Network Specialist

Job Description

Position Purpose:

As a UW employee you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW is Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff your experiences perspectives and unique identities will be honored at the University of Washington. Together our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive equitable and welcoming.

UW Information Technology (UWIT) is the central information technology organization for the University of Washington responsible for strategic planning oversight and direction of the UWs IT infrastructure resources and services. UW-IT provides critical technology support to all three campuses UW Medicine and research operations around the world. UW-IT partners with the UW community to enable innovation learning discovery and service.

The Network Engineer is an advanced non-supervisory engineering role that bridges Network

Implementation and Network Operations responsibilities into explicit engineering ownership. This position translates established network architecture and standards into deployable designs and configurations leads medium-complexity deployments and changes and provides escalation support for incidents impacting the wired network service.

This role is intentionally structured as a progression step for staff moving from installation/implementation-focused work toward full Network Engineering responsibilities. The incumbent demonstrates growing technical breadth independent judgment within standards and accountability for outcomes across the Design / Build / Deploy lifecycle.

Position Complexities:

This position operates in a complex high-availability environment supporting diverse academic clinical and research stakeholders across multiple sites and operational contexts. Work regularly involves non-routine technical challenges where requirements may be incomplete timelines constrained and risk must be actively managed. The role applies independent judgment within established architecture and standards to plan and execute complex network changes coordinate cross-functional deployment activities and ensure successful stabilization and transition to steady-state operations.

Complexity is driven by:

• Ambiguity and engineering judgment: translating customer and operational requirements into a viable design/configuration approach within standards; evaluating tradeoffs and documenting decisions.

• Change risk and operational impact: planning sequencing and executing changes with rollback strategies; minimizing downtime and coordinating maintenance windows.

• Cross-team coordination: leading technical coordination across engineering NIM-dispatch (field deployment) the NOC and campus/clinical partners to deliver end-to-end outcomes.

• Competing priorities: balancing incident support project delivery and technical debt reduction while maintaining service reliability expectations.

• Accountability for outcomes: owning technical quality (configuration intent validation documentation/as-builts and post-change stabilization) not simply completing assigned tasks.

• Work-lead expectations (non-supervisory): providing technical direction and task coordination for defined work efforts (e.g. change windows or deployments) while escalations and staffing remain with management.

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University:

This is an essential position and is 100% on-site.

The University of Washington relies on enterprise wired network infrastructure to support teaching learning research clinical care and administrative operations across multiple campuses UW Medicine sites and remote locations. This position contributes directly to network availability change quality and service continuity by owning the engineering work needed to deploy and operate network services reliably at scale.

The Grade 9 Network Engineer is typically accountable for one or more defined service areas or domains (e.g. a set of buildings/sites a device platform or an operational toolset) and is expected to improve reliability through documentation standardization validation and post-incident corrective actions.

Position responsibilities

35% Deploy & Sustain (Complex Implementation Operations)

• Independently perform complex network installations upgrades troubleshooting maintenance and repair to restore and sustain wired network services.

• Lead/execute complex change windows and post-change stabilization; coordinate escalation with the NOC as needed.

20% Build (Configuration Ownership)

• Configure and manage network infrastructure components including routers switches and firewalls in alignment with established engineering standards.

• Develop/review implementation-ready configurations for complex work and validate intended outcomes.15% Test & Validate (Standards Alignment)

• Test new equipment and firmware (lab/pilot/controlled deployment) to confirm compatibility with departmental network standards and operational requirements.

25% Quality Assurance (Installation/Upgrade Verification)

• Perform QA on network installations upgrades and additions including validation checks documentation/as-builts and readiness for operational handoff.

10% Coordination Support and Work-Lead (Non-Supervisory)

• Provide technical expertise and support for campus telecommunications and data networking installation/maintenance; help coordinate facilities-related issues tied to installation activities.

• Provide coordination/support to on-site technical and operational staff; may direct the work of others during defined deployment activities/change windows.

10% Procedures & Training

• Provide coordination/support to on-site technical and operational staff; may direct the work of others during defined deployment activities/change windows.

• Train/guide technicians on new equipment procedures and best practices in accordance with departmental standards.

Lead Responsibilities:

N/A

Supervisory Responsibilities:

N/A

Requirements:

.

Bachelors Degree in Telecommunications Data Networking Computer Science or related field and three (3) or more years of progressively responsible experience in network engineering network operations or large-scale network troubleshooting in a complex environment.

Additional Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience implementing and supporting enterprise routing and switching services (e.g. TCP/IP VLANs OSPF/BGP fundamentals IPv6 fundamentals QoS and network security controls).

• Experience planning and executing production changes with documented implementation and rollback plans; ability to assess risk and communicate status to stakeholders.

• Ability to create clear technical documentation (as-builts runbooks troubleshooting guides) and maintain accurate configuration records.

• Demonstrated collaboration skills across engineering operations and field/implementation teams; ability to provide technical guidance without direct authority.

Desired:

• Experience with JUNOS (or comparable network operating systems) and enterprise monitoring/management platforms.

• Experience with ITIL practices (incident/problem/change management) and/or structured root-cause analysis.

• Experience with automation or tooling to improve operational consistency (e.g. scripting configuration validation or templating).

• Experience working in health-care research university or similarly regulated/high-availability environments.

Working Environmental Conditions

• This position is 100% on-site.

• Hybrid work environment; periodic on-site presence required for deployments troubleshooting or site coordination.

• Must be willing to participate in after-hours on-call rotations and planned maintenance windows.

• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds with proper lifting techniques when required for on-site work; may work in confined spaces (communications rooms raised floors) as needed.

Other Comments:

A satisfactory outcome from a criminal history verification may be required prior to hire.

Must be willing to adjust core work schedule. This is an essential position and is required to report to work when UW suspends operations.

Must be available for potential off-shift schedules.

Must be available to participate in after-hours on-call rotation.

Must be able to operate a state vehicle on a daily basis which requires a current drivers license that is valid for use in the State of Washington. It may on occasion be necessary to perform duties assigned to this person outside of normal business hours. It may also be necessary to travel on weekends in the performance of said assigned duties.

Compensation Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

Pay Range Maximum:

Other Compensation:

Benefits:

Temporary or Regular

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

Union/Bargaining Unit:

About the UW

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses in our state and around the world.

UW employees bring their boundless energy creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier return they enjoy outstanding benefits opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity intellectual excitement artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

Our Commitment

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race color creed religion national origin citizenship sex pregnancy age marital status sexual orientation gender identity or expression genetic information disability or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process contact the Disability Services Office at or .

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.