Systems Operations Engineer II

Role Summary

The Systems Operations Engineer II plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability, security, and performance of the infrastructure systems that support patient care across Howard University Hospital. This position maintains the enterprise platforms that power the hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR), clinical applications, imaging systems, laboratory systems, pharmacy technologies, and connected medical devices.

In a 24/7 acute care environment, infrastructure stability directly supports patient safety and clinical operations. The Systems Operations Engineer II works closely with infrastructure, security, database, and clinical application teams to ensure mission-critical systems remain resilient, secure, and highly available.

What You’ll Do

• Maintain the infrastructure supporting the hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) and other critical clinical systems
• Manage and optimize virtualized and physical server environments supporting clinical, imaging, laboratory, and pharmacy applications
• Implement proactive monitoring and alerting to identify and resolve issues before they impact clinical operations
• Support downtime planning, testing, and recovery procedures for EHR and ancillary systems
• Conduct capacity planning to support growth in patient volumes, clinical services, and digital health initiatives
• Maintain infrastructure supporting medical device connectivity within clinical networks
• Implement system patching and vulnerability remediation aligned with healthcare cybersecurity standards
• Collaborate with Information Security on HIPAA risk assessments, audit readiness, and incident response investigations
• Manage identity and access controls including Active Directory, Azure AD, SSO, and multi-factor authentication
• Support backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning for mission-critical systems
• Perform root cause analysis following incidents impacting system availability or clinical operations
• Support cloud-based systems operating within hybrid infrastructure environments
• Maintain detailed infrastructure documentation including downtime procedures and recovery playbooks
• Contribute to infrastructure modernization initiatives supporting hospital digital transformation
• Provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to junior engineers and technical staff

Required Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field required.

Master’s degree preferred.

Experience

Minimum seven (7) years of progressive experience in systems administration, infrastructure engineering, or enterprise operations.

Experience supporting mission-critical systems in a healthcare or hospital environment strongly preferred.

Experience supporting high-availability enterprise systems such as Electronic Health Records (EHR) platforms.

Technical Skills

• Advanced experience with Windows and Linux server environments
• Experience managing virtualization platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V
• Experience supporting enterprise storage systems for clinical and imaging data
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure or AWS
• Experience using automation and configuration tools such as PowerShell, Ansible, or Terraform
• Understanding of medical device network considerations and healthcare cybersecurity practices

Preferred Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator or Solutions Architect
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
• Healthcare IT certifications such as CHIT or HCISPP

About Howard University Hospital

Howard University Hospital is a leading academic medical center located in Washington, DC and serves as the primary teaching hospital for the Howard University College of Medicine. The hospital provides comprehensive healthcare services across a wide range of specialties and is committed to advancing clinical excellence, medical education, and community health.

Our teams work in a collaborative environment focused on delivering high-quality care while supporting innovation, research, and professional growth.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Opportunities to work with advanced healthcare technologies
• Collaborative interdisciplinary teams supporting patient care
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities
• A mission-driven environment focused on community health and clinical excellence

Position Details

Department: Application Software Support Services
Reports To: Manager, IT Applications
Location: Howard University Hospital – Washington, DC
Status: Full-Time

Pay + Schedule

Salary will be determined by the Compensation Department based on experience, education, internal equity, and organizational guidelines.

This position may participate in on-call rotations, scheduled maintenance windows, and incident response activities to support a 24/7 hospital environment.

Compliance Statements

Culture of Care

Howard University Hospital supports a Just Culture that promotes accountability, learning, and patient safety.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Howard University Hospital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Reasonable Accommodation

Howard University Hospital is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws. If you require an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Department at HUHLA@huhosp.org.

Pay Transparency

Salary ranges listed in job postings reflect the expected compensation range for the position and are provided in accordance with applicable pay transparency laws. Final compensation is determined based on experience, education, internal equity, and other relevant factors.

Disclaimer

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position.