Senior Network Operations Specialist

About the University

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.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia, situated on a beautiful urban campus with easy access to educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The University provides a competitive benefits package including excellent healthcare, tuition benefits, generous retirement benefits, professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, and a wealth of health and wellness programs.

About the Role

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services. ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations to create, deliver, and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. 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 drive continuous process improvements while mentoring colleagues and promoting knowledge sharing. The Senior Network Operations Specialist also participates in a 24x7 on-call rotation to support planned maintenance, emergency response, and critical University operations.

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.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (Degree in Computer Science or related field preferred), and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 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 Qualifications

• 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+.

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pay

$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.

Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. Flexible spending accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Exceptional tuition benefits for you, your spouse, and your dependent children at Penn and other institutions.
• Retirement: Generous retirement plans including Basic, Matching, and Supplemental plans allowing pre-tax or Roth savings with a variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Substantial time off for vacations, personal affairs, illness, or injury.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: Coverage for long-term care services at home, in the community, or in a nursing facility through Genworth Financial.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Programs and resources to support health, family, and work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Resources to advance personally and professionally.
• University Resources: Access to libraries, athletic facilities, arboretum, art galleries, cultural and recreational activities.