Datadog Monitoring Systems Engineer

Job Title: Lead Monitoring Systems Engineer

Location: Washington, DC (100% Remote)

Reports To: Manager, Systems Monitoring Team

Job Category/Level: Systems/Monitoring/Lead

Background: We are seeking a Lead Systems Engineer to support Systems Monitoring initiatives for several upcoming projects in 2024 and beyond. This role will focus on the administration of systems and applications monitoring tools, with a strong emphasis on DataDog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Administer and maintain the DataDog monitoring tool on a Linux platform, including application performance monitoring (APM), log management, and network monitoring.
• Instrument Java-based applications running on Tomcat using DataDog.
• Configure centralized logging for various sources, ensuring seamless integration with DataDog.
• Create dashboards and data visualizations in DataDog to monitor key performance metrics.
• Develop and implement end-user monitoring and synthetic monitoring solutions using CloudBeat and Selenium scripts.
• Analyze tool data, prepare weekly status reports, and communicate potential issues to management.
• Collaborate with Systems and Application Architecture teams to ensure monitoring requirements are met during the development process.
• Provide training and documentation for monitoring tools and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience: 5-8 years in IT with a focus on monitoring tools, including a minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience with DataDog.
• Strong experience with Linux platforms (preferably Red Hat) and Java application instrumentation.
• Familiarity with the ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) is a plus.
• Proficient in scripting languages (Python, Shell, Ansible) for automation tasks.
• Understanding of SSL setup, encryption methods, and network components (e.g., routers, switches, load balancers).
• Experience with systems monitoring strategies in large-scale environments and service level management.

Competencies:

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and analytical skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving initiative and technical proficiency.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and software development life cycles (SDLC).

Preferred Qualifications:

• ITIL Foundations v3 certification (to be obtained within 180 days).
• SAFe certification.
• Experience integrating cloud monitoring solutions (e.g., AWS CloudWatch) with DataDog.