Network Engineer

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is a community of Information Technology professionals committed to understanding our users and devoted to making it easier for faculty, students, and staff to teach, research, learn, and work through the effective use of information technology.  We are recruiting an IT workforce that has both breadth in their ability to collaborate and innovate across disciplines – and depth in specific areas of expertise.  HUIT offers opportunities for IT professionals to learn and work in a unique technology landscape and service-focused environment.  If you are a technically proficient, nimble, user-focused and accountable IT professional who also connects with the importance of collaborating well in a team environment we are looking for you!  

More About HUIT: 

Our Mission: huit.harvard.edu/about 

We empower the Harvard community with essential and transformative technologies to advance education, knowledge, and discovery. 

HUIT’s core values are:  

• Human-centered  
• University-focused 
• Innovation-driven 
• Team-oriented 

IT Academy (designed for IT Staff): 

HUIT’s IT Academy aims to enable each IT staff person to grow professionally and become a trusted partner to her or his team. The IT Academy is built on the belief that every IT staff member across the University (including technology employees at each school and campus) can grow in her or his area of expertise as well as building strong people and project management skills. Learn more here: https://itacademy.harvard.edu/.

Job Description

The Network Engineer is responsible for the technical implementation, maintenance, and day-to-day health of Harvard’s Network. This role focuses on ensuring system stability, implementing automation, and resolving technical issues. 

Success requires a commitment to operational excellence and operational transparency. This role requires the diligent use of enterprise ticketing and project management systems to track all work activities, providing visibility to ensure seamless team collaboration. This position includes participation in a 24/7 on-call rotation. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Service Context

• Lead the installation, configuration, and maintenance of Network systems in alignment with HUIT standards.
• Identifies bespoke or undocumented network configurations and ensures they are formally documented, reviewed, and integrated into standard change management and visibility processes.
• Manage system monitoring and telemetry to proactively identify issues.
• Participate in 24/7 on-call rotation; perform root-cause analysis and document long-term fixes in version-controlled SOPs. 

Ownership

• Serve as an escalation point for service risks and user impacting incidents.  
• Owns assigned service incident tickets and projects to ensure completeness and meet operational requirements.  
• Contributes to defined network strategy and security policies to ensure the network is in compliance.  

Service Delivery and Performance Management

• Contributes to the development and maintenance of clear service definitions, including scope, ownership, dependencies, support models, and escalation paths.
• Monitor service performance and risk indicators  
• Ensure services remain reliable during periods of vendor-driven, compliance-driven and institutional- required change. 
• Contributes to both discretionary (project) and operations (incl. tickets) workloads

Security, Process Compliance, and Risk Coordination 

• Contributes to defining and maintaining clear security, compliance, and risk management practices  
• Partner closely with other appropriate teams to:  
  • Implement user protections and infrastructure controls  
  • Align all services with identity lifecycle and security strategies  
• Ensure network vulnerabilities (physical infrastructure and security application) are identified and addressed.
• Surface issues as identified

User Experience, Adoption, and Change Management

Contribute to and lead appropriate service changes. Including:

• Lead user-visible changes.  
• Ensure major changes are:  
  • Well-coordinated
  • Clearly communicated to users and schools
  • Implemented with appropriate support and documentation
• Reduce friction between central services and distributed IT organizations.

Leadership and People Management

Contribute to team efficacy. Including:  

• Build leadership and resilience in a dependency-heavy service environment.  
• Develop and improve business processes to optimize team efficiencies  
• Demonstrates collaborative, positive, empathetic, and growth mindset

Cross-Functional & Enterprise Partnership

Partner closely with appropriate teams when needed including, but not limited to:

• Information Security and Data Privacy (ISDP) teams
• Identity & Access Management for identity, provisioning, and access governance
• Platform Services for hosting, automation, and operational dependencies
• Schools and distributed IT leaders across a federated environment 

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

• Minimum of two years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

The following qualifications are strongly preferred. If you meet some, but not all, you are still encouraged to apply; we value employees with a willingness to learn.

• Knowledge of configuration and maintenance of IT infrastructure systems within an enterprise environment
• Demonstrated team performance skills, service mindset approach, and the ability to act as a trusted advisor

Additional Information

• Working Conditions: Onsite work is performed in an office setting
• Hybrid: Onsite as needed with advance notice
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity
• Other Information:
  Please provide a cover letter and resume as one document with your application. 
  This position has an 180-day orientation and review period.

#LI-JD3

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.