Network Operations Manager

Vanguard University of Southern California; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard University is seeking a Network Operations Manager to lead the campus network and ensure reliable LAN/WAN services. The role includes supervising the network operations team, managing security, licenses, and cloud integrations, and collaborating with the Sr. Director of IT.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, problem solving, and a commitment to continuous improvement, with experience in enterprise networking and higher-education tech environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in IT, CS, IS, engineering or related field required.
• Minimum five years in network infrastructure, systems administration, or enterprise tech ops.
• At least three years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• Experience with enterprise networking tech, wireless, routing, switching, firewalls and security.
• Microsoft tech proficiency: M365, Active Directory, Azure/Entra ID, Exchange, Teams, SharePoint.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, mentoring, and professional development for Network Operations staff.
• Oversee design, implementation, monitoring, and support of campus network infrastructure.
• Partner on cybersecurity, risk management, and incident response planning.
• Support enterprise systems and cloud services, including AD, M365, virtualization, and backups.
• Co-lead infrastructure modernization projects and manage vendor relationships and licensing.
• Communicate status, risks, and recommendations to university leadership and staff.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Troubleshooting

Excellent communication skills

Team leadership

Customer service orientation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

Active Directory

Azure/Entra ID

Exchange

Teams

SharePoint

M365 CoPilot

Windows Server

Job description

Position Summary

The Network Operations Manager provides leadership in network operations, configuration management, and troubleshooting to ensure the delivery of high-quality services across all network-related functions. This role oversees the network operations team and is responsible for the performance, reliability, and support of the campus LAN/WAN environment. Responsibilities include supervising technical support staff, fostering their professional development, and ensuring effective training and team growth. In addition, this position manages network administration, software licensing management, and related research and development initiatives. The role collaborates closely with the Sr. Director of Information Technology by developing and recommending policies and strategies pertaining to network infrastructure and services. The ideal candidate is a collaborative and adaptable leader who brings strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This position reports directly to the Sr. Director of Information Technology.

Vanguard University

Position Summary

The Network Operations Manager provides leadership in network operations, configuration management, and troubleshooting to ensure the delivery of high-quality services across all network-related functions. This role oversees the network operations team and is responsible for the performance, reliability, and support of the campus LAN/WAN environment. Responsibilities include supervising technical support staff, fostering their professional development, and ensuring effective training and team growth. In addition, this position manages network administration, software licensing management, and related research and development initiatives. The role collaborates closely with the Sr. Director of Information Technology by developing and recommending policies and strategies pertaining to network infrastructure and services. The ideal candidate is a collaborative and adaptable leader who brings strong problem-solving skills, creativity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This position reports directly to the Sr. Director of Information Technology.

POSITION DUTIES

• Leadership & Management
  • Provide leadership, supervision, mentoring, and professional development for Network Operations and helpdesk staff.
  • Establish performance expectations, conduct evaluations, and support career growth for team members.
  • Recruit, hire, train, and retain highly qualified technical staff.
  • Foster a collaborative, customer-focused service culture across Information Technology.
  • Develop departmental goals, operational plans, and performance metrics aligned with University strategic objectives.
• Network Infrastructure & Operations
  • Lead the design, implementation, monitoring, and support of the University's enterprise network infrastructure.
  • Ensure reliable operation of wired, wireless, internet, VPN, cloud connectivity, telecommunications, and network security services.
  • Oversee lifecycle management of network hardware, software, and supporting technologies.
  • Maintain network architecture documentation, diagrams, standards, and operational procedures.
  • Manage network performance, capacity planning, and technology refresh initiatives.
  • Coordinate and support incident response activities related to outages, performance degradation, and infrastructure failures.
• Cybersecurity & Risk Management
  • Partner with Information Security leadership to maintain a secure technology environment.
  • Implement and maintain network security controls including firewalls, network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring systems.
  • Assist with vulnerability management, security assessments, remediation activities, and compliance initiatives.
  • Participate in cybersecurity incident response and disaster recovery planning.
  • Identify operational and technology risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Systems, Cloud & Service Delivery
  • Support enterprise systems and infrastructure including Microsoft 365, Active Directory, identity and access management, virtualization platforms, and cloud-integrated services.
  • Oversee service desk escalation processes and support continuous improvement of IT service delivery.
  • Establish and monitor service level objectives (SLOs) and operational performance metrics.
  • Develop and maintain operational procedures, technical documentation, and knowledge resources.
  • Ensure business continuity, backup, and disaster recovery processes are maintained and tested.
• Project & Vendor Management
  • Co-lead infrastructure modernization projects and strategic technology initiatives.
  • Develop project plans, timelines, resource estimates, and implementation strategies.
  • Participate in managing technology vendors, service providers, maintenance agreements, and licensing.
  • Participate in budget development, forecasting, and technology purchasing decisions.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and make recommendations for adoption.
• Collaboration & Communication
  • Partner with faculty, staff, and university leadership to understand business needs and deliver technology solutions.
  • Communicate operational status, project progress, risks, and recommendations to leadership.
  • Participate in institutional planning efforts and technology governance initiatives.
  • Promote effective collaboration across all IT functional areas.
• Other Duties
  • Participate in after-hours maintenance windows and provide support during critical incidents when necessary.
  • Perform other duties as assigned including participation in annual commencement ceremonies.

Required

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in network infrastructure, systems administration, or enterprise technology operations.
• Three (3) years of supervisory or team leadership experience. Ability to train, develop and encourage a staff of technicians.
• Experience supporting enterprise networking technologies, wireless infrastructure, routing, switching, firewalls, and network security. Experience with and good working knowledge of Domains, Segmentation, Account Management, Network backups, Trusts, Policies, Network Protocols, Bindings, Software Imaging, QoS.
• Experience with Microsoft technologies including Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Azure/Entra ID, Exchange, Teams, Sharepoint, M365 CoPilot, Windows Server environments.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and operational responsibilities simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperate with staff, faculty, adjuncts, students and vendors.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Must be willing to work irregular hours when necessary and be on call for support of campus technology services.

Preferred

• Experience in higher education technology environments.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and identity management platforms.
• Experience leading cybersecurity, disaster recovery, or infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Industry certifications such as Microsoft Azure Network Engineer (AZ-700), CISSP, CWNP, Network+, Security+, ITIL, or equivalent.
• Experience with network monitoring, automation, and infrastructure management tools.
• Experience with HP Networking, Ruckus Wireless, Fortinet Firewalls, Hyper-V Server.

SALARY

This is an exempt, full-time, benefit-eligible position. Expected Salary Range: $95,000 - $97,500 (annual). Placement within the salary range is commensurate upon education and experience. Posted salary range reflects anticipated hiring scale for the position. Vanguard University also offers a very competitive and generous benefits package.