IT Network AND Telecommunications - Manager

Salary: $104,304.00 - $140,268.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2026-08500
Department: Dept of Children, Youth, and Families
Division: Information Technology
Opening Date: 11/04/2026
Closing Date: 11/18/2026 12:00 AM Pacific

Description
Our vision is to ensure that "Washington state's children and youth grow up safe and healthy-thriving physically, emotionally and educationally, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title: IT Network and Telecommunication - Manager

Location: Olympia, WA, Thurston County (Flexible/Hybrid)

Closes: November 18th, 2026

Salary: $104,304.00 - $140,268.00 Annually
This position leads the Network Services function and provides enterprise-level direction for network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery services, and network security operations. The role ensures consistent availability, performance, security, and resilience of network services supporting DCYF offices, staff, and business systems statewide
Click here to learn more about
The Opportunity:

The Network Operations Manager provides strategic leadership, governance, and operational oversight for DCYF's enterprise network and telecommunications environment. This position ensures the ongoing availability, security, reliability, and performance of network infrastructure, telecommunications services, application delivery platforms, and related technologies that support statewide operations.
Some of what you will get to do:

• Develop and implement strategic plans, roadmaps, and operational priorities for enterprise network and telecommunications services.
• Establish service delivery standards, performance measures, policies, procedures, and governance practices.
• Lead infrastructure modernization, lifecycle planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to support organizational objectives.
• Provide consultation and recommendations to leadership, stakeholders, and project teams regarding network-related investments, risks, and opportunities.
• Direct the operation, administration, and continuous improvement of enterprise network infrastructure, telecommunications, application delivery services, and related technologies.
• Ensure the availability, reliability, performance, security, and resiliency of network services supporting statewide operations.
• Oversee network monitoring, incident response, problem management, service restoration, and operational support activities.
• Provide oversight and governance for network architecture, security controls, firewall operations, application delivery platforms, and supporting infrastructure technologies.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and workforce priorities.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
• Conduct performance evaluations and address employee performance issues.
• Manage staffing resources, succession planning, and workforce development activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve network operations through automation and AI technologies
• Manage and support enterprise network infrastructure technologies, including application delivery controllers (e.g., F5 or equivalent), enterprise routing and switching, wireless
  networking, next-generation firewalls, and network monitoring platforms.

Required Qualifications:

Equivalent combination of education and experience in Information Technology, totaling ten (10) years.

OR

An Associate's degree or completion of an accredited vocational training program in an information technology or related program AND eight (8) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.
OR

Bachelor's degree in computer science, networking, information systems or a related field AND six (6) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.
AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Additional Required Qualifications:

• Three (3) years of experience leading, supervising, or managing (network) technical staff, projects, or enterprise technology services.
• Two (2) years of recent experience (within the last five (5) years), managing or supporting enterprise network infrastructure and telecommunications services in a medium to large organization with multiple locations.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps, lifecycle management plans, infrastructure modernization initiatives, or technology investment recommendations.
• Experience working with vendors, service providers, and business stakeholders to deliver technology solutions and network services.
• Knowledge of network infrastructure technologies, telecommunications services, network security principles, application delivery services, and infrastructure monitoring tools.
• Experience establishing operational standards, policies, procedures, or governance practices related to technology services.
• Demonstrate experience managing or supporting enterprise network infrastructure technologies, including application delivery controllers (e.g., F5 or equivalent), enterprise routing and switching, wireless networking, next-generation firewalls, and network monitoring platforms.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, automation, cloud networking, and intelligent IT operations (AIOps).

*Experience may be gained concurrently.
Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, ITIL, CISSP, PMP, or equivalent.
• Experience supporting government, healthcare, human services, or other highly regulated environments.
• Experience managing enterprise network services in a large, geographically dispersed organization.

How do I apply?Complete your applicant profile on careers.wa.gov and attach the following documents:

• Current resume detailing experience and education.
• Letter of Interest that details how you meet the qualifications for the position.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington's children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.
For more information about this position or if you need an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, please contact If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at or emailPersons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at .
Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22 or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD form 214, NGB form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please blackout (redact) the social security number before attaching any documents. For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible,
DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Holidays
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.

Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.

Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.

Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.

Sick Leave
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.

Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

Vacation (Annual Leave)
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.

Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.

Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.

Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.

Military Leave
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.

Bereavement Leave
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.

