Network Engineer

Who we are

The Technology Unit is integral to ongoing operations at New Visions and our network of Charter Schools, and the Network Engineer is a vital part of that, ensuring the network and infrastructure are available, accessible and stable whenever our colleagues and students need them, and capable of supporting a variety of educational and professional practices without disruption or degradation. As the Network Engineer, you are also tasked with the prevention of and continued response to ever-changing security threats, such as ransomware and phishing, and a key component of creating a security-conscious culture that empowers colleagues across our network of schools.

This position is a full-time, permanent placement in a hybrid working environment (i.e. part hours in-office, part work remote).

Who you are

• You are security-conscious, striving to ensure that sensitive information is kept safe through education, proactive threat monitoring, preventative measures and systematic controls
• You have a passion for consistency and scalability, implementing and streamlining systems to maintain reliable, replicable and friction-free processes that maximize success
• You are empathic and team-oriented, recognizing that we are stronger as a team than we are as individuals, both at the unit level and an organization as a whole
• You are organized and methodical, skilled in managing multiple competing projects, and able to focus your efforts on the priorities of the organization
• You thrive in ownership, taking care to understand and reconcile issues autonomously, never leaving a stone unturned if something doesn’t feel right
• You enjoy change, recognizing that lifecycles in Technology aren’t always measured in years, and past solutions and standards shall be revisited to ensure they continue to be fit-for-purpose
• You are an excellent communicator, both written and verbal, comfortable interacting with a wide variety of colleagues with differing skill-sets, levels of experience, and priorities
• You are curious, resourceful, and creative in your approach, able to think beyond existing systems and help develop improvements
• You are a continual learner, eager to continuously expand your skill set and knowledge, and keen to share ideas and practices with others

What you’ll do

• Maintain the integrity and performance of the New Visions’ networks and infrastructure

• Schedule, coordinate and conduct network systems software/hardware implementations using standard change management procedures;
• Schedule and conduct regular patching and other maintenance on network infrastructure including nodes and wiring, servers, and PAAS platforms such as AWS;
• Regularly monitor and maintain network stability, collect and analyze network performance data, and implement changes to positively affect performance;
• Schedule, coordinate and conduct network systems software/hardware installation and maintenance tasks such as upgrades and patch installation.
• Maintain the security of the New Visions’ networks, platforms, and other systems
• Perform regular security audits, reviews, and risk assessments;
• Provide recommendations and implement improvements to harden the security posture of the organization's on-prem and cloud infrastructure;
• Identify security-related tools or services that are beneficial to New Vision Charter schools or New Visions Organization;
• Assist Security Team with the development and implementation of reviews for security standards, procedures, policies and control techniques;
• Assist Security Team with cybersecurity investigations, evidence gathering and threat and incident response.

• Manage vendor relationships and implementation projects

• Define, evaluate and implement security and network systems that meet the needs of the organization;
• Serve as a point of contact for Charter schools, vendors and other third-party partners related to software/hardware installation and support, infrastructure builds or repairs;
• Manage the annual E-Rate process for Charter schools identifying services, vendors and coordinating with the E-Rate consultant to ensure timely application filing.

• Maintain process integrity and documentation

• Create and maintain network infrastructure and systems documentation;
• Create and retain the accuracy of an SOP library for maintenance activities, processes and procedures;
• Create and update change management processes in line with standard practice and ensure adherence;
• Keep a current CMDB status and detail supporting network and infrastructure services in a centralized repository.

• Work as part of a team
  • • Regularly review and ensure system configuration and management of SAAS services, including endpoints, align with service and security requirements;
    • Conduct regular reviews of support interactions to ensure the quality of service, timeliness of resolutions, and systems of record accurately reflect the latest statuses;
    • Analyze support activities and documented resolutions, conduct root cause analyses, identify problem areas, and devise and deliver solutions to enhance the quality of service and prevent future problems.
    • Serve as a primary escalation point for the network of Charter schools and the internal Support and Systems team with respect to networks and infrastructure;
    • Coordinate with the Technology Procurement team to determine adequate budgeting allocations, and ensure service continuity via timely renewals;
    • Create and conduct training with colleagues;
    • Communicate timely and regular updates and impact assessments on service-affecting issues, configuration changes, or service alterations;
    • Provide backup coverage for the System Administrator;
    • Manage and complete other projects as necessary.

Required Skills and Experience

• Three years of managing networks or related experience. Network, wireless, security or related certifications or education may be used in place of direct experience.
• At least one year of network security experience;
• Knowledge of networking concepts such as LAN, WAN, CAN, VLANs and network services including FTP, DNS, DHCP and remote access technologies;
• Experience in network planning, design, integration, performance and capacity management;
• Experience in domain administration and primary network services such as DNS, RADIUS and DHCP, and familiarity with cloud-based PAAS and SAAS products;
• Demonstrated experience working with network and internet security systems including the configuration of firewalls, WLANs, VPNs, antivirus systems and spam filters;
• Experience working with virtualization technology such as Hyper-V or VMware;
• Experience with data backup, recovery, and practices that retain integrity and security of data;
• Experience managing a cross-platform network with both Windows and Mac OS Server;
• Highly organized with strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects and tasks across various user groups;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Strong team player with a service-oriented attitude and customer focus;
• Ability to analyze, identify, prioritize and correct problems in a fast-paced environment;
• Must be constantly driven to improve and highly adaptable to evolving business practices;
• A high degree of organization, attention to detail, and systematic approach.

Preferred Skill Set and Knowledge Base

• Experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or similar cloud-hosting platforms.
• Experience with Windows PowerShell scripts, Python, BASH or other scripting;
• Familiarity with data visualization or other reporting tools.
• Experience with managing Google Workspace, Blackbaud and Abila MIP.
• Understanding of service management frameworks such as ITIL.
• Experience with IP surveillance/security systems.

Additional Duties

• Willingness to work non-standard hours as needed;
• Additional responsibilities as needed to meet the needs of the organization.

Only candidates who closely fit the qualifications will be contacted for an interview.