Summary of Position:

The IT & Broadband Systems Manager is responsible for overseeing the planning, administration, design, and maintaining networks, software, systems, and equipment necessary to deliver quality electric and broadband services. Supervises and directs employees in these areas to develop and execute projects that securely improve processes and operational efficiency.

Core Competencies:

Work effectively as an employee of Paulding Putnam and maintain good job behavior.

·         Must be supportive of Cooperative business concepts and principals.

·         Must be of high integrity, dependable and professional.

·         Punctual and conscientious about work hours and perform overtime when requested.  Communicate with supervisor when unable to work at the appointed time.

·         Accept responsibility for the duties of your position.  Work diligently toward complete accurate work assignments.

·         Develop the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the duties of the position.  Attend meetings and seminars as directed.

·         Continually develop and recommend more efficient and effective ways of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the position.

·         Review and abide by established policies and procedures of the Cooperative.

·         Must have a high regard for the safety of themselves and others.  Promote safety in every activity and attend scheduled safety meetings as directed.  Become familiar with and abide by the PPEC safety rules and procedures.

·         Must have the desire to work as part of a team and contribute to the high morale in the organization.  Promote teamwork through communication and cooperation.  Treat co-workers in a professional manner and consider the opinions and personal needs of others.

·         Accept and adapt positively to changes in your position and within the Cooperative.  Develop a commitment to accept ongoing change.

·         Be a positive influence within and outside the Cooperative.

·         Support the Cooperative’s mission by staying current with information to cultivate and positively project the Cooperative’s philosophy.

·         Recommend, install, configure, and maintain equipment essential for delivery of high-quality broadband voice and data services over a passive optical network up to the outside plant (point of demarcation from ISP facilities) utilizing a variety of optical and electrical interfaces. This includes the installation, construction, operation and break-fix remediation, with root cause analysis of equipment associated with Headend (HE), Central Offices (CO) and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE.)

·         Investigate and resolve customer network quality, reliability, and interference issues.

·         Provide support to other engineers, service representatives and other employees regarding customer network issues.

·         Work with field design and home installation technicians to ensure timely, efficient, and proper installation and configuration of equipment and connection of customers to the network.

·         Perform Head End (HE) and Central Office (CO) facility inspections; Ensure cabling, equipment installation, power and cooling is compliant with Company standards.

·         Recommend, install, configure, and maintain performance and alerting tools to assess availability and performance of network and systems to maximize reliability.

·         Utilize automation tools to configure networks and systems as efficiently as possible.

·         Install, and maintain backup and availability solutions for all Company technology related to broadband service.

·         Maintain security of communication networks and systems including virtual operating systems and applications.

·         Maintain required logs, records and other documentation compliant with Company, regulatory and legal requirements.

·         Monitor service provider industry developments, enhancements, and regulations to ensure that Company processes and products are current within the industry.

·         Assist fiber team and technical support group with technical questions and support, directing them on how to respond to customer questions.

·         Assist in the support, upgrades, and maintenance of systems equipment.

·         Actively and consistently support efforts to simplify and enhance the customer experience.

·         Direct customers on effective troubleshooting steps as necessary.

·         Directs internal and/or external resources to implement, manage and repair fiber optic network

·         Design and plan network communications systems including Point to point, Ring, and path diverse routing

·         Plan and develop new fiber optics routes, negotiate, as needed, for outside resources for detail route design, material and vendor specifications

·         Provides specifications and detailed schematics for network architecture

·         Researches existing databases, files, and records for purposes of network design, fiber optimization, and relocation of fiber facilities

·         Management of Layer-1 and Layer-2 fiber optic networking and troubleshooting/tuning techniques of related protocols

·         Candidate should have experience with IP traffic redistribution, route filtering and load-balancing and strong understanding of VLANs, Subnetting, and IP Provisioning

·         Provides design schematics of fiber path and splicing work to be performed for fiber projects, relocation of existing fiber facilities, and restoration of existing traffic.

·         Conduct site surveys to determine the best installation paths and techniques.

·         Performing regular tests and maintenance on fibers, systems, and associated equipment to minimize downtime and loss of data.

·         Responsible for designing, specifying, purchasing and supervising the installation, testing, operation and maintenance of communication, IT, and broadband equipment owned or maintained by the Cooperative in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations.

·         Establish and maintain regular written and in-person communications with the cooperative’s executives, department heads, and end users regarding pertinent IT activities.

·         Lead and manage the Cooperative’s Cyber Security program by coordinating and collaborating with other management staff to develop plans and measures that address cyber security threats and risks, develop appropriate policies and procedures and monitor the effectiveness of such plans. 

·         Evaluate new vendors and technology partners to ensure the best value and alignment with Cooperative needs.

·         Develop a long-term strategic plan for IT and broadband growth, ensuring alignment with the Cooperative’s mission and objectives.

·         Assess, determine, recommend, and implement technology upgrades for the Cooperative and our members.  Manage and execute the development, implementation and ongoing maintenance of new technologies, ensuring its integrity and effectiveness for the Cooperative and its members.

·         Manage financial aspects of the IT Department, including purchasing, budgeting, and budget review. Plan, propose, and manage IT and Broadband capital investments with a focus on cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

·         Identify and mitigate security risks to the Cooperative.  Oversee and maintain a disaster recovery and business continuity plan for both internal IT and broadband systems.

·         Supervise the development and maintenance of communication, IT, and broadband network solutions and equipment while ensuring compliance with NERC CIP, FCC, RUS, and other relevant industry regulations.

·         Develop proactive monitoring and response strategies to minimize broadband service disruptions.

·         Manage a department with varied functional responsibilities in daily technology tasks.  Demonstrating the ability to prioritize work and address interpersonal differences and conflicts effectively. 

·         Ensure physical security of IT and broadband infrastructure, including data centers and remote network sites.

·         Understand the needs of the end user/customer by providing timely solutions in a positive, proactive and collaborative manner.

·         Develop and maintain good working relationships with member cooperative personnel, cooperative employees, and technology service providers to ensure the successful implementation of projects and processes ensuring high-quality member experience. Coordinate work with other departments within the cooperative, cooperative members and other utilities.

·         Subject to random drug and alcohol testing consistent with DOT regulation and Paulding-Putnam Electric policies.

·         Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned.

Reporting Relationships:

Reports to:

COO

Supervises and Directs work of:

Senior IT Specialist, Network Administrator

External relationships:

Specifications:

Education and Experience:

·         High School Diploma or equivalent certificate

·         Bachelor’s degree in computer and network systems or computer information systems. (Preferred)

·         At least four years related work experience.

Skills and Abilities:

·         Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.

·         Must be able to communicate well both verbally and in writing. Effectively convey and share information and ideas with others.  Listen carefully and understand various viewpoints. Present ideas clearly and concisely and understand relevant detail in presented information.

·         Must be able to operate computers and various software programs proficiently.

·         Works together with others and helps others to work cooperatively to accomplish goals/objectives.

·         Must be able to determine priorities, organize work schedules and direct people effectively.

·         Must be able to provide effective leadership, motivate and develop the skills of those persons supervised.

·         Must be able to handle pressure of meeting multiple deadlines.

Additional Expectations:

·         Maintain confidentiality regarding PPEC proprietary information and other department information. 

·         Competent with the architecture and maintenance of complex service provider enterprise networks and data centers.

·         Competent in business security, continuity and disaster recovery best practices.

·         Competent in risk management as related to position.

·         Competent with position-specific software and applications.

·         Competent with position specific equipment.