Network Operations Lead

Overview

The Network Operations Lead provides technical leadership for operations, maintenance, and secure configuration of the Agency network environment. This role ensures network availability, performance, and security; leads troubleshooting and incident coordination; and maintains documentation and evidence to support compliance and audit readiness under the strategic oversight of the Agency CIO/PMO. The Network Operations Lead partners with cybersecurity and systems engineering stakeholders to implement secure network architectures, support continuous monitoring, and manage network changes in a controlled and traceable manner.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day network operations, including monitoring, performance management, troubleshooting, and restoration of service for network-related incidents and outages.
• Implement and maintain secure network configurations and baselines (e.g., segmentation, routing/switching standards, firewall rule governance, VPN access), coordinating with cybersecurity stakeholders on control implementation and risk reduction.
• Support continuous cybersecurity monitoring by ensuring required network logging, telemetry, and visibility are enabled and maintained (e.g., log forwarding, time synchronization, and sensor placement) in coordination with security operations.
• Coordinate network inputs to incident response, including triage support, traffic analysis, containment actions (as authorized), evidence preservation, and post-incident remediation.
• Own network configuration management and change control activities, including change planning, impact analysis, approvals, implementation/rollback procedures, and post-change validation.
• Maintain network inventories, diagrams, and standard operating procedures; ensure artifacts remain current and support audit readiness and documentation requirements.
• Coordinate vulnerability remediation related to network devices and services (e.g., firmware/OS updates, configuration fixes), including exception tracking and closure evidence.
• Support privileged access governance for network administration by coordinating access reviews, least-privilege implementation, and administrative account hygiene.
• Provide technical leadership to network staff and/or subcontractors as applicable, including work assignment, peer review, mentoring, and standardization of procedures.
• Collaborate with systems engineering and enterprise architecture stakeholders to align network modernization and design decisions with Agency needs, security requirements, and compliance expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Network Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in network infrastructure support.
• Certifications: CCNA, Network+, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical work, coordinate across stakeholders, and manage escalations to restore and sustain reliable network services.
• Strong documentation and communication skills to support change control, operational reporting, and audit-ready evidence.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating and securing networks in regulated federal environments with formal compliance and audit requirements.
• Experience with enterprise firewalls, network access control, remote access/VPN, and secure network segmentation concepts.
• Familiarity with network security monitoring concepts (e.g., IDS/IPS, NetFlow, log correlation) and coordination with security operations teams.
• Experience supporting vulnerability management and patching/firmware updates for network devices, including documentation of remediation evidence.
• Experience developing and maintaining network diagrams, SOPs, and operational runbooks for repeatable execution.

 

Core Competencies and Deliverables

• Network monitoring and operational procedures, including escalation paths and on-call/support coverage guidance.
• Current network diagrams, device inventories, configuration baseline documentation, and standard operating procedures maintained in an audit-ready state.
• Change control records for network changes (implementation plans, rollback steps, approvals, and post-change validation evidence).
• Network incident/outage records, root-cause analysis summaries, and tracked corrective actions.
• Vulnerability remediation tracking for network devices and services, including closure evidence and documented exceptions where approved.
• Recurring status inputs and operational metrics (availability, performance trends, and remediation progress) for stakeholder reporting.

 

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.

• Possess the ability to fulfill any and all office activities normally expected in an office setting, to include, but not limited to:  remaining seated for periods of time to perform computer entry, participating in filing activity, lifting and carrying office supplies.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to fifteen (15) pounds.
• May require more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position.
• Fine hand manipulation (keyboarding).

 

Work Environment:  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• May work prolonged or irregular hours.
• Frequent local travel; occasional statewide or out-of-state travel.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Exposure to general office conditions while conducting office duties.