GCI's Senior Core Network Technician maintains and operates the company's Metropolitan Area Networks, Wide area networks, and Wireless Networks; operate and maintain the company's core transport networks in a manner that provides the highest level of network availability, ensuring the greatest level of customer satisfaction and ensuring the company's networks are meeting industry standards and performance goals. Monitor and support critical network elements to maintain the continuous operation of network and system infrastructure. Work closely with various engineering groups and network control technicians to develop and implement tools and processes to improve capabilities and ensure quality service levels. Review planned and unplanned changes to network infrastructure.

 

Essential Duties of All Levels in the Position:

• Network development projects. (Manage the operational commissioning of DACS, Routed IP aggregation and access packet network devices, SONET equipment, DWDM wavelength additions and implement network bandwidth upgrades. Work with the engineering department to support the growth of the company's transport network.

• Network troubleshooting and Corrective Maintenance. Respond to outages within the network. Isolate outages and work with appropriate technical groups to restore service. File NCSRs for all scheduled maintenance events.

• Equipment Preventative Maintenance; (perform software and firmware upgrades on network transmission equipment.)

Job Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills;

• Strong written and verbal skills;

• Demonstrated multi-tasking skills;

• Demonstrated customer service skills;

• Ability to work independently or in a team.

• Must have knowledge of complex IP Transport, DACS, voice, SONET and IP transport, outside plant cable maintenance and data networking systems and standards.

• Must have experience with some of the following hardware vendors: Nokia, Force 10/ Turin, Ciena, Infinera, Cisco ONS, Calix, BTI, TYCO, NEC, Tellabs, Fujitsu, ECI, and ADTRAN or other relevant hardware vendors.

• Comprehensive understanding of standard operations concepts such as availability, redundancy, reliability and testing.

• Must be able to actively participate on a maintenance bridge troubleshooting outages, handling moderate levels of stress satisfactorily while also demonstrating excellent interpersonal and professional interaction skills with customers and other employees.

 

Additional Job Requirements:  Most advanced senior level position and recognized as subject matter expert in the field of discipline, knowledgeable of current emerging trends and industry practices. Possesses advanced skill set within the discipline and required to perform the most complex advanced tasks, completing the most-difficult work assignments critical to the organization. Work without supervision with considerable latitude for independent judgement. Mentors junior technicians and display leadership as needed, assists supervisors but does not formally supervise others. Must have the ability to lead and direct others. Supports the Technical Assistance Center as higher-level escalation contact � responsibility will include training of lower level technicians. Troubleshoot complex customer issues using any and all required skills to perform the necessary duties. Consulting with employees, other departments, management to determine root cause of an incident, outage or failure of services and corrective actions.

 

Essential Duties for this position: 

Network operations maintenance

• Perform proactive maintenance to network hardware

• Complete software upgrades

• Work Remedy trouble tickets

• Support the TAC with circuit testing and troubleshooting

• Support submarine cable landing stations within area of operations

Project Related

• Work capital projects under an ESR

• Proof of concept lab testing

• Building out new networks

• Contacting vendor support to resolve operational turn-up issues

On-call and afterhours project work

• On-call rotation

• Support the TAC and BTS in outage response

• Afterhours service impacting work, to support projects and network growth

• May require dispatching to company sites within area of operations

Documentation

• Writing Method of Procedure (MOP) documents for maintenance

• Developing best practicing documents for new processes or new hardware

• Writing and updating device commissioning procedures and baseline scripts

Training

• Mostly self-paced training, often self-discovered through vendor documentation and online sites.

• Instructor lead online training

• GCI Training department in-house training

Mentoring

• Instructing lower level techs in complex procedures, network upgrades and proper communication techniques.

• Development and encouragement of collaborative work environment 

• Supporting the TAC technicians with one-on-one deep dive sessions on network hardware and tools they can use to monitor and troubleshoot GCI networks.  Training would occur either remotely with shared desktop sessions or in person at AOC.

