Manager, IT Network & Communication Services

Job Overview

As a Manager IT Network and Communication Services, you will play a critical role in designing and maintaining Great Lakes Cheese’s (GLC) complex network and communication infrastructure to ensure low-latency, high-performance, and high-availability network systems. Your role extends to developing both short-term and long-term plans for the integration and deployment of network infrastructure to support mission critical business initiatives. You'll be responsible for upholding network security standards, maintaining network availability, and performance. As a key member of GLC’s IT infrastructure and security team, you will also be responsible for driving the modernization of GLC's network and communication services, adapting it to meet the evolving requirements of IT resilience. 

Job Responsibilities

• Architecting and Designing: Develop comprehensive strategies to meet GLC’s LAN, WAN, WLAN, Wireless, SD-WAN, VPN, NAC, SIP, OT, and Zero Trust Network Architecture requirements.
• Technical Strategy Development: Collaborate with the Director of IT Infrastructure and Security to devise technical strategies and services for the network infrastructure (IT, OT/IoT). Establish tactical plans, projects, and objectives to achieve these goals.
• Configuration Standards: Define and enforce configuration rules and standards for network switches, wireless access points, routers, firewalls, and other devices to optimize performance, reliability, and security.
• Documentation and Guidelines: Create and maintain detailed documentation on network architecture diagrams, engineering guidelines, network segmentation designs (IT/OT), etc. to ensure consistent performance, reliability, and scalability of the network infrastructure.
• Capacity Planning: Conduct regular assessments to anticipate future network requirements and scalability needs. Establish standards for network sizing and equipment.
• Incident Management: Quickly diagnose and resolve network or telecommunications incidents (including those relate to OT environment) to minimize downtime and uphold uninterrupted business operations.
• Telecommunications Management: Oversee the corporate telecommunications network infrastructure, ensuring its efficiency and reliability.
• Voice and Data Communication: Lead the implementation and maintenance of voice and data communication networks. Develop expertise in various communication protocols.
• Performance Optimization: Identify and implement improvements to enhance network efficiency and reliability. Automate tasks and monitor their effectiveness to streamline operations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with other departments and project teams to deliver high-quality solutions that support business objectives.
• Project Management: Manage all network and communication projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget.
• Process Optimization: Identify and recommend improvements to enhance quality and service availability.
• Team Leadership: Recruit, manage, mentor, and develop highly skilled individuals to achieve departmental goals and objectives.
• Vendor Management: Assist Director of IT Infrastructure and Security in managing relationships with key vendors and service providers to ensure cost-effective delivery of services. Help IT Leadership team validate licensing agreements meet organizational needs and are budgeted effectively.
• Budget Management: Effectively communicate budgeting needs for GLC’s hardware, software, staff, and other resources related to network and communication infrastructure.
• Emergency Response: Coordinate on-call responsibilities and respond to emergency production issues promptly, including off-hours and weekends.
• Additional Responsibilities: Undertake any other duties assigned by the manager to support departmental objectives and organizational needs.
• All GLC employees are expected to perform any assignment or job task according to the stated safety policies and procedures.
• All GLC employees are expected to produce our products in a manner that exceeds the quality and value expectation of our customers and consumers by adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices, Policies and Procedures outlined in our Safe Quality Food Program.
   

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or relevant related field.
• 10 years of IT industry experience in a technical leadership role focused on IT infrastructure planning, development and implementation or more.
• Deep knowledge of network protocols, topologies, and architectures, with a focus on low-latency networks and proficiency in configuring and troubleshooting network devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls.
• Strong technical knowledge, skills, and experience in multiple of the following areas: 
• Cisco networking technologies (LAN / WAN / WLAN / VLAN)
• Routing protocols such as BGP & OSPF.
• Layer 3 designs, including VRRP, VRFs, and SDWAN
• Layer 2 designs, including VLANs, MST and RSTP.
• ACL’s/Route maps/prefix lists, and objects
• Wireless Control Systems, Access Points, and 802.1x, PKI, EAP, TLS technologies
• VXLAN design, implementation, and support
• Network storage technologies and file system management.
• Understanding of the implications of changes and events within your domain upon applications, and the business as a whole.
• Skilled and experienced with systems change control.
• Linux and Microsoft SQL Server experience.
• Strong analytical skills and have good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, troubleshoot and problem solve beyond routine issues.
• Strong teamwork approach to problem solving with the ability to make sound, independent decisions based on functional expertise and experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in relevant discipline
• Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) certification OR Relevant certifications; Microsoft, Rockwell, VMWare, etc. 
• Familiarity with the Cisco/Rockwell CPwE Guide.
• Manufacturing industry expertise (ideally food)
• Hands on experience in:
• Network engineering (routing, switching), monitoring, and analysis tools (such as SolarWinds) and automation such as Cisco, Juniper and/or Meraki.
• Server and desktop virtualization and ability to execute using VMWare solutions.
• Storage & SANs, using Fiber Channel, iSCSI, FCoE, & NFS.
• Windows Server Operating Systems up to and including 2016-2021.
• Shop floor controls (Rockwell/AB PLCs)
   

Working Conditions

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