Job Title: NOC Technician
Location: Washington, DC
Type: Direct Hire
Work Model: 4 days on-site
Hours: 40.0 hours per week
Security Clearance: Ability to obtain a Public Trust or higher security clearance
Contact: [email protected] RESPONSIBILITIES - Serve as the final escalation point for complex Tier 1 and Tier 2 incidents requiring advanced technical expertise
- Lead troubleshooting and resolution of critical network outages, performance degradation, and complex technical issues
- Perform root cause analysis on major incidents and develop preventive measures to avoid recurrence
- Provide technical leadership and guidance to junior NOC technicians during critical incidents
- Design and implement solutions for network optimization, automation, and performance improvements
- Conduct in-depth packet analysis and protocol troubleshooting to diagnose complex connectivity issues
- Configure and troubleshoot advanced network devices including core routers, multilayer switches, firewalls, and load balancers
- Participate in and lead Major Incident Management calls with stakeholders and executive leadership
- Develop, maintain, and improve NOC procedures, runbooks, and technical documentation
- Perform advanced network and system performance analysis using multiple monitoring and diagnostic tools
- Collaborate with Network Engineering, Security, and Systems Administration teams on complex cross-functional issues
- Evaluate and recommend improvements to network architecture, monitoring capabilities, and operational processes
- Mentor and train Tier 1 and Tier 2 technicians on troubleshooting techniques and best practices
- Participate in change advisory board (CAB) reviews and provide technical assessments of proposed changes
- Execute complex network changes during maintenance windows with minimal service disruption
- Monitor and optimize network capacity, bandwidth utilization, and traffic patterns
- Coordinate with vendors and external service providers to resolve carrier and equipment issues
- Develop and maintain disaster recovery procedures and participate in failover testing
- Implement network security measures and respond to security incidents in coordination with security teams
- Create and present technical reports on network performance, incidents, and trends to management
- Participate in on-call rotation as the senior technical escalation resource
- Stay current with emerging technologies and industry best practices to continuously improve operations
REQUIREMENTS - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or related field from an accredited college or university, OR equivalent experience
- 7+ years of experience in network operations, network engineering, or systems administration
- 5+ years of experience working in a 7x24x365 NOC or similar mission-critical environment
- Demonstrated experience as a senior escalation point for complex technical issues
- Supporting large-scale enterprise networks with thousands of users
- Advanced industry certifications such as Cisco CCNP, CCNP Security, JNCIP, or equivalent
- Expert-level knowledge of network protocols, routing, and switching (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, spanning-tree, VLAN)
- Advanced troubleshooting skills using packet analysis tools (Wireshark, tcpdump)
- Deep understanding of network security technologies including firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPN, and NAT
- Extensive experience with enterprise network equipment from multiple vendors (Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, Arista, F5)
- Proficiency with network monitoring and management platforms (SolarWinds, Nagios, Splunk, NetFlow/sFlow analysis)
- Knowledge of TCP/IP stack, network services (DNS, DHCP, NTP), and application protocols
- Expertise in load balancing, traffic engineering, and high-availability architectures
- Strong understanding of data center networking, fabric technologies, and virtualization
- Routing policy implementation and traffic optimization techniques
- Advanced troubleshooting skills across multiple technology domains (network, systems, applications, security)
- Ability to interpret network diagrams, technical specifications, and vendor documentation
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills for solving complex problems under pressure
- Leadership and mentoring skills for guiding junior team members
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills across stakeholder levels
- Proven incident management ability, including leading bridge calls and coordinating resources during major incidents
- Proficiency with scripting and automation tools (Python, Ansible, PowerShell, Bash)
- Deep understanding of ITIL framework (Incident, Problem, Change Management)
- Knowledge of cloud networking architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP) and DevOps practices
- Ability to work effectively under extreme pressure and make rapid technical decisions
- Flexibility to work rotating shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays
- Strong documentation skills and commitment to accurate technical records
DESIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES: - Experience in federal government IT environments
- Active security clearance or ability to obtain Public Trust or higher clearance
- Expert vendor certifications (CCIE, JNCIE, PCNSE, F5-CTS)
- Experience with SD-WAN technologies (Cisco Viptela, VMware VeloCloud, Silver Peak)
- Knowledge of CDN architectures and DDoS mitigation technologies
- Advanced security certifications (CISSP, GIAC, CEH)
- Experience with network automation frameworks (Ansible, Terraform, NSO)
- Deep knowledge of IPv6 implementation and dual-stack environments
- Experience with multicast routing and troubleshooting
- Expertise in VoIP and unified communications (SIP, H.323, QoS)
- Wireless technologies (802.11 standards, wireless controllers)
- Application performance monitoring and optimization
- Knowledge of database systems and log analysis (SQL)
- Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, container networking (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Knowledge of compliance frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, FISMA)
- Experience designing and implementing network monitoring solutions
- Background in capacity planning and traffic forecasting
- Incident Commander or ITIL Expert certification
- Teaching or publishing in technical fields
- Experience with ticketing/ITSM platforms (ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira)
- Telecommunications and carrier tech (SONET, DWDM, Metro Ethernet)
