Retail Network Specialist

The Retail Networking Specialist supports the availability, performance, security, and continuous improvement of network and telecommunications services across the company’s retail locations. This position provides advanced troubleshooting, incident response, vendor coordination, deployment support, and project execution for broadband, firewall, switching, cellular, voice, and related store technology. The specialist works closely with field teams, internal support groups, service providers, and technicians to restore service quickly, maintain accurate documentation, and deliver reliable technology solutions for new and existing locations.

Major Responsibilities

• Coordinate with internet, telecommunications, managed-service, hardware, and field-service vendors to open cases, schedule work, track progress, escalate delays, and confirm resolution.
• Perform approved configuration changes, testing, validation, and maintenance activities while following change-management, security, and documentation requirements.
• Support network and telecommunications deployments, upgrades, replacements, and lifecycle initiatives, including firewalls, switches, power devices, broadband circuits, cellular solutions, and voice equipment.
• Support new store openings, relocations, remodels, acquisitions, closures, and special projects by coordinating circuit orders, provisioning, equipment shipments, technician dispatches, installation, testing, and activation.
• Create and maintain procedures, knowledge articles, job aids, reports, status updates, and other materials that improve support consistency and knowledge sharing.
• Troubleshoot complex connectivity, performance, hardware, configuration, and telecommunications issues; identify root causes and coordinate timely restoration of service.
• Respond to incidents, service requests, problems, escalations, and emergency outages in accordance with established priorities and service expectations.
• Provide clear, professional, and timely communication to retail locations, field leaders, corporate partners, technicians, and vendors regarding outages, dispatches, project activity, and service restoration.
• Monitor and support broadband, cellular, LAN, WAN, VPN, firewall, managed switching, and hosted voice services for retail locations.
• Maintain accurate ticket notes, troubleshooting records, configurations, circuit details, inventories, contacts, and other operational documentation.
• Assist with equipment and service evaluations, vendor performance reviews, proof-of-concept testing, standards development, and recommendations for network and telecommunications solutions.
• Participate in an on-call rotation or provide after-hours support as required to address business-critical incidents and planned maintenance.
• Track vendor shipments and field-service activity; communicate schedules and requirements to retail and field leadership; verify equipment receipt, installation, securement, and operational readiness.
• Train other staff (primarily within the technology area), ensuring their ability to use new and/or existing operating systems and application software.

• Analytical problem-solving to identify root causes, recognize trends, and develop effective solutions.
• Clear and professional communication with retail locations, field leaders, internal partners, vendors, and leadership.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate across teams, and take ownership of assignments through completion.
• Effective prioritization and management of multiple incidents, service requests, and project tasks.
• Effective response and decision-making during high-impact incidents, changing priorities, and time-sensitive situations.
• Strong customer focus and relationship building through active listening, clear expectations, and timely follow-through.
• Proactive identification of potential issues, improvement opportunities, and appropriate next steps.
• Adaptability and commitment to learning new technologies, systems, processes, and documentation requirements.
• Analytical problem-solving to identify root causes, recognize trends, and develop effective solutions., While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand or walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop or bend; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs. Must have appropriate vision to see up close, and at a distance with ability to adjust vision and focus., * 3 year(s): Experience in a service desk environment supporting a multi-site retail organization required
• Experience with desktop software Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, Word, Publisher, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Visio, and other software is required
• Experience contributing to technical projects and completing assigned project activities through implementation is required.
• Fundamental understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP is required

Preferred

• Experience with broadband internet, cloud-managed firewall and cellular wan is preferred
• Experience with Managed Services Providers is preferred
• Must be willing to work outside of normal business hours.
• Experience with Cisco Meraki network technology is preferred.
• Experience with network monitoring, IP-address management, UPS and power-management devices is preferred
• Experience supporting SIP, hosted Voice over IP, analog telephone services, or related telecommunications solutions is preferred
• Experience with Disaster Recovery is preferred.
• Experience or knowledge of PCI Compliance is preferred
• Knowledge of ITIL concepts including service management and service delivery is preferred, Preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree or better in Information Technology or related field

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This position might require long hours and weekend work.

Populus is an amazing company where our employees stay because they love their teams and the growth opportunities. Additionally, we offer a competitive 401K match, a generous paid time off package, and Health Benefits.