Associate Director, Network Operations

Company: Virginia Tech

Job Location: Blacksburg, Virginia

Category: IT Manager/Director

Type: Full-Time

Job Description

The Associate Director for Network Operations provides leadership and direction to the Network Operations team and has overall accountability for all services supported by those teams. Services include wired, wireless, remote access, restricted network access services, data center, core, border, and wide area networks. Working closely with the Director of Operations, the Associate Director is responsible for all services and products in their respective program. All NI&S Associate Directors will be highly engaged with each other, exhibiting a shared commitment to deliver operational excellence across the organization. The position will ensure that program services receive strategic attention and appropriate resources in support of the university and NI&S missions. The Associate Director is expected to:

• Provide effective leadership, mentorship, coaching, and direction to the team, ensuring all staff are engaged and productive
• Develop staff performance plans, conduct performance evaluations, and provide purposeful, objective frequent feedback to employees
• Promote and apply principles of change, risk, and resource management to ensure the continued reliability, performance, and security of systems and services
• Maintain the program portfolio of hardware and software products, utilizing lifecycle management to remain current with industry and vendor standards for supportability and security
• Develop, implement, and review operational policies and procedures
• Proactively recommend innovative and modern technology solutions based on industry best practices
• Champion and promote service improvements on an ongoing basis to continually improve quality and customer satisfaction
• Develop and understand key service metrics and make recommendations for improvement
• Assist in the development of annual funding plans and budgetary forecasts
• Provide IT Leadership with reports and presentations to convey project status, initiatives, and operational activities
• Manage procurement and resource allocations
• Assist in establishing short and long-term strategic direction, goals, and objectives, and developing measurable goals and metrics
• Collaborate with peer associate directors to ensure the successful development, operation, and support of products and services and organizational projects
• Establish alliances and relationships with vendors and partners
• Maintain intimate knowledge of technology and industry trends through research of professional and technical resources, professional networks, and societies. Conduct research and consult with peer institutions on issues related to services with a focus on operations, system design, maintenance, security, and system integrity

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science, Information Systems, STEM, or a related field or training and work experience that equates to a master's degree
• Experience leading and managing technical teams
• Basic knowledge of networking principles and technologies
• Customer-focused attitude with a desire to learn and serve
• Excellent organization and planning skills
• Effective communicator with the ability to work in groups and to motivate staff
• Ability to effectively delegate tasks
• Self-motivated, with the ability to produce results given only high-level direction
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism
• Experience diagnosing, isolating, and resolving complex issues, and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems
• Experience with and proven abilities in communicating situational awareness and service outage information to a wide variety of stakeholders, including senior managers and end-users
• Experience designing, testing, deploying, and maintaining large-scale networks
• In-depth knowledge of the seven layers within the OSI model and detailed familiarity with industry network protocols
• Knowledge of agile methodologies and practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with service providers and vendor partners to coordinate troubleshooting and incident response activities
• Experience with and proven abilities in communicating situational awareness and service outage information to a wide variety of clients, including senior managers and end-users
• Experience developing and managing departmental operating and capital expense budgets
• Experience with managing projects and associated budgets, and schedules
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of Ethernet and Routing technologies through one or more of the following certifications: CCNP, JNCIP, or equivalent

Overtime Status: Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type: Regular

Salary Information: 121,000 - 128,000

Hours per week: 40

Review Date: 6/13/2025

Additional Information: The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact IT Human Resources at ithr@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.