Job Details
University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer…
Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Senior Network Operations Specialist
Job Profile Title
Network Specialist Senior
Job Description Summary
Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing the core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services upon which Penn’s numerous Schools and Centers build their unique tools and capabilities.
ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations in order to create, deliver and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as a trusted advisor to Penn’s IT community, faculty, staff and students in support of an environment of discovery and progress.
ISC’s focus on customer service and the high-quality, cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutions advances the mission of the University, as well as that of each individual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom and departmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISC supports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogent counsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ their distinct strengths in support of their goals.
Learn more about us by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/.
Reporting to the Senior Information Technology Manager, the Senior Network Operations Specialist works under general direction in the ISC Technology Services (TS) Enterprise Command Center (ECC) to oversee the daily operational health, availability, and resiliency of the University's enterprise network infrastructure, including wired and wireless networking, voice, video, and related critical network services. This role provides advanced technical leadership by monitoring and resolving complex network incidents, coordinating maintenance and infrastructure changes, supporting operational platforms, and serving as a subject matter expert for enterprise networking technologies and business-critical applications. The position collaborates closely with internal technical teams, vendors, and stakeholders to improve service reliability, maintain accurate network documentation and operational data, and drive continuous process improvements while mentoring colleagues and promoting knowledge sharing. The Senior Network Operations Specialist also participates in a 24x7 on-call rotation, supporting planned maintenance, emergency response, and critical University operations to ensure the continuity of mission-critical network services.
Job Description
Job Responsibilities:
- Monitor, maintain, and support the operational health and availability of Penn's enterprise network infrastructure.
- Coordinate and manage complex network incidents while ensuring timely restoration of services.
- Support network infrastructure maintenance, upgrades, refreshes, and operational change activities.
- Maintain enterprise operational platforms supporting monitoring, inventory management, service management, observability, and reporting.
- Validate infrastructure installations, network configurations, IP addressing, and operational records.
- Configure enterprise networking equipment according to operational standards and approved change management processes.
- Troubleshoot complex network issues involving routing, switching, wireless, voice, video, and related infrastructure technologies.
- Collaborate with engineering teams, vendors, and campus stakeholders to resolve enterprise infrastructure issues.
- Develop technical documentation, operational procedures, knowledge articles, and training materials.
- Mentor staff and provide technical leadership as a Subject Matter Expert.
- Support automation initiatives utilizing scripting and modern operational technologies.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency and service reliability.
- Participate in rotating on-call responsibilities supporting critical University infrastructure.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Degree in Computer Science or related field or preferred), and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
- Minimum of 2–3 years supporting enterprise network infrastructure.
- Strong knowledge of Ethernet, TCP/IP, routing, switching, VLANs, wireless networking, DNS, DHCP, SNMP, and enterprise networking principles.
- Experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise routers and switches.
- Experience supporting enterprise monitoring and ticket management systems.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating across multiple technical teams.
- Availability to participate in rotating 24x7 on-call support.
Preferred:
- Experience developing automation solutions using scripting or programming languages.
- Ability to automate operational tasks, configuration management, data collection, and reporting.
- Experience working with RESTful APIs, web services, and systems integration.
- Familiarity with structured data formats such as JSON, YAML, XML, or similar technologies.
- Experience utilizing AI-assisted tools to improve operational workflows, troubleshooting, documentation, or automation.
- Interest in emerging technologies that improve operational effectiveness and service delivery.
- Certifications: CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA, JMCIP, Network+
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
About Information Systems & Computing:
Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing the core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services upon which Penn’s numerous Schools and Centers build their unique tools and capabilities.
ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations in order to create, deliver and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as a trusted advisor to Penn’s IT community, faculty, staff and students in support of an environment of discovery and progress.
ISC’s focus on customer service and the high-quality, cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutions advances the mission of the University, as well as that of each individual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom and departmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISC supports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogent counsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ their distinct strengths in support of their goals.
Learn more about us by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/.
Department / School
Information Systems and Computing
Pay Range
$29.84 - $49.00 Hourly Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
Equal Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits
- Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
- Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
- Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
- Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
- Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
- Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
- Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
- University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
- Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
- Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
- Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
- Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay