Senior Manager, Network Engineering

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association•Washington, DC

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The role involves leading the BCBSA network engineering and architecture team to ensure secure and reliable network services for data centers, cloud environments, and offices. This includes overseeing the BluesNet national network, which connects BCBSA, Blue Plans, and Non-Plan Entities across the US, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, the role manages local office network services such as audio-visual services, WiFi, internet access, and telephone services. Collaboration with service providers, vendors, EIT, InfoSec, and business leaders is essential to support the enterprise, cloud, and BluesNet infrastructure.Plan-related responsibilities include ensuring annual BluesNet availability service levels, establishing new circuits and connectivity within agreed SLAs, implementing and testing BluesNet Disaster Recovery capabilities, addressing technical issues, and resolving billing questions.Project-related responsibilities involve gathering requirements for network services projects, defining project priorities with the PMO, funding and staffing projects, monitoring project progress and risks, ensuring project completion, and reviewing lessons learned. For small projects that do not require a PMO Project Manager, the role ensures that a team member is assigned, trained, and performs appropriate coordination, management, and reporting. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Strategic Leadership: Develop, implement and monitor the strategic plan for the BCBSA and BluesNet networks, including network architecture and engineering. Solicit and incorporate input from EIT Enterprise Architecture, EIT Verticals, InfoSec, and Blue Plans to align strategy with business direction and objectives. Participate in BluesNet and BCBSA strategy and operational planning committees to develop next generations designs such as Cloud and software defined infrastructure aimed at increasing information security, agility and efficiencies. Evaluate and incorporate new technologies appropriate in support of new and emerging business requirements. Develop implementation plans and define projects that will ensure network engineering deliverables are met. Monitor progress and financials to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget. Network Engineering and Architecture: Identify, plan, lead, and implement LAN, WAN, Wireless, Firewall Management and other network services projects in support of BCBSA and Blue Plan short- and long-term goals. Projects include coordinating the design and engineering of multi-vendor network devices, firewalls, routers and switches, secure private and public cloud connectivity, and software defined network. Support other projects driven from EIT, InfoSec, and business by providing network engineering subject matter expertise to enable project deliverables. Engineer and Architect network designs supporting the overall performance, high availability, and security of BCBSA, Cloud and BluesNet Networks. Ensure that redundancy and high availability of network and data center infrastructure is built into designs. Analyze network and Internet performance and capacity and recommend upgrades/changes and process improvements. Design and engineer disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities for BCBSA and Plans and incorporate improvements identified in annual exercises to ensure business Recovery Time and Recovery Point objectives are met. Develop Network Architecture and Engineering organization and staff for ongoing optimal alignment with strategic and operational goals in a multivendor and managed services environment. Develop and maintain a highly effective team to ensure necessary skills and competencies to deliver on current objectives as well as future state strategies including Cloud and Agile adoption. Team and Project Management Assist with annual planning and forecasting for BCBSA and BluesNet capital and expense budget. Partner with Finance and BluesNet product owner to project the P&L business plan for BluesNet. Maintain highly collaborative team environment and foster strong partnerships with other Horizontal, Vertical, and InfoSec teams. Provide open communication and leadership to develop and mentor a team of network engineers. Manage staff performance evaluation, salary and bonus reviews, and career growth planning. Assist in Identifying and implementing strategies to realize year over year expense efficiencies. Effectively leverage managed services to supplement staff to provide resources for project work during period s of heavy workload. Update Network Engineering budget forecasts and monitor actual spend vs forecast to identify issues and take proactive measures to stay within budget. Take on cross team leadership assignments as determined by Infrastructure and Netwrok Services leadership to benefit and improve overall organization. Actively participate on cross functional team efforts and lead by example to achieve positive customer and organizational impact. Contribute and actively participate on various BluesNet committees with Plan participation such as the BOC (BluesNet Oversight Committee) and the NAG (Network Architecture Group). Assist Plans, BluesNet Product owner, and other members in planning and preparing for the meetings and preparing presentation materials as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Management Information Systems or equivalent work experience
7+ Years relevant management experience in multiple enterprise IT functions, large teams and multiple complex projects with an emphasis on Network Technology
Experience directing a highly technical multiple Network Engineering team/function for an enterprise or multiple business groups/units.
Expereince with Security and Cloud Network Engineering
Experience in related field/business focus where accountable for enterprise results.
Experience in managing confederation wide resource and associated project teams where a wide range of opinion and needs must be considered.
Experience managing vendor services including the sourcing, coordination and tracking of stated deliverables.
Experience with current and emerging technology in this space.
Progressively responsible experience with a focus in IT business process improvement and Network Engineering.
Strong knowledge of business environment and system architecture, network engineering and security.
Progressive responsibility for planning and support to achieve business goals.
Demonstrated experience with network perimeter security and overall network security best practices.
Experience managing vendor services including the sourcing, coordination and tracking of stated deliverables.
Excellent organizational, verbal and written skills.
Ability to create related materials to convey a strategy or vision for their areas of accountability.
Analytical, planning and project management skills.
Demonstrated leadership and the ability to present to all levels of the organization.
The ability to develop, cultivate and maintain cross-departmental relationships is required.
The ability to gain confidence of customer base and provide value added services.
Proven experience securely integrating enterprise network with Public Cloud preferred

