Associate Director, Network Operations (Permanent – Hybrid – La Mirada, CA)

Join the team that connects California to the world! Our client, CENIC, is dedicated to advancing education and research statewide by operating the California Research and Education Network (CalREN). This high-capacity computer network spans over 8,000 miles of optical fiber, serving more than 20 million users across California, including the vast majority of K-20 students, educators, researchers, and individuals at other vital public-serving institutions. If you’re passionate about leveraging world-class computing networks for innovation, collaboration, and economic growth, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact.

CENIC is seeking an Associate Director of Network Operations to oversee the strategic direction, performance, and modernization of its vital Network Operations function. This full-time, permanent position, based hybrid in La Mirada, California, offers a competitive salary range of $170K/yr – $200K/yr. While the shift leads manage the day-to-day operations on their respective shifts, the Associate Director provides the strategic leadership, structure, and oversight necessary to enhance service reliability, performance, and accountability across CENIC’s network operations. This role is ideal for a seasoned leader with a track record of transforming teams, combining technical fluency, operational discipline, and people-first leadership to build high-performing, responsive, and metrics-driven teams within a culture of continuous improvement.

What You’ll Be Doing: Leading Network Operations and Driving Modernization

As the Associate Director of Network Operations, you’ll be instrumental in shaping the future of CENIC’s world-class network. Your role is a blend of strategic leadership, operational oversight, and continuous improvement, all focused on enhancing service reliability and performance for millions of users.

• Leadership & Organizational Development: You will lead OKR (Objectives and Key Results) activities, offering strategic guidance and enforcing rigor in their implementation across the Network Operations team. You’ll actively promote a culture of professionalism, accountability, and collaboration, fostering an environment where team members thrive. Furthermore, you’ll provide robust support for staff development through personalized coaching, targeted training initiatives, and effective performance management practices, all designed to foster continuous learning, skill development, and career growth within the team. You’ll also engage directly with the HR team and senior leadership to address legacy challenges and strengthen overall team dynamics, ensuring a cohesive and high-performing unit.
• Operational Oversight & Strategy: You will oversee all aspects of network operations, including the 24/7/365 Network Operations Center (NOC). Your leadership will ensure strict alignment with organizational goals and service expectations, guaranteeing that the network delivers on its mission-critical role. You’ll meticulously define, implement, and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), establish robust service level agreements (SLAs), and conduct thorough post-incident reviews (PIRs) to drive accountability and continuous improvement. You’ll also spearhead initiatives to improve incident response, problem management, and root cause analysis, identifying areas for greater operational alignment with best practices, such as ITIL and ITSM (IT Service Management) frameworks, and implementing processes to enhance this alignment.
• Tools & Automation: You’ll develop a working familiarity with the current toolset used in network operations. Your strategic insight will then guide efforts to assess requirements for enhancing, supplementing, and/or replacing tools in support of more effective monitoring, alerting, and escalation processes. You’ll collaborate closely with the engineering team to enhance observability and telemetry across the entire network infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive data collection for proactive management. Furthermore, you’ll champion process efficiency, including advocating for and implementing appropriate automation solutions to improve operational outcomes, reduce manual effort, and increase system reliability.
• Cross-Functional Engagement: You will actively review and refine processes to ensure close coordination with other internal functional groups. This includes collaborating seamlessly with teams responsible for network design, cybersecurity, project management, asset management, finance, and member relations, ensuring integrated workflows and shared objectives. You will serve as the primary escalation point of contact and leadership liaison during a major network incident, providing critical guidance and communication during high-impact events. You’ll also collaborate with the rest of the management team on broader process improvements to ensure timely communication and strong accountability both within and across various teams.

Key Success Factors: Cultivating Operational Excellence and Innovation

Your success in this role will hinge on a powerful combination of leadership, technical depth, and a commitment to continuous improvement, all within the context of a vital educational and research network.

