Telecom Consultant Assc- Telecom Sr
About The Position
The Telecom Consultant supports and maintains enterprise network infrastructure, including Cisco firewalls, routers, and switches, as well as Arista switching platforms. The role provides operational support, implements network and security changes, troubleshoots network issues, and participates in a 24x7 on-call rotation supporting critical business services. The position is on-site in New Albany, Ohio, and occasional travel is required. Under general direction of more experienced employees, the position develops knowledge of AEP networks, components, and facilities; prepares cost estimates for routine engineering assignments; documents project work using established guidelines; and uses approved applications and tools for routine engineering tasks. It assists higher-level employees with well-defined projects and problems, follows relevant policies and regulations, supports AEP budgeting and approval processes, and completes other duties as assigned. The role maintains and troubleshoots Cisco and Arista network equipment and Cisco firewall platforms; supports routing, switching, firewall, and security operations; monitors network performance and availability; and contributes to network upgrades and technology deployments. It responds to outages and incidents, performs root cause analysis, supports planned and emergency maintenance changes, and coordinates with vendors, carriers, and internal teams. The role is focused on maintaining secure and reliable network services.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, engineering technology, computer science, telecommunications, or a related field; or an associate's degree in one of these fields plus 2 years of relevant work experience; or a high school diploma/GED plus 4 years of relevant work experience.
- For the Telecom Consultant level: 2 years of relevant work experience in addition to any experience used to meet the education alternative.
- For the Telecom Consultant Senior level: 5 years of relevant work experience in addition to any experience used to meet the education alternative.
- Valid driver's license required.
- Entry to basic-level knowledge of communications technologies and internetworking principles.
- Competency in analytical techniques for handling basic assignments, including breaking problems into component steps and analyzing each step.
- Fundamental understanding of relevant telecommunications equipment, materials, systems, and business processes.
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
- Ability to work as a team player and relate to people in an open, friendly, and sincere manner.
- Initiative in seeking opportunities, presenting new ideas and approaches, and increasing job knowledge and technical skills.
- Ability to develop decision-making skills under guidance of higher-level employees.
- Core competencies include continuous improvement, teamwork, assuming positive intent, safety-first focus, continuous learning, and professionalism.
- Ability to work effectively in a 24x7 operational support environment.
- Occasional travel required.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Cisco ASA, Firepower, or Secure Firewall products.
- Experience with network monitoring tools such as SolarWinds.
- Experience with Wireshark or similar packet analysis tools.
- Knowledge of network automation tools such as Python, Ansible, or PowerShell.
- Experience supporting utility, operational technology (OT), or critical infrastructure networks.
- CCNA or CCNP certification.
- Cisco Security Certifications.
- Arista ACE-A or higher certification.
- CompTIA Network+ or Security+ certification.
Responsibilities
- Learn and adhere to policies, procedures, standards, codes, and regulations relevant to assignments; pursue Zero Harm.
- Develop knowledge of AEP networks, components, and facilities to support efficient responses to projects and problems.
- Prepare cost estimates for routine engineering assignments under the general direction of more experienced employees.
- Document project work using established guidelines and use approved applications and tools for routine engineering tasks.
- Assist higher-level employees with well-defined routine projects and problems.
- Follow AEP budgeting and approval processes for annual planning, project planning, and trouble response scenarios.
- Learn AEP's organizational structure and the role and responsibilities of the employee's organizational unit.
- Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco routers and switches, and configure and support Arista switches.
- Monitor network performance, availability, and reliability; support network upgrades, maintenance activities, and technology deployments.
- Maintain network documentation and diagrams.
- Support Layer 2 and Layer 3 technologies, including VLANs, STP, EtherChannel, OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, HSRP/VRRP, and QoS.
- Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Cisco firewall platforms; manage firewall ACLs, rule changes, NAT, VPNs, and security policies.
- Review and validate firewall requests for compliance with security standards and troubleshoot firewall-related connectivity and security issues.
- Participate in a 24x7 on-call rotation and respond to and resolve network outages, incidents, and service disruptions.
- Perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
- Support maintenance windows and emergency changes during off-hours as needed.
- Coordinate with vendors, carriers, and internal teams during incident response activities.
- Complete other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- AEP offers a comprehensive benefits package intended to support and enhance employee well-being.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