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in MIS, general business or Computer Science
Experience in health care industry or HIPPA regulated industry preferred

Responsibilities

Develop, implement and monitor the strategic plan for the BCBSA and BluesNet networks, including network architecture and engineering.
Solicit and incorporate input from EIT Enterprise Architecture, EIT Verticals, InfoSec, and Blue Plans to align strategy with business direction and objectives.
Participate in BluesNet and BCBSA strategy and operational planning committees to develop next generations designs such as Cloud and software defined infrastructure aimed at increasing information security, agility and efficiencies.
Evaluate and incorporate new technologies appropriate in support of new and emerging business requirements.
Develop implementation plans and define projects that will ensure network engineering deliverables are met.
Monitor progress and financials to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget.
Identify, plan, lead, and implement LAN, WAN, Wireless, Firewall Management and other network services projects in support of BCBSA and Blue Plan short- and long-term goals.
Coordinate the design and engineering of multi-vendor network devices, firewalls, routers and switches, secure private and public cloud connectivity, and software defined network.
Support other projects driven from EIT, InfoSec, and business by providing network engineering subject matter expertise to enable project deliverables.
Engineer and Architect network designs supporting the overall performance, high availability, and security of BCBSA, Cloud and BluesNet Networks.
Ensure that redundancy and high availability of network and data center infrastructure is built into designs.
Analyze network and Internet performance and capacity and recommend upgrades/changes and process improvements.
Design and engineer disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities for BCBSA and Plans and incorporate improvements identified in annual exercises to ensure business Recovery Time and Recovery Point objectives are met.
Develop Network Architecture and Engineering organization and staff for ongoing optimal alignment with strategic and operational goals in a multivendor and managed services environment.
Develop and maintain a highly effective team to ensure necessary skills and competencies to deliver on current objectives as well as future state strategies including Cloud and Agile adoption.
Assist with annual planning and forecasting for BCBSA and BluesNet capital and expense budget.
Partner with Finance and BluesNet product owner to project the P&L business plan for BluesNet.
Maintain highly collaborative team environment and foster strong partnerships with other Horizontal, Vertical, and InfoSec teams.
Provide open communication and leadership to develop and mentor a team of network engineers.
Manage staff performance evaluation, salary and bonus reviews, and career growth planning.
Assist in Identifying and implementing strategies to realize year over year expense efficiencies.
Effectively leverage managed services to supplement staff to provide resources for project work during period s of heavy workload.
Update Network Engineering budget forecasts and monitor actual spend vs forecast to identify issues and take proactive measures to stay within budget.
Take on cross team leadership assignments as determined by Infrastructure and Netwrok Services leadership to benefit and improve overall organization.
Actively participate on cross functional team efforts and lead by example to achieve positive customer and organizational impact.
Contribute and actively participate on various BluesNet committees with Plan participation such as the BOC (BluesNet Oversight Committee) and the NAG (Network Architecture Group).
Assist Plans, BluesNet Product owner, and other members in planning and preparing for the meetings and preparing presentation materials as needed.