Lead Network-Telecom Admn

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

- Competitive pay with bonus opportunities

- Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short term disability, long term disability, and life insurance

- Relocation assistance

- Flexible working environment for positions that are eligible where employees have the flexibility to work from home and come in where collaborative in person work is needed.

- Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a defined benefit plan fully funded by SPP

COMPENSATION INFORMATION

The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Lead Network-Telecom Admin | Pay Range - $112,240.00 - $145,810.00.

Are you ready to Join a company at the forefront of the energy revolution!

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) plays a pivotal role in ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for millions across the country. As we expand into new territories, bringing renewable energy resources into the fold, we are shaping the Grid of the Future. We’re seeking a Lead Network-Telecom Administrator to support and grow our critical network infrastructure, enabling smooth and secure communications across the grid. Help power the future while advancing your career in an environment that fosters innovation, leadership, and collaboration!

As a Lead Network-Telecom Administrator, you will be responsible for the advanced administration and support of the networking, security, and telecommunications resources that keep SPP running smoothly. This is a hands-on, technical role where you will be responsible for overseeing a range of network infrastructure including routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, VoIP devices, and more. You’ll play a key role in ensuring smooth communication between members, troubleshooting complex issues, and leading projects that drive our network growth and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Network & Datacenter Infrastructure

- Lead installation, configuration, and management of network and data center infrastructure (hardware, software, circuits) to ensure critical SPP services remain operational at all times.

- Administer and optimize routers, switches, load balancers, WLAN, and other network devices.

- Oversee and maintain core network services such as voice, conferencing, DNS/DHCP, IP address management, IPSec tunnels, application load balancing, device monitoring, and alerting.

- Provide oversight for daily data center operations, ensuring adherence to industry standards and maintaining professional installation practices.

- Manage hardware lifecycles, acquisitions, configuration, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and resolution.

Troubleshooting & Support

- Perform advanced diagnostics and resolution of network, telecom, security, and data center issues with minimal disruption to operations.

- Conduct post-mortem analysis and reporting following incidents.

- Participate in on-call rotations and after-hours support, including Cyber Incident Response Team activities.

Project & Resource Management

- Lead complex network and data center projects, allocating resources, coordinating schedules, and maintaining progress reporting.

- Manage vendor and contractor relationships for procurement, contracts, maintenance, and service delivery.

- Coordinate with SPP member companies, internal IT groups, and other departments to ensure smooth operations.

- Oversee introduction and integration of new resources and technologies.

- Assist in budget development, contract assessments, negotiations, and performance reviews.

Standards, Best Practices & Risk Management

- Ensure adherence to industry best practices for network, telecom, security, and data center operations, with a focus on reliability, scalability, and redundancy.

- Conduct risk assessments for vulnerabilities, document findings, and recommend mitigations.

- Develop and maintain emergency response plans, crisis management protocols, and disaster recovery strategies.

- Research and recommend new technologies, justifying needed changes to improve performance and resilience.

Leadership & Collaboration

- Provide leadership, mentoring, and technical expertise to junior team members, SPP staff, members, and industry stakeholders.

- Recommend and arrange necessary training for IT operations staff.

- Communicate effectively across all IT groups and SPP departments to align plans and procedures.

- Demonstrate flexibility to manage shifting priorities and work outside standard business hours as required.

To be successful as our Lead Network-Telecom Admin, we're looking for:

- Bachelor’s degree in an Information Technology related field, or equivalent experience

- Eight (8) years network/telecom infrastructure support experience is required

- Strong understanding of networking concepts, protocols and technologies.

- Advanced Network and/or Security certifications required.

- Advanced Network and/or Telecommunications certifications required

- Excellent problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

- Excellent written and oral communications skills are essential.

- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred:

- Previous experience with NERC CIP and SOC1 is preferred

- A variety of experience in Information Technology field projects is preferred

- Experience with routing, switching, dynamic routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, Etc), Juniper EX MX ACX platforms, Spine/Leaf architecture, Wide Area Networks and automation/scripting skillset is preferred

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.

- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to make decisions, interpret data, and problem solve.

- The employee frequently is required to stand or sit for extended periods; use hands to operate a computer keyboard and standard office equipment.

- The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.

- Requires the ability to work and collaborate with managers and employees at all levels to exchange ideas, information, and opinions to facilitate the task.

- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Position Type, Location, and Hours:

This is a full-time, hybrid position based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The standard workweek is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours potentially required.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires minimal travel (approximately 10%).

Should you elect to apply for this position SPP will review your qualifications and if after reviewing the qualifications and experience of all applicants, your skills and credentials meet our needs, someone from our organization may contact you. Please be advised that the time required to complete the applicant review process typically takes between 30 and 90 days, but could extend beyond that. Once the position has been filled, all applicants will be notified via email.

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool.

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.