IT Network Operations Manager

The Position:

Reporting to and partnering closely with the VP of IT/CIO, the IT Network Operations Manager leads the networking team consisting of Enterprise, Field / Communications, and Broadband network staff to deliver secure, reliable IT services and excellent support that enable our coworkers to serve our members effectively and provide broadband services to our subscribers. The ideal candidate will have comprehensive network skills including design, deployment, and lifecycle management of various network topologies.

The IT Network Operations Manager maintains relationships with business owners to ensure that the needs are being met and to plan for continuous improvements and efficiencies, as well as vendors to support the needs of the organization. The Network Operations Manager creates a strategic plan for the networking team that supports the organization’s plan and is a significant contributor towards the strategic goals of the entire IT department, which includes systems engineering, service desk, software solutions and information security. This position is highly focused on the overall success of the IT department and the organization.

Job Responsibilities:

• Works with stakeholders and team members to develop strategic plans that ensure the reliability, security and effectiveness of IT networks.
• Leads network design, participates in deployment and maintenance as needed. Guides team, ensuring team members have skills needed to maintain network infrastructure.
• Operationally responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and continued improvement of Broadband network. Work with team to build broadband networking skills to produce highly cross-functional team.
• Establishes rapport with senior management and key stakeholders within the organization. Checks in with peers and stakeholders to ensure their expectations are met. Acts as IT representative in business meetings. Communicates to staff on behalf of IT about significant changes, outages and other IT news.
• Manages network infrastructure team. Hires and develops high performing team members, sets clear expectations, equips employees with the tools, knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Conducts regular 1:1s and performance reviews with direct reports. Ensures subordinate supervisors conduct performance management duties.
• Manages the capital and expense budget for Network Operations. Submits business cases for new projects. Submits and approves requisitions for new purchases and approves invoices. Manages department purchasing card and reports expenses.
• Provides tools and guidance for using best in class tools for network documentation and ensures that goals for documentation continue to be met. Ensures the team tracks work in the work management system. Manages large team projects, including requirements gathering, planning, execution and closure.
• Establishes guidelines and practices for internal and external documentation. Ensures documentation is clear, concise, current, organized and accurate.
• Ensures that the need for security is woven into all aspects of IT work, ensures operational compliance with NHEC’s security program, assists with security audits, collaborates with stakeholders and peers to establish security policies and practices that balance risk with business impact.

The Person:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field preferred plus 10 years of experience in network engineering or 15 years equivalent experience, in total, in lieu of bachelor’s degree.
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification or equivalent experience. CCIE will be considered in lieu of a CCNP.
• Extensive experience with enterprise, operational (ICS), and broadband network technologies. Proficient in network concepts and protocols including BGP, IP routing, NAT/CGNAT,  VLAN, PON, HA, and Cisco ASR. Working knowledge of systems concepts and protocols including virtualization, backup and recovery, cloud services, IAM, and security.
• Strong working knowledge of security frameworks. CIS Controls preferred.
• Familiarity with Calix and Adtran is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.

This role will center around broadband network design, and we are looking for a candidate with significant experience in this area.

          Abilities and Skills:

• Ability to direct the resources of a high technological organization to benefit NHEC and its members required.
• Ability to assign priorities to proposed projects and make sure the assignments are in the best interest of NHEC’s mission required.
• The ability to communicate well and the ability to do presentations required. Must be technically oriented and able to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical users in other departments at all levels within NHEC to achieve the goals of NHEC.
• The ability to motivate subordinates and users required.
• Excellent organizational skills as demonstrated by effectively organizing personal time, tasks priorities, and information, and helping subordinates to do the same.
• Project management, including the ability to clarify scope, gather requirements, break down work, manage issues and risks, and coordinate the work of others.
• Interpersonal skills including the ability to build strong relationships, provide constructive feedback, and navigate difficult conversations with kindness and professionalism.
• Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated by clear, concise business and technical communications.
• Leadership skills including the ability to establish clear and inspiring vision and mission, lead by example, and motivate team members.
• Effective public speaking and facilitation skills including group training sessions and presentations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent critical thinking and comprehensive technical knowledge of enterprise technology.
• Process-oriented as demonstrated by ability to define, troubleshoot and continuously improve systems and processes.

Job Knowledge:

• Must have the knowledge to plan and coordinate network infrastructures, employing security boundaries and implementing best practices; must have the knowledge to ensure the security and integrity of network infrastructures.
• Comprehensive knowledge of IT enterprise, field, operational and broadband network technology. Design, configure, and maintain network infrastructure to ensure high availability, performance, and security.
• Implement and manage IP routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, and MPLS.
• Configure and troubleshoot VLANs, spanning-tree protocols, and layer 2 switching.
• Deploy and maintain GPON or XGS-PON technologies to support fiber broadband services.
• Perform subnetting and IP address management to optimize network resources.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement network solutions that meet project requirements.
• Provide tier 3 broadband support for network-related issues and participate in on-call rotation as needed.
• Document network configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps.
• Work with other teams as needed including operating systems, servers, backup, storage, maintenance, and cybersecurity compliance

WORKING CONDITIONS

Partial telecommuting (up to 3 days per week) is acceptable with management approval, however on-site office work in the Plymouth, NH area will be required.  Occasional after-hours work is expected, along with some travel within the service area.

Assistance with power restoration efforts is required of all employees. It may be required during regular business hours that employees will be assigned functions to support power restoration and for some employees that may be different from their normal duties. In addition, such assistance may require working nights, weekends and holidays which may involve considerable extra hours. In order to meet this working condition, all employees are required to provide a personal phone number where they may be reached after hours. This number will only be used for emergency purposes.

Additional Information

Review of applications will begin November 25, 2024, and will continue until the position has been filled, or otherwise closed.  Please be prepared to provide a resume and cover letter to complete your application. Any application not containing a resume and cover letter will be considered incomplete.

COMPENSATION: 

NHEC views compensation in a holistic and transparent manner. We are committed to providing our employees with work-life balance, generous time off, comprehensive health and retirement benefits, and additional programs that enhance our employees and members lives.

The salary range for this role is targeted at $115,000-150,000 with anticipated pay for new hires between the entry and midpoint of this range and could vary above and below the listed range. Pay is based on non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, education, licensure requirements, proficiency and qualifications required for the role. The base pay is just one component of NHEC’s total compensation package for employees.

THE ORGANIZATION:

Headquartered in Plymouth, New Hampshire, NHEC is the largest member-owned electric cooperative in New England, providing electric utility service to consumers and businesses in 115 communities throughout New Hampshire. There are 220+ employees serving our members, which is at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make, and our mission is to provide our members access to affordable, reliable electric service options that support and simplify their lives. The electric utility industry is currently undergoing enormous change as consumers look for new ways to manage energy costs through renewable energy, distributed energy resources such as solar arrays and battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and energy-related apps on smart devices.

There is much to be proud of in our existing organization, and a genuine enthusiasm for what the future holds. It is an environment in which individual leadership and initiative are highly valued and encouraged, and success is viewed as a shared accomplishment to be celebrated by all. Ensuring our members have the energy they need, the information they want, and a partner they can trust is what makes us different. We invite you to learn more about the impact you can have by exploring our website at www.nhec.com.

Exempt : Yes

Type : Full Time

Department : Information Technology

Location : Plymouth

Work from Home : Hybrid

Non-Union