ABOUT THE ROLE The Director of Network Services is responsible for the strategy, architecture, standards, governance, engineering, deployment, upgrades, and operational leadership of Welltower's wired and wireless network technology ecosystem across corporate offices and all Welltower properties. This leader owns the end-to-end network technology roadmap, ensuring secure, resilient, scalable, and high-performing connectivity across on-premises environments, cloud-based services, and hybrid deployments.
The Director will evaluate, select, standardize, and oversee the lifecycle of network technologies including switches, routers, wireless access points, firewalls, network management platforms, and core network services such as DNS and DHCP. This role partners closely with IT Services, Information Security, third-party service providers, Operating Partners, construction and development teams, and business stakeholders to ensure network solutions are secure, supportable, cost-effective, and aligned with Welltower's enterprise and property technology strategy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Network Technology Strategy & Governance- Define and execute the enterprise network technology strategy for Welltower corporate locations and property environments.
- Establish standards, reference architectures, and governance for wired LAN, wireless LAN, WAN, internet connectivity, segmentation, routing, switching, firewall, and cloud networking technologies.
- Evaluate and select network hardware, software, platforms, and service providers to ensure solutions are secure, scalable, reliable, and operationally supportable.
- Develop technology standards that support consistent deployment across corporate offices, senior housing properties, outpatient medical properties, and other Welltower-managed environments.
- Ensure network architecture supports both on-premises infrastructure and cloud-based deployments, including hybrid connectivity, secure remote access, and integration with cloud platforms.
Wired, Wireless & Core Network Platforms- Own the roadmap, standards, and lifecycle management for network switches, routers, wireless access points, firewalls, controllers, cloud-managed network platforms, and related network infrastructure.
- Lead the design and implementation of reliable wired and wireless connectivity for corporate offices, property operations, resident-facing services, building systems, and partner environments.
- Define standards for network segmentation, VLANs, routing, wireless coverage, capacity planning, guest access, property onboarding, and resilient internet connectivity.
- Oversee core network services including DNS, DHCP, IP address management, network time services, monitoring, logging, and configuration management.
- Partner with Security to ensure network designs align with zero-trust principles, firewall policy governance, secure remote access, and regulatory requirements.
Deployment, Upgrades & Lifecycle Management- Lead network deployment planning, implementation, upgrades, and refresh programs across corporate and property locations.
- Establish repeatable deployment models for new properties, acquisitions, renovations, expansions, and technology modernization initiatives.
- Oversee maintenance programs for network hardware, firmware, configurations, licensing, warranties, and support contracts.
- Define patching, upgrade, and change management practices that reduce risk while maintaining business continuity.
- Coordinate with facilities, construction, vendors, managed service providers, and Operating Partners to deliver consistent, reliable network outcomes across distributed environments.
Network Security, Reliability & Cloud Connectivity- Partner with Information Security to define and enforce network security standards, firewall governance, segmentation models, secure access controls, and vulnerability remediation processes.
- Ensure network platforms support high availability, disaster recovery, monitoring, alerting, and incident response requirements.
- Lead architecture and governance for cloud-based network deployments, including connectivity to SaaS platforms, IaaS environments, cloud firewalls, virtual networks, and hybrid network integrations.
- Drive continuous improvement in network observability, performance management, automation, and operational resilience.
- Ensure DNS, DHCP, routing, wireless, and firewall services are documented, monitored, maintained, and aligned with enterprise security and reliability expectations.
Vendor, Partner & Service Provider Management- Lead evaluation, selection, contract input, and performance management for network technology vendors, carriers, managed service providers, and implementation partners.
- Establish vendor standards for equipment selection, installation quality, documentation, supportability, and operational handoff.
- Manage technology roadmaps, lifecycle planning, licensing, budgets, renewals, and cost optimization across network platforms and services.
- Ensure network technology supports property operations, resident and guest connectivity, building systems, security platforms, business applications, and corporate productivity needs.
- Partner with internal teams and Operating Partners to align network services with business requirements, compliance expectations, and operating model needs.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement- Define KPIs and service performance metrics for network platforms including availability, latency, capacity, coverage, incident response, compliance, and lifecycle health.
- Drive automation, standardized configuration management, monitoring, documentation, and operational efficiency improvements.
- Lead network lifecycle planning, budgeting, asset management, and vendor performance management.
- Support acquisitions, new site onboarding, construction projects, property transitions, and international expansion from a network technology perspective.
Team Leadership & Talent Development- Build and lead a high-performing network technology engineering and operations team.
- Provide coaching, mentorship, and career development opportunities for network architects, engineers, analysts, and operations resources.
- Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, documentation, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver secure, reliable, and seamless connectivity experiences across corporate and property environments.
OTHER DUTIES Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of this employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
TRAVEL Regular travel may be required to support corporate offices, property deployments, acquisitions, network upgrades, operating partners, vendor assessments, and key enterprise initiatives.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Experience- 10+ years of progressive experience in network technology, infrastructure engineering, network operations, or enterprise connectivity services.
- 5+ years of leadership experience managing network engineering, architecture, or operations teams.
- Deep expertise in wired and wireless network architecture, switching, routing, wireless design, firewalls, network segmentation, DNS, DHCP, and IP address management.
- Strong experience with on-premises network infrastructure, cloud networking, hybrid connectivity, monitoring, automation, and network security practices.
- Experience leading enterprise network deployments, upgrades, refreshes, acquisitions, and lifecycle management across distributed locations.
- Demonstrated success evaluating and selecting network technologies, building standards, managing vendors, and driving cross-functional alignment.
Education- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field required.
- Cisco, Aruba, Juniper, Fortinet, Palo Alto, cloud networking, ITIL, CISSP, or related certifications preferred.
WHAT WE OFFER - Competitive Base Salary + Annual Bonus
- Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays
- Employee Stock Purchase Program - purchase shares at a 15% discount
- Employer-matching 401(k) Program + Profit Sharing Program
- Student Debt Program - we'll contribute up to $10,000 towards your student loans!
- Tuition Assistance Program
- Comprehensive and progressive Medical/Dental/Vision options
- And much more! https://welltower.com/newsroom/careers/
