Position Title: Senior Network Administrator

Department: Systems & Networking Services

Advertised Pay: Base is $76,497 with the potential for a higher entry rate commensurate with experience

Campus Location: Washburn University

The screening committee is actively reviewing applications until the position is filled.

Position Summary:  Washburn University is a student-centered public institution with a diverse population. Washburn is a 2024 best college to work for, according to the Great Colleges to Work For® program. Located in the heart of Topeka, we are proud to be a cornerstone of the community. Our mission is to provide opportunities for our students to realize their full potential; we can’t do it without our dedicated faculty and staff. Join us at Washburn, and you will be part of a long tradition of excellence.

Washburn employs more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka. We strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation.

The Senior Network Administrator plans, designs, builds, and supports the network and associated infrastructure at Washburn University and the Washburn Institute of Technology. This position will work with a heterogeneous network stretching across four sites and more than 30 buildings, serving a variety of different needs for faculty, staff, students, and the general public. The Senior Network Administrator serves as a technical lead to the rest of the networking staff who maintain the data network, electronic lock systems, and campus security cameras.

Essential Functions:
In consultation and collaboration with the Director of Systems and Networking Services, as the team lead, the Senior Network Administrator:
• Assists the Director in communicating with the network operations staff.
• Assists the Director in managing network implementation projects.
• Is point of contact for cabling, lock, and camera installation and repair requests, and fulfills requests with in-house or outside labor as needed.
• Tracks status of relevant equipment maintenance and support contracts and software licenses.
• Keeps informed of trends in data networking and in Washburn’s use of technology, and works with appropriate staff to develop and maintain a long-term holistic plan for Washburn’s network infrastructure.
• Serves as a resource for other network and technical staff.

Under the direction of the SysNet Director, and along with the network staff:
• Configures, monitors, and adjusts configurations of network equipment to maintain the network’s stability and efficiency.
• In consultation with the ITS Security Director, ITS SysNet Director, and other appropriate ITS staff, designs, implements, and adjusts access control schemes to maintain the security of the network.
• Assists with developing written procedures for all work related to network operations.
• Oversees and ensures the quality of network documentation.
• Develops and oversees adherence to best practices in network design, engineering, and maintenance.
• Oversees and ensures the automatic back-up and restorability of network configurations.
• Develops testing procedures for the trial of new equipment and configurations without impacting production networks.
• Analyzes functional specifications to derive network service requirements.
• Reviews products and recommends acquisition or modification of hardware, software or contract services.
• Oversees and maintains accurate inventory of all network assets.
• Creates and maintains accurate physical and logical diagrams of the data network.
• Schedules and performs installation, upgrades, and maintenance in accordance with established ITS policies and procedures.
• Recognizes and troubleshoots problems with network hardware and software.
• Drives root cause analysis, debugging, support, and post-mortem analysis for service interruptions.
• Participates in the weekly on-call rotation with other members of ITS SysNet staff.
• Provides internal ITS staff documentation, training, and support as necessary.
• Tracks assignment and project status using Washburn’s ITSM system and other designated means.
• Reviews professional literature to stay abreast of relevant industry developments, technical best practices and relevant state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and systems.
• Attends classes, seminars, or conferences as approved or directed by the supervisor.
• Performs additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Five years of experience in full-time network administration.
• Proven experience in network administration and with large enterprise network technologies, such as: VLANs, dynamic routing protocols (including OSPF and BGP), 802.1x authentication, WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise wireless encryption, VPNs, and application-level firewalls.
• CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), active and current.

Physical Requirements:
• Must be able to lift, carry and maneuver equipment weighing up to 75 pounds, and may have to climb up ladders or lifts.

Full-time, Exempt, Mon-Fri 8am-5pm   
Background Check Required