Principal Network Specialist

Apply now Job no:517597
Position type:Staff Full Time
Campus:UMass President's Office
Campus Location: South St Shrewsbury
Department: UITS-DevOps
Categories:Information Technology
Advertised:Jan 20 2023 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close:

Job Summary:

The University Information Technology Services (UITS) department of the University of Massachusetts is seeking an experienced, energetic, engaging and visionary employee who wants to become part of an exciting, vibrant community of information technology professionals supporting the institution's mission, “To enable UMASS to provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the Commonwealth, the nation and the world.”

Information technology plays a vital and ever-expanding role in the institutional mission. The Institution's information technology environment is highly distributed and diverse, with strong leadership and coordination from the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and direct report units. We are seeking a strong, knowledgeable employee to provide vision, strategy, broad-based planning, and hands-on responsibility as a Principal Network Specialist.

The Principal Network Specialist is a technical role supporting network environments in a multi platform, protocol and operating system environment.  Under limited supervision, the incumbent will provide technical support, integration and maintenance of advanced networking services, hardware components and associated software.  The Principal Network Specialist will develop network management plans, budgetary requirements and architectural assessments.  The incumbent will provide technical consolation for staff and users of the environments; helping to provide advanced design solutions, standards and procedures which include but are not limited to network integration projects, network performance analyses, problem resolution and network security initiatives.  The Principal Network Specialist will also participate in the physical planning of equipment.  This includes physical rack design, power management and cabling.

Essential Functions:

The Principal Network Specialist is a lead technical role supporting our client network services.

• Provide technical support, integration and maintenance of advanced networking services, hardware components and associated software.
• Develop network management plans, budgetary requirements, and architectural assessments.
• Provide technical consultation for staff and users of the environments; helping to provide advanced design solutions, standards and procedures which include but are not limited to network integration projects, network performance analyses, problem resolution and network security initiatives.
• Participate in the physical planning of equipment. This includes physical rack design, power management and cabling.
• Network switch and route knowledge, configuration, and support experience.
• Ability to diagnose network connectivity status between IP nodes such as routers, servers, clients, etc.
• Monitoring network links for error and utilization rates, installing and managing routers and switches.
• Firewall functionality and operational support knowledge.
• Develop network management plans, architectural assessments.
• Technical consulting for users of the environments.
• Monitor and maintain all aspects of the infrastructure.
• Provide infrastructure performance analyses, problem resolution and network security initiatives.
• Build and release management for infrastructure.
• Identify and remediate code vulnerabilities
• Help to ensure the delivery and use of application is consistent with business outcomes.
• Other duties and responsibilities as required.

Other Functions:

Perform other duties as required

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience):

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical, scientific or engineering discipline or equivalent work experience.
• 10 or more years of product evaluation and hands-on work experience in large networks with ability to solve complex problems in a multiple vendor, multiple customer environment.
• Network switch and routing knowledge, configuration and support experience.
• Firewall functionality and operational support knowledge.
• Multi-Site VPN, SSL, DMZ, and remote authentication and authorization knowledge.
• 5 or more years of experience deploying, configuring, troubleshooting and designing Wired and Wireless LAN solutions.
• Experience with HP Aruba wireless technology leveraging Aruba Mobility Conductor Appliances.
• Experience managing Aruba ClearPass (CPPM), Controllers and Access Points.
• Experience with 802.11 wireless technologies in an enterprise implementation.
• Experience with 802.1x configuration and troubleshooting.
• Strong cable management and experience managing fiber and copper cables.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to develop and deliver presentations.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to work effectively with people of all levels of information technology expertise with a wide range of constituencies and organizational relationships.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience):

• Master’s degree in a technical, scientific or engineering discipline.
• Understanding of the following routing protocols; BGP, eIGRP and OSPF.
• Working knowledge and use of SolarWinds.
• Understanding and knowledge of Eduroam federated authentication services.
• Experience with Aruba Controller clustering and seamless failover.
• Experience with HP 3800 series switches and switch stack technology.
• Experience with power over ethernet.
• Knowledge of HP stack technologies, troubleshooting.
• Understanding and support of backup power devices.
• Advanced Product technology certifications Aruba Certified Mobility and ClearPass Professional.
• Experience automating network builds and operational functions as well as using GitHub as a source code repository.

Working Conditions:

The job can require lifting pieces of equipment up to 50lbs.
The job can require some time working inside data centers for extended periods of time.
May require frequent off-hours work.
Participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation.
Fully remote work with occasional office visits may be required.

Additional Details:

Salary commensurate with experience up to $140,000.