Additional Leave
Leave Sharing

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay

Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.

Updated 01-07-2026
01

Please select which best describes how you qualify for this position.

• Equivalent combination of education and experience in Information Technology, totaling ten (10) years.
• An Associate's degree or completion of an accredited vocational training program in an information technology or related program AND eight (8) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, networking, information systems or a related field AND six (6) years of progressively more complex Information Technology experience such as consulting, analyzing, design, programming, installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecommunications, or network infrastructure equipment.
• None of these

02

Which of the following technologies or solutions have you led the implementation of, designed, and maintained in an enterprise environment? Select all that apply. Select an item only if you were the lead or the accountable decision-maker for its design and implementation, not a participant or a support engineer.

• F5 BIG-IP (LTM, GTM/DNS, APM, or ASM/Advanced WAF) or an equivalent application delivery controller (Citrix NetScaler, A10)
• Absolute Secure Access (formerly NetMotion Mobility) or an equivalent mobile VPN for a field workforce
• Zscaler (ZIA secure web gateway and/or ZPA zero-trust network access)
• Netskope (secure web gateway, CASB, or private access)
• Network implementation for a cloud service provider environment (Azure VNet, ExpressRoute, Virtual WAN; AWS VPC, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway; or Google Cloud VPC and Interconnect), including hybrid connectivity to on-premises networks
• Another secure access service edge or zero-trust platform (Palo Alto Prisma Access, Cisco Secure Access, Cloudflare One, Fortinet FortiSASE)
• SD-WAN (Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN/Viptela, Meraki, Fortinet, Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN, VMware VeloCloud)
• Next-generation firewalls (Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Cisco Secure Firewall, Check Point)
• Enterprise routing and switching refresh (Cisco Catalyst or Nexus, Arista, Juniper, HPE Aruba)
• Data center fabric (spine-leaf, VXLAN/EVPN, Cisco ACI or NX-OS, Arista CloudVision)
• Enterprise wireless (Cisco, Aruba, Meraki, Juniper Mist), including a Wi-Fi 6, 6E, or 7 refresh
• Network access control and identity-based segmentation (Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass)
• Remote access VPN (Cisco Secure Client/AnyConnect, Palo Alto GlobalProtect, Fortinet FortiClient)
• DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (Infoblox, BlueCat, Microsoft)
• Network monitoring and observability (SolarWinds, LogicMonitor, ThousandEyes, Cisco Catalyst Center, Auvik)
• Network automation and infrastructure as code (Ansible, Python, Terraform, Cisco NSO, NetBox)
• WAN carrier migration (MPLS to direct internet access or SD-WAN; circuit procurement and cutover)
• Telecommunications and voice platform migration (SIP trunking; Microsoft Teams Phone, Cisco Webex Calling, or Zoom Phone; contact center telephony)
• State or partner network interconnects (WaTech State Government Network or an equivalent shared-services network)
• None of the above

03

Which statement best describes your experience leading and developing network technical staff, including leading them through significant change?

• I have worked as a network engineer or analyst without supervisory responsibilities, and have adapted my own work to changes directed by others.
• I have served as a technical lead or project lead for network staff without formal supervisory authority (no hiring, evaluations, or corrective action), and have communicated change activities to team members to minimize disruption.
• I have directly supervised network technical staff for at least three (3) years, including hiring, setting expectations, conducting performance evaluations, and addressing performance issues, and have led the team through at least one significant operational or technology change, managing readiness, implementation risk, and adoption.
• I have managed network teams for five (5) or more years, including supervising supervisors or leads, succession planning, and building the team through hiring and development, and have led complex technology or organizational transformations, aligning stakeholders, managing resistance, establishing governance, and measuring adoption while maintaining service continuity.
• None of the above

04

Describe one network implementation or upgrade project you initiated and led from start to finish. Include the business need, how you defined the approach and plan, the design and technologies involved, how you worked with vendors and your team, the number of sites and users affected, how you managed change, cutover, and the outcome.
05

Which statement best describes your hands-on experience designing and configuring enterprise network and security infrastructure, including application delivery controllers (F5 or equivalent)?

