IT Statewide Associate Engineer 1-3 (Core Operations)

State of Louisiana•Baton Rouge, LA

About The Position

The Division of Administration/Office of Technology Services has a vacancy. This position is located in the Network Communications Services Section. The Office of Technology Services aims to be a responsible partner in delivering innovative, effective, and reliable solutions that support and enhance the IT functions within Executive Branch Departments. The Office of Technology Services will work to increase the return on the State's investment in technology by promoting smart decision-making, solving problems intelligently, increasing the rate of project success, and fostering a skilled and professional staff. This position is an entry- to mid-level network operations role within the Office of Technology Services (OTS) - Network Communication Services (NCS) Core and Data Center Network Operations. The incumbent assists in the installation, configuration, maintenance, and support of moderately complex core, backbone, and data center infrastructure under OTS responsibility. Primary duties include fulfilling service provisioning requests, conducting routine maintenance, and supporting basic troubleshooting efforts for core network systems. The position also assists higher-level engineers with projects such as hardware upgrades, service migrations, and office moves. The incumbent may provide limited guidance to junior associates on standard tasks and offers Tier 2 coordination support for network incidents that exceed the scope of end-user teams. This position is designed to develop technical skills through approved instruction and hands-on experience, with the goal of mastering foundational and emerging network technologies relevant to the OTS enterprise environment. The Division of Administration is the state government’s management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including the following: Overseeing the state’s capital construction program Working to provide state and federal grants for community development Development of the state budget Providing technology services Giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services Administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes.

Requirements

Two years of experience in information technology; OR Six years of full-time work experience in any field; OR An associate's degree in information technology; OR A bachelor’s degree.
Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any area. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any area.
A certification in an approved area may be substituted for the education and/or experience requirements at the time of hire or promotion, provided the appointment is made from a Certificate of Eligibles.
Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited college or university.

Responsibilities

Assist with data network projects, service orders, and maintenance activities in conformity with established timelines, procedures, and standards.
Installing and configuring layer 2 switches in the data center and backbone, including basic port and VLAN settings under guidance from senior personnel.
Running and organizing fiber and copper cabling in network closets and infrastructure spaces.
Providing timely and accurate order and project closure updates to maintain accurate billing inventory and network documentation.
Participating in small-scope deployments or changes to core infrastructure under the direction of higher-level staff.
Coordinating with other OTS teams, customers, or vendors as instructed.
Providing limited guidance to junior personnel on basic provisioning tasks.
Assisting higher-level staff with configuration of layer 3 devices, subnets, and routing in the data center and backbone environments.
Assist with resolving network incidents and performance issues.
Troubleshooting basic layer 2/3 network connectivity or configuration issues in the data center and backbone.
Restoring services through equipment resets, port changes, or basic configuration modifications.
Replacing failed hardware components or patch cables as directed.
Escalating complex or persistent layer 2/3 issues to senior staff or vendors and assisting with troubleshooting.
Communicating clearly with affected customers and documenting updates in the incident tracking system.
Providing Tier 2 support for EUC field and helpdesk staff when escalated issues relate to core infrastructure.
Assisting with documentation updates based on resolution steps.
Receive instruction and participate in training related to advanced communications technologies.
Develop foundational understanding of OTS architecture, core protocols, tools, and services.
Study industry-standard models such as the OSI model and apply knowledge to job duties.
Participate in formal training and on-the-job mentoring to prepare for more independent technical tasks.
Perform all other tasks, special projects, analysis, studies, and plans as directed.