s headquarters location. Paid time off, 401K match, full medical insurance, commuter benefits, remote work arrangements, and other benefits and perks are part of this role. KT is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. KT will only consider candidates with existing authorization to work in the USA. No sponsorship will be considered. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to careers@knowingtechnologies.com. Include “Last Name, First name: Senior Project Engineer” in the subject line.

Key skills/competency

• Project Management
• Technical Leadership
• Network Infrastructure
• Server Administration
• VoIP Systems
• Cloud Services
• Customer Relationship Management
• Troubleshooting
• IT Solutions Architecture
• Cybersecurity Best Practices