Network Systems Specialist

Network Systems Specialist

Site Operations, a vital unit within Penn State IT Infrastructure, is seeking a Network Systems Specialist to work within its Operation Center. This position is required to monitor and troubleshoot network problems and performance, to maintain reliability and prevent issues, to keep customers informed of service changes, outages, or discontinuation, and to maintain documentation of departmental processes, procedures, plans for preventative maintenance, and disaster recovery.

Work Schedule And Location

• 2nd shift 3pm - 11pm.

• The primary location for the role is State College PA, at the University Park campus. This position has a hybrid work modality option, with a mix of in-person and remote work and will require regular weekly work on campus. Questions related to work schedules should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

Core Responsibilities

• Monitored the availability, performance, and capacity of enterprise IT services and infrastructure to maintain system reliability and uptime.
• Analyzed system events and alerts across network, voice, video, application, and infrastructure environments to identify issues, assess impact, and initiate appropriate response.
• Utilized monitoring and troubleshooting tools to investigate service disruptions, document findings in ServiceNow, and escalate incidents to appropriate technical teams.
• Coordinated incident response by triaging issues based on severity and SLA requirements, serving as Incident Manager and Major Incident Manager during critical outages.
• Created and managed change requests for planned maintenance, infrastructure upgrades, server maintenance, voice systems, and facility utility shutdowns following ITIL change management processes.
• Coordinated vendor support for break/fix incidents, scheduled maintenance, and facility access to ensure timely resolution of operational issues.
• Processed and routed IT service requests, facility access requests, and departmental operational requests while maintaining accurate documentation and providing excellent customer support.
• Collaborated with Service Desk, Change Management, IT leadership, and cross-functional infrastructure teams to communicate operational status, coordinate service restoration, and support daily IT operations.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will demonstrate strength across several of the following areas:

• Experience working in teams to support IT infrastructure. The ability to demonstrate knowledge of IT infrastructure monitoring systems, enterprise networks, networked systems, and IT facilities.
• Familiarity with IT Service Management, ServiceNow, and Major Incident Response processes are a plus.
• Possess the ability to work through complex, and often unstructured problems to provide solutions.
• Familiarity with IT Service Management best practices and the ability to apply them to the University's environment is preferred.
• Basic analyzing/diagnosing skills, excellent communication and documentation skills, a teamwork and customer service approach, problem solving skills and strong attention to detail are required.

Minimum Education, Work Experience & Required Certifications

Associate Degree; No prior relevant work experience required; previous relevant work experience accepted in lieu of education. Required Certifications: None

Background Checks/Clearances

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $49,188.00 - $71,340.00. Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.