Network Engineer (Network and Communications Analyst IV, Range 1) - San Francisco Bay Region Network

Network Engineer (Network and Communications Analyst IV, Range 1) - San Francisco Bay Region Network

Job no: 561257
Work type: Staff
Location: San Francisco
Categories: Unit 9 - CSUEU - Technical Support Services, Probationary, Full Time, Information Systems & Technology

Working Title

Network Engineer

SF State University

**The primary work location and designated home-campus for this role is SFSU**

Department

San Francisco Bay Region Network - Information Technology Services/Network and Telecommunications

The San Francisco Bay Region Network (SFBRN) provides centralized administrative and transactional functions for CSUEB, SFSU, and SSU, creating a unified, cost-effective operational structure. The Information Technology Services (ITS) unit within the Network delivers secure, reliable, and innovative technology solutions that support all three universities. The unit manages infrastructure, application services, user support, information security, data management, and strategic IT operations. Partnering closely with each university's leadership, including Presidents and Provosts, Information Technology Services drives digital transformation, promotes operational excellence, and supports institutional goals. Within ITS, the Network and Telecommunications Infrastructure team designs, implements, and supports the foundational technologies that connect the Network universities. The team oversees wired and wireless networks, f irewalls, switches, routers, VPNs, VoIP, and analog systems, ensuring secure, high-performance connectivity across academic, administrative, and residential environments. Through proactive management and modernization, the team strengthens the Network's technological backbone, enabling seamless collaboration, teaching, research, and operations.

Appointment Type

This is a one-year probationary position.

Time Base

Full-time (1.0)

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Anticipated Hiring Range

$8,231.00 - $10,647.00 Per Month ($98,772.00 - $127,764.00 Annually)

Salary is commensurate with experience.

Position Summary

Reporting to and with minimal supervision from the Senior Director of Network and Telecommunications Infrastructure, the Network Engineer serves as a technical expert responsible for the planning, design, implementation, operation, and continuous improvement of enterprise network infrastructure across the San Francisco Bay Region Network, partner institutions, and auxiliary organizations. This position provides expert technical leadership for complex wired, wireless, remote access, and network management systems that support reliable, secure, scalable, and resilient connectivity across multiple universities.

The Network Engineer leads highly complex network infrastructure initiatives and serves as a key technical advisor to management, technical teams, vendors, and campus stakeholders on enterprise network architecture, infrastructure modernization, service reliability, security, performance, and operational standards. The position develops technical strategies, architecture recommendations, standards, procedures, and best practices that guide the evolution of network services and ensure alignment with organizational priorities, regulatory requirements, and long-term service needs.

The Network Engineer is responsible for evaluating, designing, deploying, administering, maintaining, and optimizing network hardware, configurations, monitoring platforms, security controls, and integrated communications technologies. Key duties include leading multi-site network design and deployment efforts, managing complex connectivity requirements, resolving unique and highly complex technical issues, analyzing capacity and performance trends, and recommending future-state improvements to support the organizational goals and long-term service needs of the San Francisco Bay Region Network. The role works collaboratively across technical, administrative, and institutional leadership groups to ensure consistent network security, service continuity, operational excellence, and effective delivery of enterprise network services.

Position Information

Enterprise Network Architecture, Program Management, and Infrastructure Leadership

1. Plans, designs, implements, administers, maintains, and improves complex enterprise network infrastructure supporting the San Francisco Bay Region Network, partner institutions, and auxiliary organizations.
2. Serves as a technical expert for wired, wireless, remote access, firewall, network management, monitoring, and related communications infrastructure supporting critical performance, scalability, security, and operational requirements.
3. Coordinates and provides expert technical direction for highly complex network initiatives, including major upgrades, lifecycle replacements, new service deployments, modernization efforts, configuration changes, and multi-site improvements.
4. Maintains expert technical stewardship of significant network architecture and infrastructure services supporting critical and high-impact operations across multiple universities and partner organizations.
5. Develops and recommends network architecture strategies, technical standards, procedures, protocols, and best practices to improve scalability, resiliency, performance, security, and service delivery.
6. Serves as a key technical advisor to management, technical teams, vendors, and campus stakeholders on complex network and communications solutions, infrastructure modernization, system integration, and service reliability.
7. Evaluates networking technologies and service trends to recommend new and improved infrastructure solutions, future-state network improvements, operational enhancements, and long-term service needs.
8. Provides expert technical direction in the resolution of highly complex and unique network infrastructure issues where precedents may not exist and where new approaches, procedures, or technical solutions may be required.
9. Prepares technical analyses, architecture recommendations, implementation strategies, risk assessments, cost estimates, business justifications, and project documentation for major network initiatives.
10. Provides technical oversight for the configuration, deployment, monitoring, lifecycle maintenance, and optimization of network hardware, systems, and services.
11. Coordinates with technical teams, information security, vendors, consultants, facilities staff, and campus stakeholders to implement complex integrated network and communications solutions aligned with organizational priorities and approved technical direction

