Network Administrator

pennant; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Pennant is seeking a Network Administrator to join our Infrastructure Services team in Nashville. The role focuses on maintaining and improving distributed network operations, including firewalls, VPNs, switches, and wireless networks, across multiple locations.

Ideal candidates will have hands-on experience with enterprise networking, monitoring platforms, and vendor coordination, and a strong drive to learn and optimize performance and reliability.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience in IT infrastructure, network support, systems administration, or a related technical role.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain network infrastructure, including switches, wireless access points, firewalls, VPNs, and internet circuits.
• Troubleshoot network performance issues, outages, connectivity problems, and wireless incidents.
• Respond to network-related incidents and service requests with clear communication and timely follow-through.
• Partner with the Service Desk to improve first-contact resolution through documentation, training, and knowledge transfer.
• Configure, deploy, and support network equipment across multiple locations.
• Assist with implementation of switches, wireless access points, firewalls, and WAN connectivity solutions.
• Support new site openings, equipment replacements, infrastructure upgrades, and lifecycle initiatives.
• Maintain accurate hardware inventory, configuration records, and asset documentation.
• Coordinate with internet service providers, telecommunications carriers, and technology vendors.
• Open, manage, and elevate service requests with vendors as needed.
• Assist with circuit provisioning, migrations, installations, and service changes.
• Track vendor commitments and help drive issues through resolution.
• Monitor network health and performance via enterprise monitoring platforms.
• Investigate recurring issues and identify opportunities to improve reliability.
• Participate in incident response, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.
• Contribute to monitoring standards, alert tuning, and operational best practices.
• Support firewall administration, network segmentation, and secure connectivity initiatives.
• Assist with site-to-site and remote-access VPN configuration and maintenance.
• Participate in patching, vulnerability remediation, firmware upgrades, and lifecycle management.
• Follow change-management, security, and documentation practices.
• Create and maintain network diagrams, standards, runbooks, procedures, and knowledge articles.
• Contribute to process improvements and infrastructure modernization projects.
• Collaborate across technical and nontechnical teams.
• Continuously develop skills in networking, security, cloud connectivity, monitoring, and automation.

Skills

Networking fundamentals

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Documentation

Teamwork

PowerShell

Python

Education

CompTIA Network+ (cert)

Cisco CCNA (cert)

Tools

Palo Alto Networks

Ruckus Wireless/ICX

Cisco switching

Aruba Wireless

SD-WAN

Azure networking

SolarWinds

LogicMonitor

Auvik

PRTG

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a motivated and technically skilled Network Administrator to join our Infrastructure Services team. This position plays an important role in maintaining, supporting, and improving the network infrastructure that connects our geographically distributed operations.

The ideal candidate has a solid networking foundation, strong troubleshooting skills, and a desire to grow while working with enterprise firewalls, switching, wireless networking, VPN connectivity, cloud services, monitoring platforms, and carrier networks. This role collaborates with network engineers, infrastructure teams, service desk staff, field technicians, vendors, and internet service providers to help ensure reliable and secure network operations.

Key Responsibilities

Network Operations and Support

• Monitor and maintain network infrastructure, including switches, wireless access points, firewalls, VPNs, and internet circuits.
• Troubleshoot network performance issues, outages, connectivity problems, and wireless incidents.
• Respond to network-related incidents and service requests with clear communication and timely follow-through.
• Partner with the Service Desk to improve first-contact resolution through documentation, training, and knowledge transfer.

Infrastructure Deployment

• Configure, deploy, and support network equipment across multiple locations.
• Assist with implementation of switches, wireless access points, firewalls, and WAN connectivity solutions.
• Support new site openings, equipment replacements, infrastructure upgrades, and lifecycle initiatives.
• Maintain accurate hardware inventory, configuration records, and asset documentation.

Circuit and Vendor Management

• Coordinate with internet service providers, telecommunications carriers, and technology vendors.
• Open, manage, and elevate?
• Assist with circuit provisioning, migrations, installations, and service changes.
• Track vendor commitments and help drive issues through resolution.

Network Monitoring and Reliabil ity

• Monitor network health, availability, and performance through enterprise monitoring platforms.
• Investigate recurring issues and identify opportunities to improve reliability and user experience.
• Participate in incident response, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.
• Contribute to monitoring standards, alert tuning, and operational best practices.

Security and Maintenance

• Support firewall administration, network segmentation, and secure connectivity initiatives.
• Assist with site-to-site and remote-access VPN configuration and maintenance.
• Participate in patching, vulnerability remediation, firmware upgrades, and network equipment lifecycle management.
• Follow change-management, security, and documentation practices.

Documentation and Continuous Improvemen t

• Create and maintain network diagrams, standards, runbooks, procedures, and knowledge articles.
• Contribute to process improvements and infrastructure modernization projects.
• Collaborate effectively across technical and nontechnical teams.
• Continuously develop skills in networking, security, cloud connectivity, monitoring, and automation.

Qualifications and Skills

Required Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience in IT infrastructure, network support, systems administration, or a related technical role.
• Working knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, routing, switching, VPN technologies, firewalls, and wireless networking.
• Experience troubleshooting connectivity across LAN, WAN, VPN, and wireless environments.
• Familiarity with switches, routers, firewalls, wireless controllers, and access points.
• Strong analytical, diagnostic, and problem-solving skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to different audiences.
• Ability to organize work, manage competing priorities, document changes, and follow issues through completion.
• Customer-focused mindset with a commitment to teamwork, accountability, and continuous learning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls or related next-generation firewall platforms.
• Experience with Ruckus Wireless and Ruckus ICX switching.
• Exposure to Cisco switching, Aruba wireless, and SD-WAN technologies.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Azure networking concepts, including virtual networks, VPN gateways, and cloud connectivity.
• Experience with network monitoring platforms such as SolarWinds, LogicMonitor, Auvik, or PRTG.
• Experience coordinating with internet service providers and telecommunications carriers.
• Experience supporting healthcare, senior living, or other geographically distributed multi-site environments.
• Basic scripting or automation experience using PowerShell, Python, APIs, or similar tools.

Certifications

• One or more of the following certifications is preferred. Candidates who are actively pursuing relevant certifications are encouraged to apply:
• CompTIA Network+
• Cisco Certified Network Asso