Network Engineer (onsite at Tougaloo College)

Ellucian•Jackson, MS

10h•Onsite

About The Position

The Network Engineer at the historical Tougaloo College is responsible for the implementation, secure operation, and continuous improvement of campus and enterprise network services in a higher education environment supported by an international MSP. This role serves as a key technical contributor and escalation resource, ensuring reliable connectivity and secure access across LAN, WLAN, and WAN services. The Network Engineer operates with strong fundamentals (OSI model and TCP/IP) and hands-on capability in routing, switching, NAC, DNS/DHCP/IPAM, and wireless, while coordinating with stakeholders in a consultative, customer-focused "trusted advisor" model.

Requirements

Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments, provide technical guidance, and maintain positive working relationships with users, vendors, and team members.
5-8 years of network engineering experience in enterprise, campus, or managed services environments; higher education experience is strongly preferred.
Solid proficiency with the OSI model, TCP/IP fundamentals, and structured troubleshooting practices; strong IPv4/IPv6 addressing and subnetting skills.
Hands-on experience with routing and switching fundamentals and operations (e.g., VLANs, trunking, STP, port security, link aggregation, and high availability).
Working knowledge of dynamic routing (e.g., OSPF and/or BGP; EIGRP where applicable) and the ability to support SD-WAN and/or SD-LAN environments with guidance from senior engineering resources when needed.
Hands-on experience implementing or operating Network Access Control (NAC) solutions, including 802.1X and AAA (RADIUS/TACACS+).
Hands-on experience with DNS and DHCP operations, and exposure to IPAM platforms and practices; ability to implement configuration and security best practices.
Experience supporting enterprise wireless networks, including controller/cloud-managed architectures, authentication, RF troubleshooting, and performance tuning.
Familiarity with BICSI low-voltage cabling practices and the ability to coordinate and validate vendor deliverables in MDF/IDF and classroom/residential environments.
Strong technical writing skills, process documentation discipline, and the ability to deliver formal presentations to stakeholders when required.
Demonstrated time and stress management skills, with the proven ability to prioritize and deliver multiple concurrent operational and project commitments in a dynamic environment.
Effectively navigate external dependencies and constraints, proactively communicates impacts, and escalates risks to maintain service quality and delivery timelines.
Ability to travel occasionally and participate in on-call support as required.

Responsibilities

Operate and support campus LAN/WLAN/WAN services, including switching, routing, wireless, and WAN connectivity for academic, administrative, and residential environments.
Implement and maintain advanced Layer 3 routing and segmentation under established architecture standards, including support for SD-WAN and software-defined campus/SD-LAN capabilities (platforms may vary).
Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot dynamic routing (e.g., BGP and OSPF; EIGRP where applicable), route policy, and high-availability features to meet resiliency and performance requirements.
Administer Network Access Control (NAC) capabilities (e.g., 802.1X, RADIUS/TACACS+, guest/BYOD onboarding, posture where applicable) and collaborate with identity and endpoint teams to enforce access policies.
Administer and secure enterprise DNS, DHCP, and IPAM services, including lifecycle management, backup/restore, change control, auditability, and security hardening (e.g., secure updates, role-based access, and logging).
Support modern wireless networking technologies (e.g., Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 as applicable) including AP provisioning, controller/cloud management, RF optimization, roaming performance, and secure authentication (WPA3-Enterprise/802.1X).
Apply BICSI-aligned low-voltage cabling standards and coordinate with vendors/facilities for MDF/IDF design inputs, labeling, patching standards, and validation of copper/fiber installs.
Maintain network monitoring and observability (telemetry/SNMP, syslog, flow data) and perform troubleshooting using structured methodologies, packet analysis, and root-cause analysis practices.
Experience with structured cabling installation and maintenance, including running, dressing, terminating, labeling, and testing Category 5e and Category 6 copper cabling. Proficiency in patch panel installation, cross-connects, network jack termination, cable management, and cable certification testing is required.
Demonstrated ability to support both network infrastructure and enterprise applications, including troubleshooting connectivity issues, assisting end users with application-related problems, and providing Tier 1/Tier 2 operational support in a multi-site environment.
Execute upgrades and lifecycle activities for network hardware/software and configuration standards, including configuration backups and recovery procedures.
Support network security controls (e.g., firewall policy coordination, VPN, ACLs, secure management access) and participate in incident response and remediation in partnership with security stakeholders.
Produce and maintain high-quality technical documentation (network diagrams, standards, SOPs, change plans, and knowledge articles) and contribute to continual service improvement.
Deliver excellent customer service: communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders, present findings and recommendations, and set expectations consistent with managed services delivery.
Work within formal ITSM processes (incident, request, problem, change) and partner with the Chief Information Officer, Technical Director, Systems Administrator, Enterprise Applications team and Helpdesk Support team to improve workflows, reduce recurring incidents, and standardize service delivery.
Other duties as required

Benefits

Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision
Flexible time off
Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account (LSA) that allows you to contribute towards your health, financial or learning interests
401k w/ match & BrightPlan - to help you save for the future
Parental Leave
5 charitable days to support the community that supports us
Telemedicine
Wellness
Headspace Care (mental health)
Wellbeats (virtual fitness classes)
RethinkCare & Wellthy– caregiver support
Diversity and inclusion programs which provide access to internal employee resource groups
Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
Education Assistance Program
Professional development opportunities
LinkedIn Learning