State of Maryland

SKILLED SERVICE         BARGAINING UNIT: G

A Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Network Engineer Lead/Advanced is the lead or advanced level of work responsible for the design and implementation of large data communications or telecommunications networks. Employees conduct short and long-term plans to meet data and telecommunications network requirements. Employees are responsible for engineering and/or analytical tasks and activities associated with technical areas within the telecom function (e.g., network design, engineering, implementation, diagnostics or operations/user support). Employees perform complex tasks relating to network monitoring, operations, installation, and/or maintenance for local, off-site, and/or remote locations. The scope of responsibility for this position includes, but is not limited to, the configuration, deployment, testing, maintenance, monitoring, and trouble-shooting of network components to provide a secure, high performance network. Employees perform hardware/software analyses to provide comparative data of performance characteristics and suitability within the existing systems environment. Employees prepare tradeoff studies and evaluations for vendor equipment. Employees recommend network design changes/enhancements for improved system availability and performance.  Employees in this classification provide timely and creative solutions to end-user computer and networking problems of a complex nature to ensure end-user productivity. Employees in this classification do not supervise lower-level positions.

The employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Technology Platform Manager or other higher level IT Director.  Employees may be required to work evenings, weekends and holidays and may be subject to call-in.  Work is performed in normal office settings and at users' work sites in offices.  When at users' sites, the work may involve running cables through ceilings and floors resulting in exposure to moderate amounts of dust, dirt and insulation. When performing these duties, employees in this classification should wear specialized safety equipment including hard hats, goggles and masks.  When at users' sites, the work may involve exposure to electrical wires and outlets, and safety procedures must be strictly followed.  The work may require moving computers, printers and other IT related equipment weighing up to 80 pounds.

Position placement in this classification is determined by the Classification Job Evaluation Methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of a classification specification.

The DoIT Network Engineer I and DoIT Network Engineer II and are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The DoIT Network Engineer I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed, and the DoIT Network Engineer II performs the full range of duties under general supervision.

The DoIT Network Engineer Lead/Adv differs from the DoIT Network Engineer II in that the DoIT Network Engineer Lead/Adv leads lower-level DoIT Network Engineers or functions as a technical expert in regard to complex networking design tasks including those impacting multiple network layers (i.e. LAN, WAN, cloud), or serves as Project lead on large scale deployments of network technologies across multiple areas.

When functioning at the Lead level:

Assigns, reviews, and approves the work of lower level DoIT Network Engineers;

Trains lower level DoIT Network Engineers;

Defines appropriate levels of system availability based on critical system functions and ensures that system requirements identify appropriate disaster recovery and continuity of operations requirements to include any appropriate fail-over/alternate site requirements, backup requirements, and material supportability requirements for system recover/restoration;

Collaborates with engineers or software developers to select appropriate design solutions or ensure the compatibility of system components;

Communicates with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements;

Evaluates existing systems to determine effectiveness and suggest changes to meet organizational requirements;

Employs secure configuration management processes;

Ensures that acquired or developed system(s) and architecture(s) are consistent with organization’s cybersecurity architecture guidelines;

Provides advice on project costs, design concepts, or design changes;

Prepares detailed functional specifications that document the solution development process;

Provides technical guidance or support for the development or troubleshooting of systems;

Analyzes user needs and requirements to plan solutions;

Captures and integrates essential system capabilities or business functions required for partial or full system restoration after a catastrophic failure event;

Develops solution architecture or system components required to meet user needs;

Plans implementation strategy to ensure that enterprise components can be integrated and aligned;

Translates proposed capabilities into technical requirements;

Documents how the implementation of a new system or new interface between systems impacts the current and target environment including but not limited to security posture;

Prepares tradeoff studies and evaluations for vendor equipment;

Responsible for the design and implementation of large data communications or telecommunications networks;

Performs hardware/software analyses to provide comparative data of performance characteristics and suitability within the existing systems environment;

Recommends network design changes/enhancements for improved system availability and performance;

Performs other related duties.

When functioning at the Advanced level:

Functions as a technical expert in network design, configuration, installation, and troubleshooting;

Supports System Architect in the deployment of trails, proofs of concept, or new technology deployments prior to fully operationalizing;

Serves as Project lead on large scale deployments of network technologies and across multiple areas;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies;

Knowledge of physical and logical network devices and infrastructure to include hubs, switches, routers, firewalls, etc.;

Knowledge of risk management processes (e.g., methods for assessing and mitigating risk);

Knowledge of organization's evaluation and validation requirements;

Knowledge of installation, integration, and optimization of system components;

Knowledge of industry-standard and organizationally accepted analysis principles and methods;

Knowledge of network access, identity, and access management;

Knowledge of the systems engineering processes;

Knowledge of network systems management principles, models, methods (e.g., end-to-end systems performance monitoring), and tools;

Knowledge of network design processes, to include understanding of security objectives, operational objectives, and trade-offs;

Knowledge of line-of-business programs, their respective missions, and the role of information technology;

Skill in applying and incorporating information technologies into proposed solutions;

Skill in designing the integration of hardware and software solutions;

Skill in delivering solutions and achieving outcomes via Information Technology;

Ability to analyze organizational needs, architect business solutions, and monitor/administer systems/software to optimize performance;

Ability to use acquired institutional knowledge to achieve organizational efficiencies;

Ability to build architectures and frameworks;

Ability to set up a physical or logical sub-network that separates an internal local area network (LAN) from other untrusted networks. 

Experience:

Eight years of experience designing and implementing complex data communications or telecommunications networks.

 Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Information Technology, Management Information Systems, Computer Science or other information technology related field of study to include coursework in database management systems for up to four years of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute additional graduate education at an accredited college or university, at the rate of thirty credit hours for each year of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the U.S. Armed Forces military service experience in Database Administration classifications or Database Administration specialty codes in the Information Technology field of work on a year for year basis for the required experience and education.

Employees in this classification may be subject to call-in 24 hours a day and, therefore, may be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number where the employee can be reached. Employees may be furnished with a pager or cell phone.

Applicants for this classification may handle sensitive data.  This will require a full scope background investigation prior to appointment. A criminal conviction may be grounds for rejection of the applicant.

Employees may occasionally be required to travel to field locations and must have access to an automobile in the event a state vehicle cannot be provided. Standard mileage allowance will be paid for use of a privately owned vehicle.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.  

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

July 1, 2021