Network Engineer

Make a difference in the community you live in! As a Community Builder—an employee with the City of Gainesville— you will have a direct hand in building and improving your community and making a visible impact on the lives of your neighbors. Working for local government is more than a job, it’s a chance to contribute to community success and to help enhance the Gainesville way of life.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Network Infrastructure

Design, implement, configure, administer, monitor, and troubleshoot enterprise-level network infrastructure, including MPLS networks, Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Local Area Networks (LAN), and Wireless LAN (WLAN) systems.

Configure and maintain Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless access points to ensure stable network operations, optimal performance, and adherence to established best practices and security standards.

Support the integration of on-premises systems with cloud-hosted infrastructure and applications, and design scalable, secure network architectures for hybrid and cloud-native systems.

Implement and manage VLANs, Quality of Service (QoS), spanning tree protocol, and other advanced switching and routing protocols to optimize network traffic and ensure business continuity.

Manage network IP addressing schemes, DHCP services, DNS services, and network documentation to maintain an accurate inventory of all network infrastructure components.

Monitor network performance using network management tools and implement proactive measures to prevent service disruptions and optimize bandwidth utilization.

Network Security

Partner with the Information Security team to establish and configure secure baseline configurations for network devices.

Configure, maintain, and monitor network security devices, including next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), intrusion detection systems (IDS), and network access control systems.

Implement and enforce network security policies, access control lists (ACLs), and firewall rules to protect City networks from unauthorized access and cyber threats in conformance with industry’s best practices and regulatory requirements.

Implement network segmentation and micro-segmentation strategies to isolate critical systems and limit the impact of potential security breaches.

Monitor network traffic for anomalies, security incidents, and policy violations; respond to security alerts and incidents promptly.

VPN and Remote Access

Design, implement, and maintain site-to-site VPN connections between City facilities, remote offices, and partner organizations to ensure secure and reliable connectivity in compliance with Information Security standards and governance.

Configure and support point-to-site VPN solutions for remote staff, contractors, and vendors requiring secure access to City network resources.

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and certificate-based authentication for VPN connections to enhance security.

Troubleshoot VPN connectivity issues, optimize VPN performance, and maintain documentation of all VPN configurations and policies.

Vendor and Partner Management

Coordinate with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to procure, implement, and maintain internet connectivity services, including bandwidth management, circuit provisioning, and service level agreement (SLA) monitoring.

Work with Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors and third-party partners to establish and maintain secure network connectivity, including firewall rule configurations, network peering, and API integrations.

Manage relationships with network equipment vendors and service providers, coordinate maintenance windows, software updates, and technical support escalations.

Review and evaluate new networking technologies, products, and services; provide recommendations for network infrastructure improvements and upgrades.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Design and implement network redundancy across City sites, including redundant data center connectivity, diverse ISP circuits, and automatic failover mechanisms to ensure continuous operations for critical services such as public safety communications and essential government functions

Develop and maintain network disaster recovery plans and procedures; participate in disaster recovery testing and exercises.

Maintain backup configurations for all critical network devices and document recovery procedures for network infrastructure.

Unified Communications and VoIP Support

Configure and maintain network infrastructure to support Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony systems, including voice VLANs, QoS policies, and prioritization of voice traffic to ensure clear and reliable voice communications.

Coordinate with telephony vendors and service providers for SIP trunk provisioning, phone system maintenance, and troubleshooting of voice quality issues related to network configuration.

Monitor and troubleshoot voice network performance, including jitter, latency, packet loss, and bandwidth utilization for voice traffic.

Support implementation and maintenance of unified communications platforms and their network integration requirements.

General

Participate in network capacity planning, performance analysis, technology evaluation, and strategic planning initiatives for network infrastructure.

Create and maintain comprehensive network documentation, including network diagrams, standard operating procedures, configuration templates, and troubleshooting guides.

Provide technical support and troubleshooting for network-related issues during business hours and participate in after-hours on-call rotation for critical network incidents.

Collaborate with other IT teams, including systems administration, security, applications, and service desk, to ensure seamless integration and support of City IT services.

Work within an ITIL framework for change management, incident management, problem management, and service delivery; participate in change advisory board (CAB) meetings.

Perform network maintenance activities during scheduled maintenance windows, including firmware upgrades, security patches, and configuration changes.

Attend work on a continuous and regular basis.

CERTIFICATIONS OR LICENSES

Licenses

A valid State of Florida Driver's License is required at all times while employed in this classification.

Certifications

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is required.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) is required within 12 months of hire.
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) or other advanced networking certifications are highly desirable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit or stand for extended periods of time.

Must communicate orally, see physical surroundings, listen, hear others, respond to oral commands, and demonstrate good communication skills.

May occasionally be required to lift and move network equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is primarily performed in an office environment with occasional visits to data centers, network equipment rooms, and remote City facilities.

May be required to work and attend meetings outside regular business hours.

May be required to participate in on-call rotation and respond to critical network incidents and outages outside of normal business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Must be able to work in temperature-controlled data center environments

 

Come join our team! The City of Gainesville offers a competitive benefits package and opportunities to grow both professionally and personally.

 

All ‘regular’ employees are eligible for traditional benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, paid leave, 11 paid a holidays a year, a pension plan and a deferred compensation plan, but we also offer great things like on-site fitness centers, tuition reimbursement, on-site medical staff and a wellness program to keep you healthy and happy. Please note; benefits are not available for temporary employees.

 

Equal Opportunity

The City of Gainesville is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in hiring. Minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Individuals with a disability, who require special accommodations during the selection process, should notify the Human Resources Department at 352-334-5077 or TDD/TTY at 352-334-2292.

 

Veterans' Preference

Veterans are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ Preference ensures that veterans and eligible persons are given consideration at each step of the selection process. However, preference does not guarantee that a veteran or other eligible person will be the candidate selected to fill the position. Section 295.07, Florida Statutes (F.S.) specifies who is eligible for Veterans’ Preference. State of Florida residency is not required for Veterans’ Preference.

 

If you are unable to apply online due to a disability, contact recruiting at [email protected] or by calling 352-334-5077.