Department: IT Cyber Service Operations
Salary/Grade: NEX/16

Are you skilled in supporting 24/7 data center operations, network operations, and critical IT infrastructure?   Are you passionate about process management for incident assessment and response; change management standards for operation; and predictive maintenance programs for critical IT facilities at a prestigious university with world-class global research?

Northwestern University’s Information Technology Cyberinfrastructure team is looking for a solid, reliable, and motivated data center technician to join their 24/7 on premises team providing operational support for enterprise and research computing and IT infrastructure.

This job is great for an ambitious, customer-focused, detail-oriented individual who is hands-on, able to work flexible schedules and shifts, including weekends, nights, holidays and overtime with appropriate notice based on the needs of the business.  Must be available to be “on call” on a rotating basis and respond to emergency situations within 90 minutes.  

Being comfortable working in an industrial environment (loud ambient noise and/or hot or low temperatures) is a must.  The right candidate is able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds, sit/stand/walk for up to 12 hours long; safely access all parts of the data center – specifically climb and work safely on ladders, walk on rooftops and cat-walks, work on uneven work surfaces including raised floor access panels, and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

In addition to joining a collaborative and hard-working team that values strong relationships, Northwestern employees take advantage of excellent healthcare and retirement benefits as well as generous paid time off.  If you feel this could be a great career match, please apply today!

Job Summary:

Provide onsite support for day-to-day Data Center work and larger scale Data Center design and build projects and moves.  Under minimal supervision, monitors, diagnoses, and corrects operational status of the University’s business functions within the communication networks and Data Center services and components. Responsible for coordination between shifts which is required to ensure that all Data Center Systems run efficiently without interruption and Maintenance Program is completed efficiently.  Responsible for managing ticket queue and working tickets through to completion.  When appropriate, communicates business function status with internal University customers.  Under minimal direction, installs, tests, and documents computing equipment.  As scheduled, visits data center sites to confirm operating conditions are within normal tolerances or report findings and take appropriate measures to correct.

Please note: Addressed in posting.

Specific Responsibilities:

• 24/7 Operation Center Support Services:
  • Monitors network activity, computing system performance, and facility environmental status from a centralized Service Operation Center (SOC) ensuring high availability and attainment of service levels goals.
  • Effectively communicates and escalates incidents, problems, event alarms and service fulfillment requests ensuring quick resolution or hand off to the appropriate support area within posted unit response window.
  • Resolves assigned trouble tickets providing operational support via online, telephone and/or by two-way radio.  Promptly closes out completed work tickets to document personal productivity.
  • Answers incoming telephone and radio calls to the SOC within posted unit response window.
  • Provides coverage to ensure 24/7 operation and support across all shifts.
  • Monitoring and support for triage and restarts of automated processes scheduling software.
• On-Site Support Services:
  • Responsible for maintaining IT critical facilities physical infrastructure standards for space, power, cooling, and data networking.
  • Controls physical security and site access to IT critical facilities.  Monitors, corrects, and reports observed infractions of security policies and procedures to ensure security procedures are followed and enforced.
  • Fulfills the role of Major Incident Management for IT service outages.
  • Participates in the change management process by creating change requests and is aware of approved changes as the result of the Change Advisory Board.
• Assists as directed with project activity including the following:
  • Installs and cables servers and IT equipment.
  • Troubleshoots server hardware and includes power cycling, soft-booting server, server removal and re-install for break/fix repairs.
  • Programs network switch ports.
  • Tests network cabling and replaces if necessary and troubleshoots network switches.
  • Provide first-level support for server installation and configuration. This includes IP addressing. Must be comfortable working with telnet/SSH command prompts.
  • Support clients in a virtualized environment for cloud and on-premise infrastructure.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 2 year course or study in an accredited college or university leading to an Associates or higher degree in computer science, telecommunications, or related engineering discipline, or documented military training certification in data communications, telecommunications, power control systems, environmental control systems or network operations or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills and abilities can be acquired.
• Five years’ experience in data center operations or network operations in a corporate environment, university or military facilities following standard operating procedures and handling event and alarm response.
• Two years’ experience with facility power systems maintenance and/or environmental systems maintenance.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills when working with IT professionals, faculty and staff. Excellent written and verbal skills.
• Ability to develop Method of Procedure and Scope of Work.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), Internet browsers and other common computer utilities.
• Ability to explain and absorb technical aspects of the work to both inform and take directions in time critical situations.
• Ability to comprehend complex systems, to understand the interrelationships between components and to anticipate how system failures might occur.
• Working knowledge of HVAC, Power, Fire Suppression, Security and Building automation systems operations and safety.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree.
• Experience in data center operations or network operations in military facilities following standard operating procedures and handling event and alarm response.
• Comp TIA A+ Certification, Security+ Certification, and/or Network+ Certification.
• Military Technical Certifications.
• Experience working in Higher Education in a central Information Technology or data center.
• ITIL Fundamentals Certification (most recent level).

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Two years’ experience working with enterprise-class server hardware in a LAN networking/distributed computing environment.  Experience should include installing, specifying, documenting and troubleshooting server hardware, cabling and networking.
• Experience with associate-level cloud infrastructure environments, including Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure.

Northwestern requires all staff and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exceptions. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 and Campus Updates website.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.