Senior Network Support Engineer

Position Objective: The Network Support Engineer is the primary technical resource for the day-to-day operations and health of a research institute's network infrastructure. As a core member of our shared managed services team, this individual is responsible for managing the Tier 2 and Tier 3 incident queue, executing planned changes, and serving as the first line of expert engineering response. This role is foundational to our Agile ITSM methodology, directly executing tasks within the SVS1 (Network Monitoring & Maintenance) and SVS2 (Technical Support & Escalation) streams to ensure the stability, performance, and security of PCORI's network.

Key Responsibilities:

Incident & Service Request Management (Tier 2/3):

• Actively manage the Tier 2 and Tier 3 network support queue within PCORI’s Zendesk ITSM platform, taking ownership of assigned incidents and service requests.
• Perform comprehensive troubleshooting and root cause analysis for network-related incidents, focusing on restoration of service within SLA targets.
• Provide clear, consistent, and timely communication to PCORI stakeholders and within ticket logs throughout an incident's lifecycle.
• Serve as the first point of engineering escalation, resolving a majority of incidents and escalating the most complex issues to the Lead Network & Cloud Engineer

Network Maintenance & Change Implementation:

• Execute planned maintenance activities, including firmware updates, patching, and configuration changes during approved maintenance windows, following PCORI's Asana-based change management process.
• Implement standard, pre-approved configuration changes during core business hours as requested.
• Support the Lead Engineer in performing semi-annual architecture and capacity reviews by gathering performance data and operational metrics.

On-Call & Escalation Support:

• Participate in a shared on-call rotation to provide 24/7/365 response for all Priority 1 and Priority 2 infrastructure incidents.
• Act as an initial responder in the "Agile Swarm" for critical incidents, working in concert with the Lead Engineer to rapidly diagnose and resolve outages.

Documentation & Reporting Support:

• Maintain meticulous documentation for all actions taken within Zendesk tickets, creating a clear audit trail for every incident and request.
• Assist in maintaining the accuracy of network documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as changes are implemented.
• Provide operational data and ticket analysis to the Project Manager for inclusion in monthly SLA and performance reports. 

Minimum Experience & Education:

• A minimum of five (5) years of hands-on experience in a network      operations, NOC, or managed services support role.
• Proven experience managing Cisco Meraki (MX, MS, MR) devices in an      enterprise environment.
• Demonstrable experience providing Tier 2 and Tier 3 level support,      including participation in an on-call rotation.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in a      related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.

Required Certifications:

• ITIL® v4 Foundation
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or equivalent      foundational network certification.

Preferred Certifications:

• Cisco Meraki Network Associate/Operator (CMNA/CMNO)
• CompTIA Network+ or Security+

Required Skills and Knowledge:

• Proficiency with enterprise ITSM platforms for incident and change management (experience with Zendesk is highly desirable).
• Hands-on expertise with the full Cisco Meraki suite, including device configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting via the dashboard.  
• Strong understanding of core networking protocols and concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, VPNs).
• Experience troubleshooting hybrid connectivity to cloud environments (Azure, AWS).
• A disciplined approach to following formal Change Management processes (experience with Asana is a plus).
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical issues to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Must reside in or have the ability to commute to the Washington, DC, metropolitan area for infrequent, event-driven on-site support.