SysOps Engineer
The SysOps Engineer is responsible for the configuration, reliability and efficiency of systems. He/She optimises the capacity and performance of infrastructure, using knowledge of coding and scripting to automate the resolution of recurring issues and elimination of tasks, as well as enabling scalable and distributed systems. He also supports system installation and upgrades, performs continuous monitoring of infrastructure and ensures security and compliance in leveraging cloud platforms. He possesses a high level of proficiency in scripting and programming languages. He is familiar with cloud platforms, scaling and management of infrastructure. He works well with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. He is able to work on an on-call and shift basis, with the ability to prioritise effectively and operate under pressure. The SysOps Engineer enjoys hands-on problem-solving and is driven by investigating challenging, complex problems. He is a resourceful and self-directed individual who performs independently with minimal guidance. He is also an analytical thinker who demonstrates strong interpersonal skills in cross-team collaboration.
What Does a SysOps Engineer Do?
Key Responsibilities & Tasks
Develop infrastructure architecture and standards
- Develop processes and standards for system or application reliability in areas of availability, performance, latency, capacity, emergency response, capacity planning, change management, security and monitoring
- Translate business needs into cloud architectural requirements
- Design scalable, robust systems using cloud architecture
- Create procedures and documentation for site reliability and incident management
Configure and deploy infrastructure
- Build and run large-scale, massively distributed and fault-tolerant systems
- Perform provisioning of cloud resources
- Configure infrastructure environment for software development and prototyping
- Conduct pre-deployment testing of systems to ensure reliability
- Implement operational cost control mechanisms for cloud infrastructure
- Identify and resolve deployment issues
Monitor infrastructure and resolve issues
- Oversee configuration of operational systems to ensure alignment with technical and security requirements
- Conduct measurement and monitoring of overall performance, system health, system availability, and latency
- Provide proactive updates or alerts on infrastructure availability to relevant stakeholders
- Address gaps in performance or availability based on identified metrics
- Carry out testing and release procedures to ensure rigour of infrastructure and services
- Resolve service operation issues and prevent recurrence using automation
- Perform regular tuning of infrastructure and services
Automate infrastructure operations and optimise performance
- Conduct capacity planning for cloud infrastructure and systems performance analysis
- Identify opportunities to enhance operational workflows, systems and processes through automated deployment
- Develop tools and scripts to automate deployments and optimise performance
- Create an operating environment for monitoring, alerting, self-healing and automated recovery
Embed scalability into infrastructure
- Devise strategies and roadmap for scaling of infrastructure operations
- Design and write code for scalable systems
- Scale systems through automation to manage recurring tasks
- Propose suggestions to enhance infrastructure architecture
Manage data, security and compliance
- Configure cloud platforms and applications in alignment with organisational cyber security policies
- Implement identity and access management controls
- Execute procedures to ensure data protection and encryption
- Monitor compliance of data management and retention processes
Do You Have the Skills for This Role?
A SysOps Engineer needs 5 core competencies. Here's what's required and at what level.
Must-Have Skills (Advanced)
Problem Solving
AdvancedThinking Critically
Supporting Skills
Customer Orientation
IntermediateInteracting with Others
Self Management
IntermediateStaying Relevant
Collaboration
BasicInteracting with Others
Sense Making
IntermediateThinking Critically
SkillsFuture Skill Levels
3 levelsBasic
Recognise and understand fundamental concepts. Apply skills in routine situations with guidance.
Intermediate
Apply skills in varied situations independently. Analyse problems and adapt approaches as needed.
Advanced
Lead and innovate in complex situations. Evaluate strategies, guide teams, and drive improvements.
Technical Skills & Competencies (TSC) Levels
6 levelsFollow
Carry out routine tasks under close supervision. Follow established procedures and guidelines.
Assist
Perform tasks with some independence. Assist in non-routine situations and apply established techniques.
Apply
Apply skills and knowledge independently in varied situations. Analyse problems and adapt approaches.
Analyse
Analyse complex situations and develop solutions. Guide and mentor junior colleagues.
Strategise
Set strategic direction and drive innovation. Evaluate trade-offs and make high-impact decisions.
Transform
Lead industry transformation. Establish standards, shape policy, and provide expert advisory.
Technical Skills & Competencies
A SysOps Engineer requires 32 technical skills at specific proficiency levels.
Applications Development
Level 4Development and Implementation
Plan the application development process, program applications and secure features, applying suitable debugging techniques to resolve complex errors
Applications Integration
Level 4Development and Implementation
Oversee end-to-end process of application integration, determining suitable middleware and testing procedures and resolving issues that arise
Business Agility
Level 4Business and Project Management
Lead the implementation of operational initiatives to enhance business agility
Business Innovation
Level 4Business and Project Management
Explore opportunities for business innovation and reform, and lead the implementation of innovative business initiatives
Cloud Computing
Level 4Development and Implementation
Develop plans to implement cloud solutions
Cyber and Data Breach Incident Management
Level 4Operations and User Support
Develop incident management procedures and synthesise incident-related analyses to distil key insights, resolve incidents and establish mitigating and preventive solutions
Emerging Technology Synthesis
Level 4Business and Project Management
Evaluate new and emerging technology and trends against the organisational needs and processes
Infrastructure Deployment
Level 4Development and Implementation
Lead large-scale installation projects, involving deployment, decommissioning and coordination of multiple hardware and software deployment plans
Infrastructure Design
Level 4Design and Architecture
Define and deliver technical and conceptual visualisation of IT infrastructure components and features
Infrastructure Support
Level 4Operations and User Support
Develop plans and retain accountability for maximising service quality, speed and availability in infrastructure administration and support activities
Network Security
Level 4Development and Implementation
Manage network security throughout a network
Performance Management
Level 4Operations and User Support
Establish metrics and mechanisms to assess network, software or system performance, and determine Infocomm Technology (ICT) infrastructure components and parameters to be enhanced
Quality Engineering
Level 4Development and Implementation
Investigate process drivers of quality, and recommend quality management infrastructure, techniques and tools to facilitate quality optimisation
Solution Architecture
Level 4Design and Architecture
Develop a solution architecture and prepare a technical blueprint for a given area, demonstrating how the solution addresses requirements
Vendor Management
Level 4General Management
Develop and sustain vendor relationships and manage vendors’ performance
Budgeting
Level 3Business Finance
Prepare business unit’s operational budgets
Business Environment Analysis
Level 3Business and Project Management
Utilise research instruments, quantitative and qualitative data to gather information on the business environment, evaluate data to draw out meaningful inferences that impact the organisation's market positioning and provide feedback to management
Business Needs Analysis
Level 3Business and Project Management
Elicit and analyse business requirements from key stakeholders and assess relevant solutions and their potential impact
Business Requirements Mapping
Level 3Business and Project Management
Analyse relevant information from stakeholders and map business requirements to existing processes to identify gaps and/or opportunities
Business Risk Management
Level 3Business and Project Management
Identify risks and their business impact and propose measures to manage risks
Change Management
Level 3Business and Project Management
Apply change control procedures in work processes, assess impact of change and develop communications to prepare stakeholders for the change
Configuration Tracking
Level 3Development and Implementation
Develop and update a configuration management plan, determining systems and techniques to track changes and revisions
Contract Management
Level 3Stakeholder and Contract Management
Prepare drafts of contracts and agreements, monitor vendor performance and resolve minor contractual issues on an operational level
Network Administration and Maintenance
Level 3Operations and User Support
Review, optimise and align network performance with business needs, and program basic rules into Software-Defined Networking (SDN) applications
Network Configuration
Level 3Development and Implementation
Implement and configure servers and devices in line with network blueprint, and manage user network access
Problem Management
Level 3Operations and User Support
Handle specific problems from diagnosis and prioritisation to the identification and implementation of solutions
Process Improvement and Optimisation
Level 3Business and Project Management
Identify and Implement the adoption of process improvement and optimisation methods
Procurement
Level 3Stakeholder and Contract Management
Prepare Requests for Proposals (RFP), and assess them against selection criteria and technical specifications, implementing security due diligence review in the vendor selection process
Security Administration
Level 3Operations and User Support
Administer, configure and troubleshoot security programmes and mechanisms, and analyse impact of patches and updates on system and networks
Software Configuration
Level 3Development and Implementation
Identify appropriate scripts and tools, and configure software products to run effectively on various platforms
Stakeholder Management
Level 3Stakeholder and Contract Management
Serve as the organisation's main contact point for stakeholder communications, clarifying responsibilities among stakholders, and engaging them to align expectations
Test Planning
Level 3Development and Implementation
Determine requirements and develop a phase test plan, identifying optimal schedules and means for executing test scripts
European Skills Framework
ESCOSkills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential
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