Network Engineer - On Bus

At the Technology Innovation Department (TID), our mission is to apply modern principles of research, design, and technology to make our transit system easy for all riders to use. Effective and equitable public transit is essential to the social, economic, and environmental progress of Greater Boston.

The MBTA Technology Innovation team is working to transform how people get around the Boston area.

We are a team of designers, engineers, product and content specialists charged with bringing novel ideas, modern standards and a user-centered approach to technology at the T. As the MBTA works to reinvent itself, we have a rare opportunity to craft the future of transportation for Boston and communities all around Eastern Massachusetts, as well as pioneer innovations for other transit agencies around the country.

Do you want to improve the daily transportation experience for 4.7 million people in the Boston region? Ready for the challenge? Then read on.

The Network Engineer will play a central part in implanting secure cellular connectivity on all 1,100 MBTA buses. This will help us give bus riders and operators timely information through features like head signs, automated PA announcements, and real-time tracking even (and especially) when service is unexpectedly disrupted. You will implement on-bus cellular routers across the MBTA’s bus fleet and provide your expertise to the team related to the design, deployment, and operation of critical enterprise and network environments. 

In this role, you will work closely with the MBTA’s Bus Tech team, Security & Emergency Management Department, and the Fares Transformation team as the primary users of the Cradlepoint routers we are installing on our buses. You will also collaborate with the MBTA Network team to ensure this work adheres to the MBTA’s best practices.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end network administration, including monitoring, configuration, troubleshooting, and technical support of over 1,000 Cradlepoint routers on buses and related networks.




• Establish practices and mechanisms for the MBTA’s existing on-bus technology maintenance contractors and staff to follow to support these routers.




• Manage day-to-day hardware administration tasks including troubleshooting and coordinating vehicle availability with relevant maintenance staff 
• Establish and enforce governance standards, best practices, and ground rules for on-bus cellular wi-fi.
• Work closely with the Bus Tech team, providing support for the networking needs of the bus dispatching system. 
• Work closely with Security & Emergency Management (security cameras), Fares Transformation (fare boxes) and other partners who will use the on-bus cellular networks.
• Collaborate with other network admins to evaluate and implement potential solutions. 
• Protect the network security of the MBTA: Work with Information Security to ensure routers adhere to current best practices. Assess, identify, and propose remediation of security threats and vulnerabilities. 
• Communicate openly with the team about issues and improvements.
• Participate in on-call support rotation for approximately 5 weeks per year. 

What we're looking for:

• Although we're mostly interested in your ability to do the work, here are some guidelines on the capabilities and experience we think might be most suited for this role. Please keep in mind that the experience guidelines are advisory, and not required. 




• Four years of professional experience in data communications configuration, maintenance, operations, or repair with a focus on distributed (e.g., cellular) networks.
• Solid knowledge of 4G and 5G wireless infrastructure, architecture, concepts and network flows.
• Knowledge of foundational networking protocols such as EIGRP, BGP, OSPF, ISIS, routing and MPLS configurations. 
• Experience managing routers, switches, or other networking devices with a focus on active health monitoring and tracing issues across a complex network.
• Expertise in providing technical support and leading with empathy.
• Interest in and ability to architect a flexible cellular networking approach to meet the MBTA’s transit technology needs 
• Experience with Cradlepoint routers.
• Experience with Cisco networking technologies 
• Experience with dispatching technology. 
• Experience working with or in the public sector.

Benefits and Advantages:

• While working in government may not be glamorous, this is a long-term contract role with compensation comparable to similar private sector roles.
• Beyond compensation, there are many unique advantages of this role, including:




• Flexibility and remote work
• Working with one of the most advanced tech teams in the GovTech sector
• Work-life balance: we rarely exceed a 40-hour workweek
• A social mission to improve the rider experience and make public transit viable and appealing to the public
• A results-oriented culture where we frequently deploy new features or services
• The ability to be of service to both riders and operations staff

Location:

This role is hybrid. While some activities can be accomplished remotely, an important component of this role requires in-person collaboration and hands-on work, including at MBTA bus facilities like garages and stations. We expect this person to be onsite on a regular basis, averaging about 50% of their time but depending extensively on the needs of the work at the time.

As a contracted role for the MBTA, we are unable to hire candidates who would perform their work in California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

At this time, we are only able to hire US residents who will reside in the US for the duration of their employment

Compensation:

Pay rate range is $66 - $80 per hour (W-2), up to 1880 hours per year.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

TID is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment—it’s essential to the work we do. In order to effectively partner with MBTA departments and do our best work for riders, our team must reflect the wide variety of people who use the MBTA’s services. We welcome people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people's lives. Our team is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and continual learning. We strive to foster an environment where each individual is valued, feels a sense of belonging, and is welcomed to bring their best self to work.

Here at TID, we provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and manage all personnel without regard to race, color, national origin, cultural identification or expression, socioeconomic background, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, learning style, neurodiversity, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds. 

Research has shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they believe they meet all qualifications. We strongly encourage candidates from marginalized groups to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the job qualifications listed. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our efforts and interested in supporting our work for riders.