Investment Systems Administrator II to Senior Engineer

Job Details

Job Location: Penn Center - Denver, CO 80203Position Type: Full TimeEducation Level: 4 Year DegreeSalary Range: $80,000.00 - $145,000.00 SalaryTravel Percentage: NegligibleJob Shift: DayJob Category: Information Technology

Summary of Job ResponsibilitiesYou will take ownership of our critical investment systems (Portia, Longview, PACE, Ascend, Automic, Power BI and Snowflake), leveraging Python, SQL, and PowerShell and other scripting languages to build and optimize robust data pipelines. Applying Lean principles, you will eliminate systemic waste by performing deep root-cause analysis and automating manual processes to improve daily operations. You will contribute to technical designs and lead the implementation of system enhancements that directly enable the Investment Team’s decision-making. As a key member of our 24/7 on-call rotation, you will ensure the high reliability and performance of our firm's most vital financial technology.

Ideal Candidate Statement
We seek a tenacious problem-solver who thrives on complexity and takes full ownership of systems. You dig deep into root causes, ensuring issues are permanently resolved, and excel under pressure during critical situations. Efficiency drives you to eliminate waste, automate repetitive tasks, and value documentation as the backbone of scalable operations. Proactive by nature, you anticipate needs, propose improvements, and communicate technical solutions clearly to stakeholders. Your commitment and work ethic reflect an understanding that system reliability directly impacts investment decisions. Regardless of level, you are defined by curiosity, grit, and a refusal to settle for “good enough.”

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Individuals must be able to perform these duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Systems Engineering & Project Ownership

• Project Ownership
  • Owns small (Admin II), medium (Engineer), or large (Senior Engineer) investment projects by providing analysis, development, testing, and deployment; contributes to larger initiatives through effective collaboration with IT and Investment SMEs.
• Platform Management
  • Manages and maintains key investment platforms (Portia, Longview, PACE, Ascend, Power BI, Athena) and utilizes automation and data transformation tools (Python, SQL, Snowflake, PowerShell, and orchestration tools) to improve process robustness.
• Technical Design
  • Contributes to technical approach discussions and independently develops/proposes designs for simple (Engineer) or complex (Senior) developments that meet established standards.

• Operational Support & Stability

• Troubleshooting
  • Troubleshoots daily investment systems/data issues (Tier 1/Tier 2) and resolves incidents (dependent on level: common issues / most issues / all issues without escalation).
• 24/7 On-Call
  • Participates in the 24/7 investment systems on-call rotation, taking tenacious ownership of system stability and minimizing downtime.
• Operational Excellence
  • Participates in or leads (Senior) code reviews and incident post-mortem reviews with a focus on eliminating manual "toil" and systemic waste.
• Vendor Coordination
  • Acts as a technical liaison or Subject Matter Expert (Engineer/Senior) when working with vendors to resolve complex application or integration issues.

• System Administration & Governance

• Server & App Admin
  • Administers and patches investment application servers and database environments; monitors DEV and QA environments (Admin II) to ensure availability for development.
• Security & Access
  • Administers investment system users and roles, ensuring secure authentication and compliant access control.
• Documentation:
  • Develops and maintains high-quality system support, troubleshooting, and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documentation.

• Knowledge & Leadership

• Technical Expertise
  • Maintains an in-depth understanding of the firm’s investment application systems, business functions across asset classes, and underlying network/database environments.
• Mentorship:
  • Shares technical and institutional knowledge with the team, leading training and brainstorming sessions (Senior Engineer focus) to drive continuous improvement.
• Continuous Learning:
  • Proactively stays current on evolving investment technologies and industry best practices through frequent technical training.

• Performs other duties as assigned

Other Duties/Responsibilities

• See Leveling Guide

Job Qualifications

• See Leveling Guide

 

Working Conditions
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Standard office environment with frequent telephone communication, computer operation, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy and printer machine. 
• Occasional moving and positioning of supplies in excess of 20 pounds
• All employees are expected to present themselves in a professional manner in alignment with the financial services industry
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time
• Ability to operate standard PC equipment
• Ability to manage frequent deadlines and tight schedules

 

Hybrid Work Option
Opportunity to work from home up to three days per week after orientation and training, subject to performance and manager approval. Eligibility is dependent upon factors detailed in PERA's Work from Home Policy.

Qualifications

LEVELING GUIDE

 

Engineer and Senior requirements include those of the preceding level or levels.

 

Administrator II

Engineer

Senior Engineer

System Enhancement & Design

Execute & Learn: Successfully execute non-complex modifications. Actively participates in design reviews to learn established patterns.

 

Design & Implement: Proposes designs for small/simple developments while actively contributing to design/solution reviews. Independently implements automation workflows adhering to team standards.

 

Lead Implementation: Translates architectural designs into complex technical builds. Leads the technical delivery of major projects and peer-reviews all designs for "Lean" efficiency.

 

System Stability & Root Cause Analysis

 

Triage & Resolve:

Resolves Level 1/2 issues and requests using SOPs. Escalates accurately. Focuses on minimizing "Mean Time to Repair" (MTTR).

Root Cause Mastery:
Performs in-depth Root Cause Analysis for recurring issues. Implements permanent fixes to eliminate technical debt and manual "toil."

Operational Excellence:

Leads the stability of the entire application suite. Proactively identifies systemic risks and builds automated recovery/monitoring solutions. Works with the Architect to optimize and reduce technical debt.

Data Engineering (SQL/Python/Snowflake)

 

Validate & Query:

Writes SQL/Snowflake and other database queries to validate data integrity. Assists in basic data investigations for business users.

 

Pipeline Development:

Builds and optimizes robust ELT pipelines in Snowflake using Python/SQL and other automation systems. Ensures code is modular and reusable.

 

Complex Data Logic:

Develops the most complex data transformations and logic. Optimizes Snowflake performance and ensures data "Lean-ness" (minimizing redundant data).

 

Documentation & Process

 

Adherence:

Accurately documents changes and support activities following team templates.

 

Standardization:

Creates new SOPs and technical documentation for new builds. Improves existing documentation for clarity.

 

Process Governance:

Defines technical documentation standards. Ensures the team's technical knowledge base is accurate, searchable, and audit-ready.

 

Communication & Ownership

 

Clarity:

Clearly updates technical peers on status. Demonstrates a "can-do" attitude toward all assigned support tickets. Proactively seeks guidance and support where needed to make progress avoiding long periods of low productivity due to questions and issues.

 

Stakeholder Partner:

Effectively explains technical trade-offs to business users. Takes ownership of small projects from start to finish.

Technical Liaison:

Acts as the primary bridge between the Investment Team's needs and technical execution. Manages project scope and senior stakeholder expectations.

 

24/7 On-Call Rotation

 

Execution:

Participates in rotation, resolving known issues via SOPs and escalating complex failures promptly.

 

Independence:

Independently resolves Level 2/3 issues. Documenting new fixes discovered during the shift to improve the team's knowledge.

 

Technical Escalation:

Educates and trains non-senior staff to handle on-call rotation. Document new fixes discovered during the shift to improve the team's knowledge. Conducts post-incident "Lean" reviews to ensure the same issue never happens twice.

 

Education and Experience

Degree in technical (STEM) field or one year experience in technical role preferred.

 

Degree in technical (STEM) field and two years of experience in technical role preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience

 

Degree in technical (STEM) field and four years experience in technical role preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Technical Proficiency

Basic to intermediate SQL and application support; exposure to Python; ability to follow technical SOPs. A

Intermediate to advanced SQL and Python; experience with data pipelines, automation on-premise and cloud application support.

Mastery of SQL and Python; experience with system architecture and Snowflake data modeling.

Preferred Knowledge

Basic understanding of financial services or investment operations.

Understanding of investment workflows and asset classes.

In depth institutional knowledge of investment systems and complex business functions.

Interested Candidates:
Complete the employment application online at https://www.copera.org/careers. Please have copies of your resume and cover letter available to upload.

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of an employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned with or without notice.

 

Unfortunately, at this time, PERA cannot consider candidates that require sponsorship (now or in the future), or are located outside of the US.

 

All Colorado PERA employees are subject to PERA’s Ethics Policy and some employees are subject to the Personal Trading Policy. These policies include restrictions on outside business activities and employment and have certain requirements on personal trading.  You may request copies of these policies from PERA’s talent acquisition team and any questions can be answered by PERA’s Investment Administration team.

 

 About Colorado PERA

Looking for a career where you can make a difference? Colorado PERA offers benefit services to public employees across Colorado, including teachers, state troopers, snowplow drivers, correctional officers and many others who provide valuable services. As Colorado’s largest pension plan, we serve and educate over 700,000 members who are former and current public employees. 

 

At PERA you will earn more than a paycheck. PERA is a culture where you can grow your potential and work in an inclusive environment, where diverse perspectives are valued. We hire exceptional employees and recognize that our people are our best asset. Not only do we make sound investments for our members, PERA invests in our employees’ growth through training and leadership opportunities.

 

To promote wellbeing, we offer hybrid or flexible working options for most roles and a total rewards and benefit program including health, dental and vision coverage - eligibility starts the first day of the month following the date of hire for most plans; generous paid time off and volunteer hours; pension and retirement plans, including PERA’s defined benefit plan, 457 defined contribution plan, and 401(k) employer match, as applicable; tuition assistance; free, convenient on-site parking or RTD subsidy; free on-site fitness center to stay active; employee assistance program; training, leadership and mentoring programs and more. PERA is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness qualifying employer.

To learn more about life at PERA, watch this video or visit www.copera.org/careers.

 

Position Title: Investment Systems Administrator II to Senior Engineer
Division: Information Technology
Reports to: Investments Technical Services Manager II
Job Status: Full-time, Exempt
Salary: $80,000.00 to $145,000.00 Annual, Commensurate with experience
Posting Dates: 01/12/2026 to 02/15/2026