OPAL Org Change Readiness Leads

• Develop and execute a strategy for position advertisement and marketing.
• Identify, qualify, and assess potential candidates.
• Present qualified candidates to the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology Leadership Team.
• Support the Leadership Team during the negotiation phase with the selected candidate.

Roles/Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership:

• Collaborate with the CIO to develop and implement networking strategies that align with the organization’s overall IT roadmap.
• Lead the design and deployment of innovative networking solutions to meet the organization’s current and future needs.
• Stay informed of emerging technologies and trends in networking to ensure the organization remains at the forefront of technological advancement.

Network Infrastructure Management:

• Network Design and Architecture:
• Design, implement, and maintain the organization’s network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, VPNs, and cloud-based networking solutions.
• Evaluate new networking technologies, tools, and systems to enhance performance, scalability, and security.

• Plan and deploy network expansions, upgrades, or replacements to meet growing business needs.

• Network Operations and Maintenance:

• Ensure the continuous, uninterrupted operation of the organization’s network systems, maintaining high uptime and availability.
• Monitor network performance, troubleshoot network problems, and perform regular maintenance.

• Develop and maintain network documentation, including diagrams, configurations, and procedures.

• Security Management:

• Implement and enforce network security protocols, including firewalls, encryption, IDS/IPS systems, and access controls.
• Conduct regular security audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing to identify and mitigate risks.
• Respond to network security incidents, implementing incident response strategies and reporting breaches when necessary.

• Manage network security protocols, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and encryption technologies to protect organizational data.

• Network Performance Monitoring and Optimization:

• Use network management tools to monitor bandwidth usage, traffic patterns, and overall network performance.
• Optimize network configurations for efficiency, load balancing, and redundancy.

• Identify and address bottlenecks or performance issues, ensuring minimal downtime or degradation in network services.

• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity:

• Develop and implement network disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Ensure data backup, replication, and failover systems are in place to support the recovery of network services during emergencies.
• Regularly test disaster recovery protocols and update plans as needed Vendor Evaluation and Selection:
• Research and assess potential vendors for networking hardware, software, and services.

• Develop evaluation criteria, including reliability, technical support, pricing, and service level agreements (SLAs).

• Contract Negotiation:

• Negotiate terms and pricing with selected vendors to secure favorable contracts.

• Ensure contracts comply with city policies and legal requirements.

• Performance Monitoring:

• Monitor vendor performance against SLAs and key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Conduct regular performance reviews to ensure vendors meet expectations and address any issues that arise.

• Relationship Management:

• Foster strong relationships with vendors to facilitate collaboration and effective communication.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendor-related inquiries and issues.

• Risk Assessment:

• Identify potential risks associated with vendor partnerships, such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities or service disruptions.

• Develop strategies to mitigate identified risks and ensure continuity of service.

• Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with other departments to understand their networking needs and ensure vendor solutions align with those requirements.

• Communicate vendor updates and changes to relevant stakeholders. Networking Budget Management:

• Budget Development:

• Assist in the preparation of the networking budget, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and strategic plans.

• Identify necessary expenditures for network hardware, software, maintenance, and upgrades.

• Cost Analysis:

• Analyze current and projected costs associated with networking tools, services, and vendor contracts.

• Identify opportunities for cost savings and more efficient resource allocation.

• Budget Tracking and Monitoring:

• Monitor budget expenditures and ensure compliance with financial policies.

• Provide regular updates on budget status, highlighting any variances and their implications.

• Resource Allocation:

• Prioritize spending based on critical networking needs and strategic initiatives.

• Recommend reallocating resources as necessary to address changing priorities or unexpected challenges.

• Forecasting:

• Develop financial forecasts for future networking needs based on trends, usage patterns, and anticipated growth.

• Prepare budget justifications for new projects or initiatives to present to leadership.

• Reporting:

• Generate detailed reports on budget performance and vendor expenditures, providing insights into return on investment (ROI) for networking initiatives.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior management to support informed decision making

Collaboration and Communication:

• Operational Responsibilities
• Policy Implementation: Ensure adherence to organizational policies and procedures within the network teams.
• Budget Management: Oversee budgets related to team development and network operations, ensuring efficient resource allocation
• Reporting and Analysis: Analyze performance metrics and prepare reports for upper management regarding team effectiveness and network performance.
• Collaboration and Communication
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Work closely with other departments to align network goals with overall organizational objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate with stakeholders to ensure their needs are met and to gather feedback for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with other IT leaders to integrate networking strategies with broader IT initiatives.
• Communicate networking plans, policies, and procedures to stakeholders across the organization.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on networking issues, providing guidance and support to other departments as needed.
• Innovation and Improvement
• Process Improvement: Identify areas for improvement in network operations and implement innovative solutions.
• Technology Utilization: Leverage technology to enhance team performance and operational efficiency.

Mandatory Skills: * Network Systems Certification- JNCIP or measurable work experience totaling at least 5 years.

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university with a major course work in Public Administration, Communications, Information Technology or a closely related field

AND * 10 to 15 years of infrastructure and data center experience, with at least 3 years of leadership experience in managing multiple, large, cross-functional teams or projects, and influencing senior level management and key stakeholders

• 5 years of managerial or supervisor experience in planning, developing, managing or implementing a comparatively sized or larger data center.

OR * Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office of Innovation and Technology and Human Resources. Desirable Skills: N/A