Network Administrator

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Job Title:

Network Administrator

Job Family:

Professionals

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full time

Pay Type:

Salary

Department:

Systems and Networks

Job Summary:

Under the direction of the Director of Systems and Networks (or immediate supervisor), the Network Administrator responds to and diagnoses network-based functions of the campus network. This position requires intermediate level expertise in supporting and troubleshooting Ethernet over copper and optical fiber cabling. It requires a solid working foundation in networking and systems concepts and implementations. Excellent troubleshooting skills are required. This position is intended to provide Level II intermediate support between the Help Desk and Systems and Networks.

As an important member of the Systems and Networks team, the Network Administrator provides troubleshooting and support of wired and wireless campus network connectivity, network access control, and other functions in support of the campus network. Knowledge and use of network monitoring systems and network troubleshooting tools is required. Strong foundation in OSI layers 1-3 and other networking standards is essential. The Network Administrator is also instrumental in the planning, configuring, and administering of wired and wireless network systems as determined by the Director of Systems and Networks (or immediate supervisor). Additionally, the Network Administrator performs primary and backup roles as assigned and is expected to maintain a high degree of technical knowledge and ability to learn new concepts quickly.

Strategic network design, enterprise architecture, and major infrastructure decisions remain under the direction of the Director of Systems and Networks.

Job Description:

Responsibilities:

Network Infrastructure Administration & Operations

• Administers wired and wireless network infrastructure within established operational parameters, escalating significant or system-wide changes to departmental leadership.
• Performs support, maintenance, and troubleshooting of building-based network infrastructure within established operational standards and change management guidelines.
• Performs routine indoor and outdoor network cabling adds, moves, and changes independently; coordinates with departmental leadership for significant cabling infrastructure changes or new installations.
• Coordinate network equipment installations, adds, moves, changes, and decommissioning activities.
• Perform routine maintenance, upgrades, firmware patching, and lifecycle replacement activities.
• Maintain network documentation, rack diagrams, topology diagrams, standards, and standard operating procedures.

Incident Resolution, Monitoring & Level II Support

• Provides field support and serves as the initial point of escalation for campus network connectivity and network user support beyond the Help Desk.
• Monitor network health, performance, availability, and security utilizing network management and monitoring tools.
• Analyze, diagnose, and resolve network incidents and service disruptions in a timely manner.
• Support indoor and outdoor Ethernet and fiber-optic physical plant infrastructure, including testing, patching, and troubleshooting physical layer connectivity.

Network Security & Systems Collaboration

• Provides support when needed to the Information Security team, assisting with network access control systems and campus network security initiatives.
• Assist with enforcement of network security policies, VLAN segmentation, 802.1X authentication, and secure remote access configurations.
• Work with third-party vendors to provide support for residence hall networking and IPTV systems for general use.
• Collaborate with ITS staff, vendors, and contractors on network-related projects and services.
• Provide backup support for enterprise Unified Communications systems.

Team Collaboration & Professional Development

• Serves as an active member of the Systems and Networks team by:
• Participating in the Systems and Networks on-call rotation.
• Providing backup support to other team members.
• Keeping abreast of information necessary to provide support for network systems and infrastructure.
• Maintains a high degree of accountability, trustworthiness, confidentiality, and personal integrity in the management and maintenance of all network systems and access levels provisioned and administered.
• Maintains current skills necessary to assume primary and secondary responsibilities.
• Applies current technology to meet requirements and improve network operations.
• Completes performance review process with supervisor to understand job performance expectations and how they fit into the department and university goals.
• Pursues professional development to keep pace with demands for services and information, including maintaining up-to-date knowledge of networking technologies, standards, and best practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Relationships

Daily contact with members of own work unit, immediate supervisor, and members of other departments to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information, and make suggestions related to mutual goals.

Frequent contact with student employees, other departmental staff, liaison faculty and staff to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information, and share information.

Frequent communication with vendor/contractor teams to facilitate project direction and understanding.

Occasional contact with faculty, staff, and students to achieve successful outcomes related to job duties.

Occasional communication and/or consultation with vendor/contractors, telecommunications carriers, and low voltage/fiber cabling contractors to facilitate project direction and understanding.

Responsibility for Final Decisions

Tasks involve multiple technical procedures with interrelated processes and dependencies. Work involves choosing the appropriate option or procedure to follow and applying established rules and procedures.

Work is performed independently on routine network administration and operational tasks; non-routine changes, high-risk reconfigurations, and system-wide modifications are subject to change management review and Director of Systems and Networks approval prior to execution.

Errors may be detected within the department but may affect campus network availability; established change management and rollback procedures are in place to minimize impact and facilitate correction.

Routine work is frequently performed independently; non-routine issues or questions are referred to the supervisor. Emergency work may call for quick independent decisions requiring close communication with the immediate supervisor.

Education/Skill Requirements

Education

Associate degree or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of related experience required. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related technical field from an accredited four-year college or university preferred. Related Information Technology experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Experience

• Minimum of 2-3 years of hands-on experience administering, configuring, and supporting enterprise-grade wired and wireless network infrastructure.
• Tier II problem resolution in support of wired and wireless networks.
• Demonstrated experience with network monitoring tools, packet analysis/troubleshooting, and structured copper/fiber cabling infrastructure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CompTIA Network+, CWNA, or equivalent vendor certifications preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with enterprise switching, wireless controllers, and network access control (NAC) preferred but not required.
• Experience supporting enterprise VoIP/SIP telecommunications systems preferred but not required.

Skills

• Strong understanding of TCP/IP networking, subnetting, VLANs, trunking, spanning-tree protocols, and routing fundamentals.
• Working knowledge of enterprise wireless standards (802.11ax/ac), RF fundamentals, SSID management, and wireless troubleshooting techniques.
• Experience with network monitoring and management tools (SNMP, NetFlow/sFlow, syslog, Wireshark).
• Practical understanding of structured cabling standards (Cat6/6A, single-mode and multi-mode fiber optics, patch panels, and optical transceivers).
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to perform well both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities.

Work Conditions

Work is performed in a combination of office and field settings. A significant portion of time is spent in campus wiring rooms, IDF closets, and outdoor environments performing hands-on network infrastructure maintenance, cabling, and troubleshooting. Work may involve exposure to varied weather conditions and physical demands including crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, climbing, balancing, lifting, carrying, stooping, kneeling, reaching, and handling.

Education Requirements:

Certification Requirements:

Job Posting End Date (if date is blank, posting is open ended):