• Strong Organizational and Leadership Skills: You possess strong organizational and leadership skills, with a proven ability to effectively manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Your leadership will inspire confidence and drive results.
• Deep Technical Expertise in Network Operations: You bring deep technical expertise in network operations, encompassing WAN (Wide Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), and optical transport environments. This includes a comprehensive understanding of their design, implementation, and troubleshooting.
• Proven Track Record in Managing Operational Teams: You have a proven track record of effectively managing operational teams and fostering a collaborative culture. Your experience demonstrates your ability to build, motivate, and guide high-performing teams to achieve ambitious goals.
• Exceptional Problem-Solving Skills: You possess exceptional problem-solving skills, with a distinct focus on proactive issue resolution. You’re adept at diagnosing complex network problems, identifying root causes, and implementing effective, long-term solutions.
• Excellent Communication Skills: You have excellent communication skills, enabling you to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders at all levels, from engineers to executive leadership and external partners.

Required Education And/Or Experience: Your Foundation

• Educational Background: A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience) is required. This academic foundation provides the essential theoretical knowledge for advanced network operations and management.
• Extensive Network Experience with Management Focus: You must possess a minimum of 10 years of experience in network engineering or operations, with at least 5 years in a management role. This extensive background demonstrates a seasoned professional capable of both deep technical understanding and effective team leadership within complex network environments.
• Expertise in Managing Live Production Networks: You have expertise in managing live production networks in dynamic environments, including advanced troubleshooting skills. This highlights your ability to ensure continuous availability and performance of critical network infrastructure under real-world operating conditions.
• Experience with Key Tools and Methodologies: You bring practical experience with monitoring tools (for network health and performance), automation frameworks (for streamlining operations), and change management processes (for controlled deployments and updates).
• Network Security Principles: You have proven experience in applying network security principles and practices, ensuring that network operations are conducted with a strong focus on data protection and threat mitigation.
• Standards-Based Frameworks: You have experience implementing a standards-based framework, such as ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), to promote best practices in IT service management and operational efficiency.

Preferred Education And/Or Experience: Enhancing Your Leadership Profile

• Large Commercial Service Provider Networks: Experience working with large commercial service provider networks is a plus, providing valuable context on high-scale, carrier-grade operations.
• High-Performance Research Networks: Experience working with high-performance research networks is desirable, indicating familiarity with cutting-edge networking demands and innovative applications.
• Deep Networking Protocol Knowledge: Familiarity with operating and troubleshooting networks at Layers 1-3 (Physical, Data Link, Network layers), as well as with advanced networking protocols, is preferred, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of network fundamentals.
• Master’s Degree: A Master’s degree in a related technical or management field is a plus, indicating advanced academic specialization and leadership potential.

Why Work at CENIC? Making a Meaningful Impact

Working at CENIC offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a vital public service mission within a supportive and impactful environment.

• Company Culture: Benefit from a company culture characterized by small teams and a collaborative environment, providing the opportunity to make a large impact in a relatively small organization.
• Community Engagement: Your work has direct and profound meaning, as you’ll be actively engaging with research and education institutions in the largest state economy in the United States. The technology solutions you help deliver directly support millions of students, educators, and researchers.
• Generous Health Benefits: CENIC provides generous medical benefits, as well as comprehensive dental, vision, and life insurance, ensuring your well-being is prioritized.
• Liberal Paid Time Off: Enjoy liberal vacation, holiday, and sick leave policies, promoting a healthy work-life balance and providing ample time for personal pursuits.
• Investment in Your Future: CENIC demonstrates a strong investment in your future by contributing to your 403(b) retirement plan, even if you don’t contribute yourself. They also offer matching contributions on top of that, helping you build significant long-term financial security.

Work Environment & Hours:

This position operates in a professional office environment with standard office equipment. The regular workweek is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Network Operations Center is a 24-hour per day/7 days per week/365 days per year operation, meaning evening and weekend work may be required based on CENIC’s business demands.

Work Authorization: Documented Proof of identity and legal eligibility to work in the United States. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. CENIC is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.