Security, Compliance, and Administration

1. Serves as a technical expert for network security administration, access controls, firewall policy management, secure remote access, vulnerability remediation, and related network protection practices.
2. Develops, recommends, implements, and supports network security standards, procedures, protocols, and best practices to support secure, reliable, compliant, and resilient network services.
3. Coordinates and provides expert technical direction for highly complex network security and administration initiatives, including firewall configuration reviews, access control improvements, patch management, vulnerability remediation, and configuration standardization.
4. Provides technical guidance and recommendations to management, information security, technical teams, vendors, and campus stakeholders on network security, compliance requirements, risk mitigation, and operational controls.
5. Administers and provides technical oversight for network management, monitoring, reporting, and configuration systems supporting operational requirements, compliance needs, incident response, and service reliability.
6. Evaluates security alerts, vulnerability information, audit findings, configuration risks, and operational trends to recommend corrective actions, process improvements, and new or improved technical controls.
7. Develops and maintains network documentation, configuration records, change records, diagrams, procedures, incident documentation, and service activity records to support audits, compliance, operational continuity, and knowledge transfer.
8. Serves as a technical expert in the development, recommendation, and implementation of network governance practices, change-management procedures, and operational controls that support consistency, compliance, security, and service continuity across the Network and partner institutions.

Network Performance, Optimization, and Continuous Improvement

1. Serves as a technical expert for network performance monitoring, analytics, capacity planning, optimization, and service reliability across wired, wireless, remote access, and related communications infrastructure.
2. Evaluates performance data, utilization trends, capacity requirements, service demands, and operational metrics to recommend improvements in efficiency, reliability, availability, resiliency, scalability, and service delivery.
3. Provides expert technical direction for highly complex performance, capacity, availability, and service reliability issues, including root-cause analysis and recommendation of new or improved technical solutions.
4. Develops and recommends performance standards, monitoring practices, reporting procedures, and operational improvements to proactively identify service risks, performance bottlenecks, and infrastructure constraints.
5. Supports administration, monitoring, and optimization of unified communications platforms and integrated voice services where network performance, connectivity, quality of service, or service reliability are impacted.
6. Evaluates call quality, network performance data, and integrated network-telecommunications requirements to recommend improvements that support reliable communications services.
7. Provides technical analysis and recommendations for future-state network improvements, infrastructure planning, lifecycle management, and long-term service needs across the Network and partner institutions.

Other

1. Provides expert technical guidance, mentoring, training, and knowledge transfer to technical staff, project teams, and other technology professionals in support of complex network and communications initiatives.
2. Contributes to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion across the organization.
3. Promotes the organization's core values and consistently integrates innovation, employee fulfillment, teamwork, respect, excellence, integrity, service, and accountability into all aspects of work.
4. Complies with Network, university, and unit policies and procedures regarding privacy of information, authorized use of Network resources, and the security of Network systems and data.
5. Demonstrates safe work practices for oneself, others, and the office environment.
6. Performs other related responsibilities as requested and when necessary. The Network reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and five years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

• Expert knowledge and understanding of network and communications administration, equipment, infrastructure, and related network and communications concepts, principles, and technologies.
• Expert knowledge and skill in applying and interpreting applicable standards, guidelines and, as appropriate, recommend new procedures, protocols, and standards.
• Expert analytical and organizational skills to organize, prioritize, and coordinate the successful completion of large, complex, and strategic network and communications development and improvement projects.
• Expert communication and interpersonal skills to effectively communicate complex technical systems and procedures as well as persuade stakeholders and management regarding system administration design and development options and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, multi-campus systems, or similarly complex public sector organizations.

Environmental/Physical/Special

• Position may require travel among Network universities, as needed, to support operational and collaborative need