• Vendor facility training in the lower-48

 

 

 

 

 

Minimum qualifications:

• A minimum of ten years of increasing responsibility and experience within a telecommunication's central office or related environment is required.

• High School diploma or equivalent required.

• Associates Degree in electronics, telecommunications trade school, or equivalent training preferred.

• Or, a combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties of the job may substitute to meet the total years required on a year-for-year basis.

• Certifications:  Industry specific certifications are highly valued and contribute toward education.

  • Required certification: CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) or relevant

  • Preferred:

    • Comp TIA A+;

    • Comp TIA Network+

    • CompTIA Security+

    • Cisco Certified Network Professional Routing & Switching (CCNP R&S)

    • Nokia NRS I/II

    • Juniper JNCIA

 

Physical Requirements: Technical Position: Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. following company safety guidelines., following company safety guidelines and work in cramped spaces and at heights.  Hearing, vision, depth perception, and hand-to-eye coordination sufficient to perform job duties.  Visual and auditory acuity necessary to operate equipment and identify color-coding.  Ability to tolerate temperature and weather extremes (fumes and odors, dust, low light conditions.)  Strength, dexterity, and coordination sufficient to perform job duties.      

 

Working Conditions:

• Overtime, shift work, and on call required. Standing, bending, standing on ladder, and talking on phone for long hours sometimes required. Position may be required to travel to different site locations:

• Position is designated to Urban, Outlying, Arctic Regions of Alaska, or North-East US area locations based on the need and requirements of the position and or location. Work locations assignment may require different work schedules and callout provisions which will be determined by the supervisor based on the business needs of the assigned site location. 

• Subject to adverse weather and driving conditions when checking on fieldwork, areas may be obstructed by weather and / or debris, requiring unscheduled clearing.

• Must be able and willing to work flexible hours including, but not limited to, overtime, on-call, and/ or additional time on weekends, holidays, evenings, before or after normal shift hours.

• Travel via commercial vehicle and commercial aircraft may be required. In addition, could include ATV to access sites within area of operations.

• Fitness for Duty: A pre-employment and/or return to work fitness for duty examination may be required to satisfy conditions of a contract or proposed contract with a business partner or client.

 

Background /Security Conditions: Based on the position's business needs, background and security checks are subject to Level 1 background checks that may include but are not limited to: review of an individual's criminal history; credit check, and review of DMV records. Job candidates may also need to comply with additional State of AK contract requirements. GCI will ensure that background checks are conducted in compliance with all applicable federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA).

To satisfy the terms of a contract or proposed contract with a business partner or client, the following requirements may be a condition of employment for this position: a comprehensive background/reference check (including a DOT history check) and credit check; a pre-employment drug/alcohol test and participation in a random drug/alcohol testing program

Badging may be required depending on assignment of work location: (Must be able to pass and maintain the following and pass and maintain a drug and alcohol test and US Government Background check within the first two (2) weeks of employment): 

• Alyeska Security and Safe Driver.

• TWIC (Transport Worker Identification Credential).

• Other government agency security badges as needed.

• Other Telecommunications Carrier badges as needed.

• North Slope Training Cooperative Certification (NSTC, if required)

The company and its subsidiaries operate in a 24/7 environment providing critical services to Alaskans and may need to respond to public health and safety matters or other business emergencies. Due to business needs employees may be contacted outside of the normal business hours to respond to the immediate emergency. You will be requested to provide an emergency after hours contact numbers.

Driving Requirements (if applicable): Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license, proof of insurance, and a satisfactory driving record.

Positions who drive company fleet vehicles: Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license, a satisfactory driving record, proof of insurance, and a current DOT health card.  Employee will be required to use a company fleet vehicle and must satisfactorily complete all elements and requirements of the company's fleet risk management processes.

EEO: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or another characteristic protected by law.

Disclaimer:  The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualification required of employees assigned to this job.