Network Operations Center Technician I

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As one of the largest utility distribution organizations in America, we constantly strive to bring our best to our customers, suppliers, and fellow associates.

Irby Utilities is uniquely positioned to provide dynamic solutions to essential utility services impacting our local and broader communities.

Job Description

The Network Operations Center (NOC) is responsible for operation, maintenance administration, and performance management of customer IP networks.

This is an in office position at the NOC in Jonesboro, AR. The NOC serves as an escalation point for end-user issues that are unable to be resolved by field personnel or help desk technicians and as a first responder for network outages or impairments.

The NOC manager uptime and availability of platforms, elements, and services within the network.

The NOC operates 24x7x365. The NOC provides input / feedback to the engineering teams to improve end-user experience, NOC tools / monitoring, new network products / services, and refinement / improvement of existing network products / services.

The NOC is responsible for interfacing with multiple internal and external teams, to ensure timely and accurate resolution of any and all reported or identified network issues.

Please be advised : Employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Job Responsibilities

Analyze engineering documentation and design for acceptance into the network and subsequently take ownership of those products / services to include circuit testing using RFC-2544, Y.

1564, or Y.1731 (as needed).

• Ensure that network standards, policies, and procedures are being adhered to such as naming standards, design standards / methodologies, port assignment, and base configuration.
• Understand routing and switching in a service provider network to include protocols such as VLAN (C-VLAN and S-VLAN), MPLS, E-VPN, ECMP, BGP, SIP, SNMP, and OSPF.
• Manage the network monitoring system (NMS) to include importing new devices into the NMS platform and ensuring that alerting of that NMS is properly managed / responded to.
• Maintain existing deployed Gigabit Passive Optical network to include configuration of that technology and its related end-user endpoints, to include scheduled upgrades to those products.
• Maintain and update network documentation by following ITIL change management practices for documentation and tracking purposes.
• Manage the ticket queue and ensure that all reported issues are documented and resolved in a timely manner.
• Monitor customer networks via the monitoring platform to verify validity of alerts and accurately identify customer impact.
• Manage network outages dispatching appropriate technicians to facilitate repair / restoral of the network, escalating issues to vendor support to engineering support as needed, and acting as a liaison between disparate teams to ensure that information is flowing freely between all stakeholders.
• Perform network maintenance on existing networks to include Method of Procedure (MOP) writing and execution while minimizing end-user impact.
• Perform configuration and acceptance of network equipment being deployed to support new services areas within an existing network.
• Maintain critical network sparing inventory.
• Perform network troubleshooting to quickly and accurate identify the root cause of a network outage / impairment and work the issue until resolution engaging other teams as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent work experience
• Understanding of a service provider or large enterprise networks in a multi-node, full mesh, network topology.
• Understanding of router / switch from Cisco, Juniper, Ciena, Nokia or Equivalent.
• Understanding of routing protocols such as OSPF, BGP, ISIS.
• Understanding of Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (G-PON).
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting network devices with a command line interface (CLI)
• Understanding of Network Monitoring systems.
• Understanding of Carrier Grade NAT (CG-NAT)
• Understanding of IPv4 or IPv6 networks and IP routing.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Understanding of layer 2 technologies
• Understanding of technology or feature testing in a lab and other environments
• Experience working in a structured environment that requires change control processes in accordance with company policies, for execution of implementations and changes to the network environment.
• Experience interacting with end-users to engage in active troubleshooting of home / small business networks.
• Experience interacting with vendors to facilitate repair / replacement / restoral of network hardware.
• Strong computer software skills to include MS Office, IP configuration, Putty.
• Eager to learn new technologies.
• Strong understanding of the OSI model.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of Juniper router / switch is a plus.
• Understanding of DZS / Zhone GPON platforms is a plus.
• Understanding of Mikrotik router / switch is a plus.
• Understanding of SIP is a plus.
• Linux / Server experience is a plus.
• Understanding of any transport network equipment is a plus.

Our Competitive ?

401K Plan, Competitive Medical Plans (medical, dental, and vision), Paid Vacation and Personal, Paid Sick, Paid Holidays, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health and Dependent Care), Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Employee Discounts, Long-term and Short-term Disability, and Life Insurance.

About Irby Utilities

We are powered by our people. Across our nationwide reach and diversity, we adapt, dare, and learn as one team while maintaining an open mindset to optimize our performance.

This team approach has helped Irby customers to succeed since our inception, and our investment in our people continues to translate into broader achievement including a vast array of professional development and growth opportunities.

Irby Utilities is one of the nation’s largest utility distribution companies with over $2 Billion in annual sales and 900 associates across more than 45 branches.

Our ability and readiness to innovate and collaborate across our industry has fueled our success, and our approach continues to be one of true partnership with our customers, vendors, and one another.

Irby was a pioneer in the early days of the electrical business, founded in 1926, and continues to be an industry leader in philanthropic involvement and community activity.

Irby is also part of the Sonepar family of operating companies. Sonepar is the world leader in electrical distribution and consists of the finest locally managed electrical and industrial distributors.