Technology Specialist III - Network & Systems Administrator

Region 4 Education Service Center; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 87,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Region 4 Education Service Center in Houston seeks a Technical Specialist III, Network & Systems Administrator to lead LAN/WAN, firewall, and server/storage services. The role includes mentoring junior staff and coordinating IT operations across the data center and facilities.

The ideal candidate has multi-vendor network experience, Cisco IOS, VMware virtualization, AWS/Azure exposure, and strong DNS/AD management, with ITIL/PMP-aligned project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or 10+ years directly related experience.
• AWS Cloud Practitioner, CCNA, Network+, and/or AZ-104 certification/licensure.
• Five years supporting multivendor switched network infrastructure.
• Three years experience with Cisco IOS deployments.
• Three years experience with VMware virtualization and server/storage.
• Two years AWS and Azure management experience.
• Three years experience enabling DNS and Active Directory within large networks.

Responsibilities

• Provide primary support for LAN/WAN network and server/storage services.
• Mentor junior DCNS team members.
• Oversee firewall, VPN, and DMZ infrastructure including security audits.
• Drive IT projects and enterprise-wide improvements following ITIL/PMP guidelines.
• Document systems and post SOPs for DCNS teams.

Skills

LAN/WAN

Cisco IOS

VMware

Windows Server

DNS

AWS infrastructure

Azure

Education

Bachelor’s degree in information technology

10+ years related experience

Tools

Solarwinds

Palo Alto

Cisco switches

Job description

Technical Specialist III, Network & Systems Administrator

Region 4 Education Service Center REGION 4 ESC - HOUSTON, Texas Open in Google Maps

Job Details

Job ID: 5870446
Application Deadline: Posted until filled
Posted: Aug 05, 2026 5:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Immediately

Job Description

Classification: Admin/Prof

Exemption Status/Test: Exempt/Computer Professional

Job Grade: 5
Department: Data Center and Network Solutions

Reports To: Department Director

Job Goal:

Provide primary support for LAN/WAN network and server/storage services and coordinate departmental/facility-wide IT operations and projects. Provide mentoring and coaching for junior members of the DCNS team. Evaluate current infrastructure services and provide recommendations for improvements.

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or 10+ years experience that is directly related to the major job responsibilities

Certification/Licensure

• AWS Cloud Practitioner, CCNA, Network+, and/or AZ-104

Experience

• Five years experience in supporting and troubleshooting a multivendor switched network infrastructure.
• Recent hands‑on advanced experience supporting firewalls & routers (Cisco/Palo Alto) including VPN, IPSec tunnels, ACLs, BGP, OSPF, LAN/WAN, MPLS
• Two years experience in supporting Palo Alto firewalls.
• Three years recent experience in Cisco IOS deployments
• Three years recent experience installing and supporting VMWare and server and desktop virtualization technologies
• Three years experience in directly procuring, configuring, and deploying network devices and server hardware
• Three years of recent experience troubleshooting LAN/WAN connectivity issues using sniffers and network monitoring tools such as Solarwinds or similar tools.
• Minimum of three years experience in troubleshooting Layer 3-7 protocols related to network connectivity
• Expert level proficiency in Windows Server 2019 and beyond
• Two years experience in supporting wireless technologies.
• Three years’ experience managing internal and external DNS zones.
• Two years experience in managing and supporting AWS infrastructure and security
• Two years experience in managing and supporting M365 and Azure environments.

Desired But Not Required Qualifications:

• Experience in supporting datacenter environmental systems such as UPS, cooling, fire suppression, etc.
• Additional vendor-specific certifications preferred – MCSE, AWS Architect,.
• Previous experience with VOIP platforms.
• Experience with Okta authentication technology
• Experience with project management and documentation under ITIL, PMI, PMO

Major Responsibilities:

• Professional demeanor to be able to interface with internal and external clients in furthering Region 4 ESC technology services.
• Utilize excellent customer service skills toward the support of internal and external clients.
• Provide expertise and oversight of building wireless infrastructure including, but not limited to, firmware upgrades and security audits.
• Provide primary support and guidance for enterprise systems including, but not limited to, DNS, Content Filtering, Palo Alto Firewall, and Cisco Switches.
• Provide expertise and oversight of the building’s firewall and DMZ infrastructure, including, but not limited to, VPN access, client configurations, ACLs, and Cisco iOS configuration version control.
• Maximize network performance by monitoring performance; troubleshooting network problems and outages; scheduling upgrades; collaborating with other departments on network impacts to the environment
• Provide expertise and oversight of activities surrounding the operational efficiency of network/server/storage hardware and software using ITIL and PMP guidelines and industry-best practices.
• Work in a team environment to accomplish departmental and business-related goals.
• Continue to achieve certifications within job responsibility areas to maintain proficiency in job-related technologies.
• Document systems in accordance with Region 4 ESC standards and post for DCNS and Region 4 ESC personnel to use as standard operating procedure documents.
• Identify, analyze, research, and recommend changes to infrastructure, procedures, and processes to enhance productivity, efficiencies, and security.
• Initiate, lead, and complete enterprise-wide projects in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
• Work collaboratively with other external resources to further Region 4 ESC and DCNS projects and activities.
• Provide support and guidance for enterprise systems including, but not limited to, Exchange, Email Security, ADFS, M365 Administration, Active Directory, Virtualization, Backups, Patching, Physical Servers, and Storage.
• Provide support and strategic improvements to Region 4’s disaster recovery program to include data replication technologies.
• Provide assistance and technical guidance to the advancement of Region 4’s computing environment.
• Provide support and guidance to the advancement of AWS and Azure network environments, external systems hosted by Region 4, and to the systems residing in our districts.

Supervision/ Personnel Management

• Serve as the lead technical position in the development of Region 4 ESC-related internal and external infrastructure projects.
• Coordinate timelines, financials, and project milestones with the DCNS Director and other Region 4 ESC supervisors.
• Mentor and coach junior personnel on technical best practices.

Physical Demands/Environmental Factors/ Mental Demands:

Frequent use of standard office equipment; prolonged sitting; occasional bending/stooping, pushing/pulling, and twisting; repetitive hand motions (keyboarding and use of mouse); occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 20 pounds); required on-call rotational status for weekend, evening and holiday coverage.; occasional statewide travel; work with frequent interruptions; maintain emotional control under pressure

Position Type: Full-Time
Salary: $86,743 to $103,883 Per Year

Job Requirements

• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

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