• I have limited hands-on experience and limited familiarity with F5 or application delivery concepts; I have primarily managed or overseen network and security work performed by others according to established standards.
• I have configured and maintained enterprise network devices (routing/switching, firewalls, or wireless) following designs created by others; supported or participated in F5 troubleshooting, configuration, or maintenance; and contributed to design reviews or security assessments.
• I have designed enterprise network architectures and personally configured or validated the implementation across routing/switching, next-generation firewalls, and wireless, and have overseen teams responsible for F5 technologies and for network architecture and security, ensuring designs meet availability, performance, security, and operational requirements.
• I have designed enterprise architectures spanning routing/switching, next-generation firewalls, wireless, and application delivery controllers; set the design, segmentation, and security standards others follow in collaboration with cybersecurity and enterprise architecture; been accountable for the operational strategy and lifecycle of F5 technologies; and remain able to review configurations and troubleshoot at the device level.
• None of the above.

06

What is the largest fixed annual budget for which you have had primary management responsibility?

• Under $500,000
• $500,000-$1 million
• $1 million-$5 million
• $5 million-$10 million
• No direct budget responsibility

07

Within the budget selected above, what experience do you have building and managing a staffing plan, including how you prioritized lifecycle replacement against new initiatives and how you assigned staff between operations and projects, and one trade-off you made when funding was constrained? If you answered no, please type N/A in the text box below.
08

Which statement best describes your experience setting technology strategy for network services and working with vendors, service providers, and business stakeholders to deliver it?

• I have executed work defined by roadmaps and strategies developed by others, interacted with vendors primarily for technical support, and gathered requirements from business stakeholders.
• I have contributed technical input, assessments, or recommendations to roadmaps or investment decisions developed by others, participated in vendor evaluations, coordinated vendor work on projects led by others, and communicated status to business stakeholders.
• I have developed multi-year technology roadmaps and investment recommendations for network services and presented them to leadership for approval; led vendor selection (RFP/RFQ, evaluation, statement of work) and managed vendor deliverables and schedules; and partnered with business stakeholders on requirements, priorities, and delivery.
• I have set the strategic direction for enterprise network services, aligning roadmaps, investments, and operational priorities with business objectives and advising executive leadership on investments, risks, and opportunities; established the vendor strategy, negotiated contracts and service levels, and managed multiple concurrent vendors and service providers; and served as the network authority to executive leadership, partner agencies, and non-technical stakeholders.
• None of the above

09

Which statement best describes your experience directing enterprise network operations, disaster recovery and continuity, and operational risk management?

• I have performed network monitoring, incident response, or operational support as an engineer; addressed technical issues and risks as they arose; and participated in recovery activities following established procedures.
• I have coordinated incident response or served as an escalation point for a network team; participated in risk assessments and documented operational issues; and helped develop recovery procedures or supported failover testing.
• I have managed enterprise network operations for an organization with multiple locations, including monitoring, incident and problem management, service-level performance, and operational metrics; led operational risk assessments, prioritized mitigation, and reported significant risks to leadership; and led disaster recovery planning and testing for network services, tracking corrective actions.
• I have established the operating model for enterprise network services in a large, geographically dispersed organization, including service standards, service levels, monitoring strategy, incident and problem management processes, and performance reporting; established a network operational risk management approach covering service impacts, security exposures, single points of failure, vendor dependencies, and risk acceptance; and overseen network resilience and disaster recovery strategy, including recovery objectives, redundancy, failover, testing governance, and remediation of gaps.
• None of the above

10

Which statement best describes your experience applying automation or artificial intelligence to network operations?

• I am aware of automation and AI concepts but have not applied them to network operations.
• I have used or supported automation tools or scripts (configuration automation, monitoring analytics) in network operations.
• I have led the implementation of automation or AI-enabled tools (network automation platforms, AIOps, intelligent monitoring) that improved network operations, including evaluating options and measuring results.
• I have established a strategy and governance approach for automation and AI in network operations, led pilots or proofs of concept, defined responsible-use practices, and scaled successful initiatives across the organization.
• None of the above

11

How did you hear about this career opportunity (select all that apply)?

• Washington State's career website: ;/li>
• Washington State Work Source office or website (Go2WorkSource.com)
• Washington State employee
• DCYF Recruiter
• College/university career fair or website
• Diversity network meeting/event
• Indeed
• LinkedIn
• ZipRecruiter
• Handshake
• Other

12

If you selected 'College/university career fair or website', 'Diversity network meeting/event', 'Online job boards', or 'Other' above, please specify which college, university, diversity network meeting/event, online job boards and/or describe 'Other' below.
Required Question