Network Operations Center Tier 1 Shift Lead

This program is required to provide ongoing support for the agencies Network Operations Center (NOC) and Wireless Network Operations Center (WNOC), which are critical components within the Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Enterprise Infrastructure and Operations Directorate (EIOD), and Network Operations Division (NOD). These centers perform real-time monitoring, proactive maintenance, incident detection and response, problem resolution, and network performance reporting across the agencies nationwide enterprise. They ensure network stability, availability, and the rapid escalation and resolution of technical issues.

Position Description : The NOC Tier 1 Shift Lead is responsible for overseeing a team of Tier 1 Network Operations Center (NOC) technicians during assigned shifts. This role ensures efficient monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolution of network issues by coordinating task assignments, providing technical guidance, escalating complex issues to higher-tier support, and maintaining operational efficiency. Operating in a 24 / 7 environment, the Shift Lead plays a critical role in maintaining network stability and delivering exceptional support to customers. This position requires strong technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and communication abilities to ensure efficient network operations and high-quality support.

Requirements

• Provide direct oversight and leadership to Tier 1 NOC Analysts during assigned shift to ensure 24x7 monitoring and incident response coverage.
• Monitor network, server, and application systems using enterprise monitoring tools to identify, analyze, and escalate incidents in accordance with established procedures.
• Coordinate shift operations, ensuring incidents, service requests, and alerts are properly triaged, logged, escalated, and resolved within defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Act as first point of escalation for complex Tier 1 issues, providing guidance, troubleshooting support, and communication to higher-tier engineers as required. Ensure effective shift handoff by documenting ongoing issues, incidents, and operational status in logs, reports, and dashboards.
• Oversee incident communications, including initial notifications, status updates, and resolution summaries to stakeholders and management.
• Maintain situational awareness of network health, critical infrastructure, and ongoing incidents to ensure operational continuity.
• Enforce adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), incident response workflows, and change management policies.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of Tier 1 incident tickets to verify accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established standards.
• Train, coach, and mentor Tier 1 staff to develop technical and analytical skills, improve response times, and strengthen team performance.
• Support major incident management activities by coordinating Tier 1 response efforts and providing real-time updates to the NOC Manager or Incident Commander
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying process gaps, documenting recurring issues, and recommending automation or procedural enhancements.
• Generate and review shift reports, summarizing key incidents, outages, and performance metrics for management review.
• Assist with onboarding new analysts and ensuring all shift personnel maintain familiarity with monitoring tools, ticketing systems, and escalation procedures.
• Ensure compliance with security and confidentiality standards when accessing or communicating system information.
• . Required Skills :
• 5 + years of relevant experience
• Bachelors degree in related technical fields such as Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, IT, Networking, and Communication.
• Relevant certifications such as ITIL v3, CompTIA, CCNA A minimum of five (5) years’ relevant experience in Tier 1 support operations Strong understanding of network fundamentals, including TCP / IP, routing protocols, network topology, and basic troubleshooting techniques.
• Hands-on experience with network monitoring tools and ticketing systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills to identify and resolve network issues efficiently.
• Effective communication skills for interacting with customers, technical teams, and management.
• Strong understanding of network fundamentals (TCP / IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, routing, switching).
• Experience with enterprise monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG, Nagios, Zabbix, LogicMonitor, or similar).
• Proficiency with incident tracking systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira Service Management).
• Ability to interpret alerts and logs from various network and server monitoring platforms.
• Basic knowledge of Windows and Linux server environments and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure preferred).
• Competence with documentation and reporting tools (Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, or equivalent).
• Ability to work in 24x7 operations, including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Preferred Skills

o   Understanding of network security fundamentals, including firewalls, IDS / IPS, and SIEM tools such as Splunk or QRadar.

o   Advanced Network Knowledge :

o   Familiarity with Layer 2 / 3 networking concepts, routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP), VLAN configuration, and network segmentation.

Benefits

SES provides a competitive salary and the following benefits :