Network Manager

Network Manager The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) is a nationally recognized urban school district that serves approximately 20,000 students, and 60+ different languages are spoken in the homes of our students. KCKPS is home to Sumner Academy, the #6 highest-rated high school in the Nation and #1 High School in Kansas according to the US News rankings. With Head Start/preschools, 28 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 5 college and career academies/high schools, we are the fifth largest district in the state of Kansas, and our student population is approximately 58% Hispanic, 22% African American, 8% White, 7% Asian, and 4% Pacific Islander. To serve our students, the district employs approximately 4,000 employees, including more than 1,800 teachers. Job Goal The Network Manager provides leadership and hands-on management of the district's network infrastructure to ensure secure, reliable connectivity and network services that support instruction, operations, and administrative systems. This role manages day-to-day network operations, leads troubleshooting and outage response, and supervises network staff to maintain service excellence across all sites. Essential Functions Manages and supports district LAN/WAN connectivity across multiple campuses to ensure reliable access for staff and students. Configures, maintains, and troubleshoots Cisco Firepower next-generation firewalls (NGFW), including policy management, VPN, logging/visibility, and security rule optimization. Configures, maintains, and troubleshoots Cisco and Arista network switches, including VLANs, routing/switching, and network segmentation. Supports and optimizes Cisco and Arista access points and wireless connectivity to ensure consistent instructional and operational uptime. Leads proactive monitoring, incident response coordination, and remediation activities for network availability and security events. Coordinates with systems and endpoint teams on dependencies for identity/services (Active Directory, DNS, DHCP) that impact network authentication and access. Provides Tier-3 escalation support for complex network, VOIP, classroom AV, and site outage issues; ensures documentation and ticket resolution metrics are maintained. Plans and executes network changes and maintenance windows; maintains diagrams, standards, configurations, and operational documentation. Supervises three (3) direct reports, including assigning work, coaching, training, and ensuring timely resolution of network-related tickets and projects. Collaborates with vendors and service providers as needed to support ISP/WAN services, hardware lifecycle, and network improvements. Assists with various district events and large-scale operational initiatives, as assigned by the supervisor, assistant director, or the director. Other duties as assigned by the supervisor, assistant director, director, or the executive director. Qualifications A bachelor's degree in Computer Science (or a closely related field) is required. 3+ years of progressive experience supporting networks and infrastructure in a large environment (K–12 public school experience strongly preferred). Demonstrated proficiency with enterprise networking concepts and operations, including Cisco switching/routing, VLANs, firewalls (Cisco Firepower), network troubleshooting, and VOIP. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with others and communicate professionally by phone and in person. Must be organized, detail-oriented, and able to multitask and problem-solve. Required Certifications Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Preferred Certifications CISSP CompTIA SecurityX CompTIA PenTest+ CompTIA CySA+ CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Network+ CompTIA A+ ITIL 4 Foundation Google IT Support Professional Fortinet Certified Associate in Cybersecurity Dell VxRail Operate 2020 or later Communication/Organization Maintains communication with district staff, as necessary. Utilizes existing technology effectively in the performance of duties. Performs other related work as required. Reasoning Ability Ability to solve practical problems. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or schedule form. Flexibility is required to work with others, work with data utilizing defined but different processes, and operate equipment using a variety of standardized methods. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk, stand, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move equipment up to 50 pounds. The employee must occasionally push items of 50 pounds, such as pushing on a bike or a wheelchair or moving/rearranging furniture. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and is a standard acceptable level for this environment. Other Skills and Abilities Specific knowledge-based competencies required to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job include computer operations (including peripheral equipment), and safety practices and procedures. Some problem-solving may be required to identify issues and select action plans. Terms of Employment 261 Days. Salary Salary and benefits established by the Board of Education. FLSA Status Exempt Report To Assistant Director of Technology Information Systems Evaluation Performance will be evaluated by the immediate supervisor in accordance with Board Policy. North Central Office