Network Engineer III

UF Information Technology (UFIT) is currently seeking a senior level Network Engineer III to join the Infrastructure and Communications Technology (ICT) team, a unit within UFIT.

Employment with UFIT provides an excellent opportunity to work with other employees dedicated and focused on understanding and interpreting the technological needs of the University of Florida’s innovative and inspirational community.

This role provides opportunities to design and implement advanced networking solutions, with a strong emphasis on both wired and wireless networking expertise. You will define enterprise standards, recommend new initiatives, and help UFIT align with industry trends. You’ll also collaborate with managers and technical peers and serve as a vital mentor to junior colleagues. You will be expected to be proficient in emerging technical methodologies, including DevOps (NetDevOps) practices. This position will support the University of Florida and its constituents.

• Design and Implement Complex Network Solutions: Design and implement complex network solutions and new connections to the network, following published policies, guidelines, and design standards.
• Support State-wide and University Networks: Support the University of Florida backbone and datacenter networks as well as State-wide FLR DWDM Optical and MPLS backbones.
• Network Automation Solutions: Design and/or implement network automation solutions using tools like Ansible, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions to streamline network operations and deployments.
• Wireless Network Design and Implementation: Design, deploy, and optimize wireless networks, including Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), LTE, and 5G NR technologies. Conduct RF design, spectrum analysis, and manage QoS to ensure robust wireless performance.
• Network Troubleshooting: Analyze and diagnose network problems, troubleshoot, recommend, and implement corrective actions.
• DevOps Integration: Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines for network automation, leveraging containerization and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Final Tier Support: Provide final tier of support and troubleshooting for users and other IT professionals who depend upon the network.
• On-Call Duties: Participate in rotating on-call duties as well as early morning and weekend maintenance, where needed.
• Security Best Practices: Follow best practices in security, including threat investigation, code analysis, and vulnerability assessments.

About UF Information Technology 

UF Information Technology comprises eight departments reporting to the Vice President and Chief Information Officer: Academic Technology; Applications, Development, and Integrations; Business Center; Customer Experience and Resource Planning; Data Platform and Analytics; Information Security Office; Infrastructure and Communication Technology; and Research Computing. With established governance advisory committees and a set of well-defined, transparent processes aiding decision-making, UFIT strives to provide exceptional IT services in support of UF’s mission. For more information about UFIT and its goals and governance, visit  http://www.it.ufl.edu/vp-cio-office/strategic-plan/.

Learn more about UFIT at https://it.ufl.edu/ and @GoGatorsUFIT.

About the University of Florida 

The University of Florida (UF) is the state’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university, with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and was ranked 6th in the country among public universities (US News and World Report 2023 rankings) and 1st among public institutions in the Wall Street Journal 2023 survey. UF is in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF’s large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support various activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer various programs, including magnet schools and an international baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville.

Benefits

Full-time TEAMS employees accrue vacation leave at a rate of 6.769 hours biweekly/22 days annually and sick leave at 4 hours biweekly/13 days annually. In addition, employees are eligible for ten paid holidays each year.

Vacation-accruing TEAMS employees are eligible for four personal leave days/32 hours per year, assuming full-time status. These leave days may allow units to close from December 26 to 31, when possible, determined on a unit-by-unit basis.

In addition to paid time off, the University of Florida offers a very competitive benefits package.

Achieving a top-6 public university ranking means we prioritize employing and working with people with various experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives to discover new ways to leverage technology for teaching, learning, research, and the business needs of a comprehensive land-grant institution.

$108,000 – $118,000; commensurate based on education and experience

Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and three years of relevant experience.

Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience but does not negate the minimum degree requirement(s).

The ideal candidate will possess the following education, experience, and skills:

• Wired Networking Expertise: Proficiency in Ethernet, fiber optics, and related technologies, including network design, implementation, and troubleshooting.
• Wireless Networking Expertise: Proficiency in Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), LTE, and 5G NR technologies, including RF design, spectrum analysis, and QoS management.
• DevOps Skills: Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, Ansible, and GitHub Actions. Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Programming and Scripting: Strong coding skills in Python and Go, with the ability to write and maintain scripts for automation and network management.
• Optical Networking: Experience with large-scale DWDM networks.
• Large-Scale Network Management: Experience running larger scale service provider and/or enterprise networks.
• Protocols Knowledge: In-depth knowledge and experience with network protocols, including TCP/IP, SNMP, VLAN configuration, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, Segment Routing, Multicast, and Traffic Engineering. Strong understanding of protocols such as DHCP/DNS and the ability to analyze network packet captures to solve problems.
• Cloud Services Experience: Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for deploying and managing network services.
• Monitoring and Analytics: Proficiency in using monitoring tools like Prometheus, Datadog, and Wireshark for network performance analysis and troubleshooting.
• Security Expertise: Strong understanding of network security principles, including threat investigation, code analysis, and vulnerability assessments.
• Linux and System Administration: Experience with Linux and basic system administration.
• Certifications: Certification from a well-known national vendor (Cisco, Arista, Juniper).

This role will be based in one of our Gainesville offices and may include a hybrid schedule of 3 days in the office (Wednesday required), and 2 days remote.

Applicants are required to submit the following with their application:

• Cover Letter
• Resume or CV
• Professional References (Minimum of 3)

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.