Network Consultant

Job Description

Job Description

Nesco Data Center is seeking a Network Consultant in the Greater Bethesda MD area. This is part-time position working Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30am - 4:30pm. 

Job Description: Senior Network ConsultantPosition Overview

The Senior Network Consultant provides scheduled, proactive technical consulting services to optimize, maintain, secure, and document network infrastructure and supported systems in alignment with evolving business and technology objectives. This role focuses on preventative maintenance, network performance optimization, systems administration, security configuration, troubleshooting, and technical documentation.

The consultant works with designated operational leaders and technical stakeholders to prioritize initiatives, maintain system stability, identify recurring issues, and recommend improvements to the supported technology environment.

Key Responsibilities and Services

1. Network Switching and Virtualization: Configure and optimize physical and virtual switches, including port security, VLANs, IP helper settings, link aggregation, and other supported equipment features.

2. Firewall and VPN Administration: Configure, troubleshoot, and optimize firewall rules, VPNs, network address translation (NAT), port forwarding, and access control lists.

3. Storage Administration: Administer and optimize supported storage area network (SAN) infrastructure.

4. Routing and Edge Devices: Configure and maintain routing functionality on supported edge devices.

5. Network Performance Management: Monitor network performance, analyze trends, identify bottlenecks, and recommend or implement appropriate optimizations.

6. UPS Monitoring and Management: Monitor UPS health and capacity, configure centralized management, and maintain shutdown policies for supported systems and devices.

7. Firmware and Security Maintenance: Apply approved firmware updates, security patches, service packs, and zero-day security updates to supported equipment and systems.

8. Redundancy and Contingency Testing: Periodically test failover capabilities, redundancies, and other established continuity safeguards.

9. Credential Management: Periodically rotate credentials on supported equipment in accordance with established security practices.

10. Directory Services Administration: Maintain cloud-based and on-premises directory services, including object, organizational unit, and group policy additions, modifications, and deletions.

11. Email Administration: Perform email account provisioning, modifications, and deactivation.

12. Core Systems Administration: Troubleshoot and perform minor configuration changes to DNS, DHCP, network printing, and other basic supported infrastructure services.

13. Printer and Print Services Management: Configure network printers and administer on-premises or cloud-based print services.

14. Routine System Changes and Optimization: Perform approved configuration changes to improve the performance, security, and reliability of supported servers, services, and systems.

15. Technical Documentation: Maintain accurate documentation of supported systems, configurations, and changes performed.

16. Network Diagrams and Visualizations: Create and maintain custom infrastructure diagrams to supplement automated documentation and assist technical personnel with troubleshooting and ongoing maintenance.

17. Software Licensing and Inventory: Track supported server and software inventory, licensing information, and relevant lifecycle dates, including end-of-support and end-of-life milestones.

18. Problem Management: Identify recurring technical issues, investigate root causes, and recommend corrective actions to improve reliability and reduce repeat incidents.

19. Public Key Infrastructure and Certificates: Track, renew, and implement public key certificates on supported systems.

20. Preventative Maintenance and Trend Analysis: Conduct proactive maintenance and analyze system trends at appropriate intervals based on the requirements of each supported technology.

21. Routine System Updates: Apply approved in-place updates, service packs, and security patches to supported systems, excluding major-version upgrades.

22. Service Reporting and Recommendations: Produce work reports detailing completed tasks, configuration changes, identified risks, and recommendations for projects or major improvements outside the defined service scope.

23. Backup Integrity Testing: Perform test restores to validate the integrity and recoverability of backups for supported systems.

24. Data Restoration Assistance: Assist with restoring data to supported systems following accidental deletion or corruption, using an approved available backup solution.

25. Operational Coordination: Communicate with operational leadership to provide input on technical initiatives, task prioritization, maintenance activities, and recommended improvements. Use the designated IT service management platform when applicable.

Service Scope and Exclusions

The following activities are outside the standard scope of this position unless separately authorized or covered by an additional service agreement:

1. End-User Support: Direct end-user help desk and desktop support services.

2. Unsupported Equipment: Support for equipment without an active vendor support agreement.

3. Unapproved Technologies: Support for software, hardware, or technologies not explicitly identified in the approved technology inventory or service scope.

4. Unstable Software Releases: Support for systems running software versions that are not considered current, stable, or appropriately supported.

5. Major Changes and Projects: Changes requiring extensive project management, specialized subject-matter expertise, significant risk mitigation, or resources beyond the capabilities of a qualified generalist may require a separate scope of work.

6. New System Configuration: Initial configuration, deployment, or implementation of new systems.

7. Third-Party Changes: Documentation updates for changes made by other vendors or to equipment and systems outside the defined support scope.

8. Network Hardware Inventory: Tracking licenses and inventory for networking hardware.

9. Database Administration: Database administration, maintenance, and specialized database management.

10. Training: Formal training for end users or other organizational personnel.

11. Major Version Upgrades: Major operating system, application, or platform upgrades. These may require a separately defined project scope.

12. Backup Management: Ongoing backup administration and backup-service maintenance are excluded unless specifically included under a separate backup service agreement. The consultant may assist with backup

Nesco Resource offers a comprehensive benefits package for our associates, which includes a MEC (Minimum Essential Coverage) plan that encompasses Medical, Vision, Dental, 401K, and EAP (Employee Assistance Program) services.

Nesco Resource provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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