A systems engineer is saddled with the responsibility of designing and setting up an organization’s IT system. Aside from that, a systems engineer also manages the system to ensure it runs smoothly as well as troubleshoot and fix issues that arise.
Duties and Responsibilities of a Systems Engineer
The duties and responsibilities of a systems engineer are liable to change based on the particular task at hand or the scope of the project. However, some responsibilities of a systems engineer include:
Supervises the activities of the technical team on the systems engineering process of a project.
Analyze and compute the technical elements of the project plan to make sure that the systems engineering process is running as it should.
Manage all system infrastructure.
Assess all technical systems and offer technical guidance to the IT support staff of the organization.
Make plans for system automation and see to the implementation of those plans.
Make sure that technical resources are readily available.
Ensure that every technical issue is responded to promptly.
Monitor the workflow of the systems engineering process as well as provide methods for optimization and risk management for the process.
Supervision and management of inventory.
Where Can a Systems Engineer Work?
There are several industries where a systems engineer can work such as:
Mechanical fields like the construction of aircraft and robots and the production of equipment for diagnosis and measurement.
Electrotechnical fields like automated software, micro, and nanotechnology.
IT fields like software integration.
What Skills Are Necessary for Systems Engineering?
There are two sets of skills that every systems engineer should have and they include:
Systems Engineer Workplace Skills
These are skills required in the workplace and they are:
Communication skills
Organizational skills
Troubleshooting skills
Analytical skills
Systems Engineer Technical Skills
These are job-specific skills that a systems engineer should have and they include:
Software development skills
Cloud computing
Scripting
Risk management
Programming and data architecture
Networking
Information security
How to Become a Systems Engineer
You can become a systems engineer by getting a degree in computer science or other related fields such as software engineering, industrial science, and systems engineering, and the like. Getting higher university degrees like a master's or Ph.D. improves your chances in the job market.
You can also make your way up the ladder as a systems engineer by gaining more experience in the field. This is achievable via internships and training that allow you to have first-hand practical knowledge of systems engineering.
How Much Does a Systems Engineer Earn?
The salary of systems engineers varies depending on the type and size of the system being managed. For new systems engineers in the industry, the annual salary could average up to $70,000. Engineers with a few years of experience can earn up to $96,000 in a year, while those who have been there for a long time or those at senior levels in the industry can make an annual average of about $121,000.
If you’re looking to join a professional team of systems engineers? Reach out to ElementX today!