Network Architect - Consultant

Job: IT - DSS - Network Architect - Consultant

Location : Columbia SC

Job ID: 8505

Client : State of SC
Type: C2C/W2

The State of South Carolina is looking for Network Architect - Consultant

Why is this position open: Rebid

Will close to submissions on 10/31 at 5:00PM EST.

Interview Process: 1 round, virtual (video required)

Duration of the Contract: 12 months

Possibility for Extension: Yes

Work Location: Role is hybrid (3 days onsite per week)

Candidate location: Candidate must be a CURRENT SC resident. No relocation allowed.

Full job description attached and required and preferred skills listed below.

Additional details: Valid Driver's License required as resource will travel to various DSS sites around Columbia roughly 1 day per week.

COMPANY / DEPARTMENT CULTURE:

The SC Department of Social Services Technology Services Division has established active and proactive cross team collaborations and interaction between the technical and application development teams. Candidates will have the opportunity to work in a large state agency, deploying, maintaining, and securing a communications network infrastructure for the agency sites (60 plus) as well as the communications tunnels between the State Data Center and 46 independent county governments.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT:

The Division of Technology Services is responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining, and obtaining multiple mission critical applications for the Department of Social Services.

The project is ongoing information system architecture and support of agency infrastructure and firewall. Project is to ensure ongoing compliance with SC State and Federal architecture and security requirements and to maintain reliable communication between Agency systems and services and DSS partners and service end points, including independent County government services.

POSITION DESCRIPTION NETWORK ARCHITECT - CONSULTANT

The candidate will provide technical expertise for ongoing development and support of the SC Department of Social Services voice and data communication networks, systems, and services infrastructure. This position will work for the Director of Network Operations and Data Center services, and with the Agency infrastructure, server, and database teams. This position will consult with Agency management, technical, and development teams to design and achieve secure, stable, and responsive systems and services, with a goal of improved system availability and performance for Agency customers, both internal and external.

Major responsibilities of this position include the following:

• Provide technical expertise for ongoing development and support of the SC Department of Social Services voice and data communication networks, systems, and services.
• Monitor and support telecommunication between SC DSS Agency and client/partner endpoints and the SC data center, using Cisco and Cisco/Meraki products and interfaces, with a priority on Firewall, Wireless, and ISE configurations, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Consult with and assist Agency infrastructure team and Agency partners to achieve, monitor and resolve telecommunication between endpoints.
• Understand the interactions between systems, applications, and services within the environment, and evaluate the impact of changes or additions.
• Analyze systems and perform usability testing to ensure performance and reliability, enhance scalability, and meet security requirements.
• Determine and communicate the implications of system-level decisions on subsystems and components and help determine how best to mitigate or take advantage of these implications.
• Determine and communicate the requirements and capabilities of components within the context of the larger system, project, and team.
• Provide an architectural framework for information system development, maintenance, and enhancement efforts.
• Work closely with Agency Security, End User Support, Network Services, and Network Communications teams to design and implement security countermeasures, and to prevent and mitigate network and client vulnerabilities.
• Provide remote communications troubleshooting support with State and County IT teams (external to SC DSS), providing technical expertise requiring a wide range of firewall knowledge and experience.
• Available to work off hours and on weekend to implement scheduled maintenance.
• Mentor less experienced peers.

Perform tasks efficiently and work together with team to ensure project success.

REQUIRED SKILLS

In order of importance:

• 6+ years of experience with Cisco Firewalls
• 4-6 years of experience with Cisco ISE
• 6+ years of experience with Cisco VPN
• 6+ years of experience with Wireshark
• 2+ years of experience Azure Cloud and Virtualization
• 4-6 years of experience with Cisco Routers
• 6+ years of experience with Cisco Switches
• 6+ years of experience with Cisco Hardware Administration
• 6+ years of experience DHCP
• 6+ years of experience demonstrated knowledge/skills of IT industry (multi-tiered architectures, emerging technologies, networks, data management systems and hardware systems).
• 2-4 years of experience Datacenter, Cloud and Network Infrastructure
• 6+ years of experience with ability to communicate (orally and written) effectively with technical, non-technical staff, and customers/stakeholders as needed or directed.
• 4-6 years of experience Valid Driver's license

ENVIRONMENTS AND TOOLS

• Cisco FMC
• ASDM
• Cisco ISE
• Putty
• PowerShell
• Wireshark
• nMap
• SIEM

Cisco Security Manager

PREFERRED SKILLS

In order of importance:

• Self-Starter
• Cisco CCNA certification
• Cisco CCNP certification
• Cisco MCSE Certified

6+ years of experience of design and operations of public and/or private networks including LAN/MAN/WAN. Design work includes placement and specification of servers, routers, switches, firewalls, remote access systems, network management, cloud storage, and methods to secure data in transmission.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's or higher degree in Computer Science or other quantitative discipline

PREFERRED EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Prefer CCNP Routing & Switching; CCNA Security