Deputy-Chief Networking Officer

City of Philadelphia • Philadelphia, PA

2d

About The Position

The Deputy CIO of Networking is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing and directing the City of Philadelphia’s networking infrastructure. The position manages the planning, implementation, and maintenance of network systems to ensure performance, security, and scalability. Working closely with the CIO, the Deputy CIO develops and executes strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals and ensures networking operations support those objectives. The role calls for extensive networking technology experience, strong leadership, and knowledge of emerging trends in network architecture.

The position oversees network strategy, infrastructure design and operations, security, performance, disaster recovery, vendor relationships, and networking budgets. It also ensures compliance and risk management, collaborates with departments and IT leaders, communicates networking policies and plans, and identifies process and technology improvements.

The successful candidate must become a City of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire. All applications must include a cover letter; applications without one are considered incomplete.

Requirements

• Network systems certification (JNCIP) or measurable work experience totaling at least five years.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in Public Administration, Communications, Information Technology, or a closely related field, and 10 to 15 years of infrastructure and data center experience, including at least five years of leadership experience managing multiple large cross-functional teams or projects and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders.
• Five years of managerial or supervisory experience planning, developing, managing, or implementing a comparatively sized or larger data center.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as determined by the Office of Innovation and Technology and Human Resources.
• Must become a City of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire.
• A cover letter must be included with the application.

Nice To Haves

• Networking-related experience is heavily preferred over infrastructure or data center support experience.
• Juniper or Cisco certifications.
• Experience working for an ISP carrier or in the telecommunications industry.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the CIO to develop and implement networking strategies aligned with the organization’s IT roadmap.
• Lead the design and deployment of networking solutions and keep informed about emerging networking technologies and trends.
• Design, implement, maintain, expand, upgrade, and replace network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, VPNs, and cloud-based networking solutions.
• Evaluate networking technologies, tools, and systems to improve performance, scalability, and security.
• Maintain continuous network operations, monitor performance, troubleshoot problems, perform maintenance, and keep network documentation current.
• Implement and enforce network security protocols, conduct security audits and assessments, perform penetration testing, and respond to security incidents.
• Monitor network traffic and performance, optimize configurations for efficiency, load balancing, and redundancy, and resolve bottlenecks and service issues.
• Develop, test, and maintain network disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including backup, replication, and failover systems.
• Research and evaluate vendors; establish evaluation criteria; negotiate contracts; monitor vendor performance against SLAs and KPIs; manage vendor relationships and risks; and coordinate with stakeholders on vendor solutions.
• Assist in developing the networking budget, analyze costs, track expenditures, prioritize and allocate resources, forecast future needs, and report on budget performance and ROI.
• Ensure network systems comply with regulatory requirements and organizational policies, conduct risk assessments, and implement risk-mitigation measures.
• Implement policies and procedures within network teams and oversee budgets related to team development and network operations.
• Analyze performance metrics and prepare reports for senior management on team effectiveness, network performance, budgets, and vendors.
• Collaborate across departments and with IT leaders to align networking with organizational objectives and broader IT initiatives.
• Engage stakeholders, communicate networking plans, policies, and procedures, and provide networking guidance and support as a subject matter expert.
• Identify improvements in network operations and use technology to enhance team performance and operational efficiency.

Benefits

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer.
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees, and sometimes their spouses and dependents, through partnerships with area colleges and universities.
• Comprehensive health coverage for employees and eligible dependents.
• Wellness program eligibility for a discounted medical plan.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Generous retirement savings options.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior