Job Opportunity: Network Engineer – Project Lead
Role: Network Engineer – Project Lead
Location: University of South Carolina – Columbia, SC
Openings: 3
Work Model: Onsite Columbia, SC
Employment Type: Contract
Work Authorization: US Citizen or Legal Resident Required
Position Overview
We are seeking Network Engineer – Project Leads to support daily network engineering operations across the University of South Carolina campus environment. The role will focus on enterprise wired and wireless network infrastructure, network operations, troubleshooting, security, maintenance, and field deployment.
This is an onsite position requiring regular physical presence at university facilities. Candidates must be available to participate in an on-call rotation and perform occasional after-hours maintenance and incident response. On-campus response may be required.
Key Responsibilities
Network Operations & Infrastructure Support
Monitor, maintain, and support enterprise wired and wireless network infrastructure.
Support switching, routing, and connectivity services across campus environments.
Configure, rack, stack, cable, test, and deploy network equipment.
Ensure network availability, reliability, and performance.
Incident Response & Troubleshooting
Diagnose and resolve network connectivity, performance, and security issues.
Perform root cause analysis using network monitoring and troubleshooting tools.
Troubleshoot network equipment and validate configurations in field environments.
Coordinate repairs and escalate complex issues when required.
Participate in on-call support and after-hours incident response.
Network Maintenance & Optimization
Perform routine network maintenance, upgrades, patching, and configuration changes.
Optimize network performance while minimizing service interruptions.
Follow established operational procedures and best practices.
Network Security
Support and maintain network security technologies, including:
Firewalls
VPNs
Access controls
Network security controls
Assist with troubleshooting and responding to security-related incidents.
Documentation & Collaboration
Maintain network diagrams, operational documentation, incident records, and runbooks.
Collaborate with network engineering, architecture, security, infrastructure teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
Communicate technical information effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Technical Leadership
Mentor junior technical staff.
Provide technical leadership during operational incidents.
Work independently and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced network operations environment.
Required Skills
2-10+ years of experience with enterprise network technologies, including switching, routing, wireless networking, and TCP/IP.
2-10+ years of experience configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, and Fortinet network devices.
2-10+ years of experience diagnosing and resolving network connectivity, performance, and security-related issues.
2-10+ years of experience with network security technologies, including firewalls, VPNs, access controls, and security best practices.
2-10+ years of experience installing, configuring, and supporting network infrastructure equipment, including racking, stacking, cabling, and testing.
2-10+ years of experience maintaining technical documentation, network diagrams, and operational records.
2-10+ years of experience with routing protocols and technologies such as OSPF, BGP, VLANs, Spanning Tree, and high-availability architectures.
Education / Certification
Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
Additional Qualifications
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Strong customer service and communication skills.
Ability to communicate technical information effectively.
Ability to collaborate with technical teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks effectively.
Ability to respond effectively in a fast-paced operational environment.
Experience mentoring junior technical staff.
Experience providing technical leadership during operational incidents.
Work Requirements
Onsite at University of South Carolina – Columbia, SC.
Remote work is not available.
Must be able to participate in an on-call rotation.
Must be available for occasional after-hours maintenance and incident response.
On-campus response may be required.
US Citizen or Legal Resident Required.