Network Administrator

Furman University•Lexington, MA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Network Administrator provides Level II support for Furman University's campus network under the direction of the Director of Systems and Networks or an immediate supervisor. The role responds to and diagnoses network-based functions, troubleshoots wired and wireless connectivity, network access control, and related campus network services, and supports Ethernet over copper and optical fiber cabling. The position requires a solid foundation in networking and systems concepts, strong troubleshooting skills, and the ability to learn new concepts quickly. Strategic network design, enterprise architecture, and major infrastructure decisions remain under the Director of Systems and Networks. The Network Administrator administers, monitors, maintains, and troubleshoots campus wired and wireless network infrastructure within established operational standards and change-management guidelines. The role includes routine cabling work, equipment installation and lifecycle maintenance, documentation, incident resolution, and support for network security initiatives. The administrator collaborates with ITS staff, vendors, contractors, and other campus groups; participates in an on-call rotation; and provides backup support for other team members and enterprise Unified Communications systems. Work is performed in office and field settings, including campus wiring rooms, IDF closets, and outdoor environments. The position requires hands-on network infrastructure maintenance, cabling, and troubleshooting, sometimes in varied weather conditions and with physical demands such as climbing, lifting, crouching, crawling, and reaching.

Requirements

Associate degree or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of related experience; related Information Technology experience may substitute for required education on a year-for-year basis.
Minimum of 2–3 years of hands-on experience administering, configuring, and supporting enterprise-grade wired and wireless network infrastructure.
Experience providing Tier II problem resolution for wired and wireless networks.
Demonstrated experience with network monitoring tools, packet analysis and troubleshooting, and structured copper and fiber cabling infrastructure.
Strong understanding of TCP/IP networking, subnetting, VLANs, trunking, spanning-tree protocols, and routing fundamentals.
Working knowledge of enterprise wireless standards (802.11ax/ac), RF fundamentals, SSID management, and wireless troubleshooting techniques.
Experience with network monitoring and management tools, including SNMP, NetFlow/sFlow, syslog, and Wireshark.
Practical understanding of structured cabling standards, including Cat6/6A, single-mode and multi-mode fiber optics, patch panels, and optical transceivers.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
Ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to maintain accountability, trustworthiness, confidentiality, and personal integrity in managing network systems and access levels.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related technical field from an accredited four-year college or university.
Industry certification such as CCNA, CompTIA Network+, CWNA, or an equivalent vendor certification.
Familiarity with enterprise switching, wireless controllers, and network access control (NAC).
Experience supporting enterprise VoIP/SIP telecommunications systems.

Responsibilities

Administer wired and wireless network infrastructure within established operational parameters, escalating significant or system-wide changes to departmental leadership.
Support, maintain, and troubleshoot building-based network infrastructure according to operational standards and change-management guidelines.
Perform routine indoor and outdoor network cabling adds, moves, and changes independently; coordinate significant cabling changes and new installations with departmental leadership.
Coordinate network equipment installations, adds, moves, changes, and decommissioning.
Perform routine maintenance, upgrades, firmware patching, and lifecycle replacement activities.
Maintain network documentation, rack diagrams, topology diagrams, standards, and standard operating procedures.
Provide field support and serve as the initial escalation point beyond the Help Desk for campus network connectivity and user support.
Monitor network health, performance, availability, and security using network management and monitoring tools.
Analyze, diagnose, and resolve network incidents and service disruptions in a timely manner.
Support indoor and outdoor Ethernet and fiber-optic physical plant infrastructure, including testing, patching, and physical-layer troubleshooting.
Assist the Information Security team with network access control systems and campus network security initiatives.
Assist with enforcement of network security policies, VLAN segmentation, 802.1X authentication, and secure remote-access configurations.
Work with third-party vendors to support residence hall networking and IPTV systems for general use.
Collaborate with ITS staff, vendors, and contractors on network-related projects and services.
Provide backup support for enterprise Unified Communications systems.
Participate in the Systems and Networks on-call rotation and provide backup support to other team members.
Maintain the technical knowledge and skills needed to support network systems and infrastructure and to assume primary and secondary responsibilities.
Apply current technology to meet requirements and improve network operations.
Complete performance reviews with the supervisor and pursue professional development, including keeping current with networking technologies, standards, and best practices.
Perform other duties as assigned.