Deputy Chief Networking Officer

About This Opportunity

Judit Inc. is conducting this executive search on behalf of the City of Philadelphia. This is a direct-hire, full-time position: the person selected will be hired as a City of Philadelphia employee.

The description below is the City''s overview of the role and the background they''re looking for. If you meet most - but not all - of these, we still want to hear from you. Your Judit recruiter will walk you through the role, the interview process, and compensation before anything moves forward.

What you''ll do

As Deputy Chief Networking Officer in the City''s Office of Innovation and Technology, you''ll lead the network infrastructure behind city government services. You''ll work closely with the Chief Information Officer to set networking strategy, oversee the design, operation, and security of the City''s networks, and manage the vendors and budget that support them.

Strategy and leadership

• Work with the CIO to develop and carry out networking strategies aligned with the City''s IT roadmap
• Lead the design and deployment of networking solutions for current and future needs, and track emerging networking technologies
• Partner with IT leaders and City departments to align networking plans with broader goals, and serve as the go-to expert on networking issues

Network infrastructure and operations

• Design, implement, and maintain LAN, WAN, VPN, and cloud-based networking; evaluate new technologies and plan expansions, upgrades, and replacements
• Keep networks running with high uptime: monitor performance, troubleshoot, perform regular maintenance, and maintain diagrams, configurations, and procedures
• Monitor bandwidth and traffic, optimize configurations for load balancing and redundancy, and resolve bottlenecks

Security, compliance, and continuity

• Implement and enforce network security protocols, including firewalls, encryption, IDS/IPS, and access controls
• Run regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration tests; lead response to security incidents and report breaches when required
• Keep network systems compliant with regulations and City policies, and conduct regular risk assessments
• Develop, test, and update network disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including backup, replication, and failover

Vendors and budget

• Evaluate and select networking vendors, negotiate terms and pricing, and ensure contracts comply with City policy and law
• Monitor vendors against SLAs and KPIs, manage vendor relationships and risks, and keep stakeholders informed of changes
• Help prepare the networking budget, analyze and forecast costs, track spending, and report on budget performance and ROI to senior leadership

Team operations

• Ensure network teams follow City policies and procedures, and report on team effectiveness and network performance
• Find and implement improvements in network operations

What you''ll bring

• Network systems certification (JNCIP) or at least 5 years of measurable work experience
• Bachelor''s degree from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in public administration, communications, information technology, or a closely related field

And

• 10-15 years of infrastructure and data center experience, including at least 3 years leading multiple large, cross-functional teams or projects and influencing senior management and key stakeholders
• 5 years of managerial or supervisory experience planning, developing, managing, or implementing a data center of comparable or larger size

Or

• An equivalent combination of education and experience acceptable to the Office of Innovation and Technology and Human Resources

Compensation and benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience, up to $175,000
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and eligible dependents, plus a wellness program with access to a discounted medical plan
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Multiple retirement savings options; the City is a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Free SEPTA Key card for eligible employees, and 10-40% tuition discounts at partner colleges and universities

Work details

• Full-time, exempt; direct hire as a City of Philadelphia employee
• Onsite in Philadelphia, PA
• Residency: you must become a City of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire
• Interview process: two rounds, onsite