Aurora Water Network Engineer(Entry Level-Senior)

JOB LOCATION

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.
 
Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Hiring range for this position is: $83,925-$104,906/Annually

**This job announcement is for collecting candidate applications for current and future Aurora Water Network Engineers. Applicants will be contacted only when a position need is identified, and qualifications match the needs of the position.. **

OVERVIEW OF POSITION / DEPARTMENT

Aurora Water is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage systems, treatment of drinking water and non-potable reclaimed wastewater for irrigation, billing and collection, public outreach and water conservation, acquisition and development of future water rights, major capital projects programs, and quality control for regulatory compliance and public health.

The Aurora Water Network Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, managing, and supporting the enterprise network infrastructure that enables secure and efficient operation of a water utility. The successful candidate will ensure high availability, security, and reliability of all IT network systems while adhering to cybersecurity standards.

This position will coordinate closely with the City of Aurora Enterprise Networking team to adhere to City policies. This position will also coordinate closely with Network Engineers in the Operation Technology team.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design, deploy, and test robust and scalable network architecture to support IT environments within the utility, including local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), and wireless networks.

• Monitor network performance, identify potential issues, and respond to outages or disruptions. Perform root-cause analysis to prevent recurrence.

• Coordinates and monitors network system implementation. This includes preparing Request for Proposals (RFP), project management, and ensuring adherence to city standards.

• Implement and manage security protocols, including firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and other protective measures.

• Collaborate with the cybersecurity team to ensure compliance with industry standards such as NIST, AWWA, and other regulatory requirements. This includes implementing, maintaining, and monitoring City of Aurora Information Security standards.

• Maintain up-to-date documentation of network architecture, changes, and configurations. Generate regular reports on network performance and security status for management.

• Provide technical expertise in areas of network and computer hardware, software interconnection, and interfacing, such as routers, multiplexers, firewalls, hubs, bridges, gateways, etc.

• Work closely with Networking team in City IT and Operation Technology (SCADA) teams, including participating in reoccurring meetings and providing backup in emergency situations.

• Provide technical support for network-related issues across the department and track work in ticketing system.

• Contribute to annual budgeting process by recommending and planning for costs appropriately.

• Design and maintain disaster recovery plans for network infrastructure. Ensure appropriate backup procedures are in place and tested regularly.

• Implement techniques and tools for the most efficient solutions to meet business needs, including present and future capacity requirements.

• Coordinate with Radio Shop to ensure seamless integration and maintenance of radio communication systems with network infrastructure.

• Maintain Agile Kanban boards for quarterly projects ensuring work is managed, coordinated with other teams, and completed on-time in planned sprints.

• Performs additional duties and special projects as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be substituted for the minimum education and experience. 

Network Engineer 

Education:   

• Associates degree in Computer Science or directly related field. 

Experience:   

• 3-5 years of experience in network administration. 

Senior Network Engineer 

Education:   

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). 

Experience:   

• At least 8 years progressively responsible experience in voice and data networks including network design, security, implementation, and support. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities 

• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in the design, deployment, and maintenance of secure, scalable network infrastructure for Water Utility operations. 

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior network engineers and technicians; review work for quality and alignment with best practices. 

• Lead strategic planning initiatives related to utility network architecture and expansion, including evaluation of emerging technologies to meet long-term operational needs. 

• Oversee and validate complex network troubleshooting and incident response, providing final escalation support and ensuring effective resolution of high-impact issues. 

• Lead development and enforcement of network standards, guidelines, and best practices, ensuring alignment with City policies, AWWA/NIST standards, and evolving cybersecurity requirements. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Critical Infrastructure or utility experience, preferred.  

• Familiarity with industrial networking protocols used in water utility environments

Knowledge: 

• Microsoft, Unix, and LINUX network operating systems 

• All forms of network hardware and systems, including switches, routers, firewalls, wireless controllers and access points, layer 2 and 3 switching technologies, access and identity – CISCO or Juniper knowledge preferred.   

• Commonly used network related protocols, topologies, applications and functions including BGP, OSPF, VPN, DNS, and DHCP. 

• Voice over IP (VOIP) 

• Strong knowledge of TCP/IP and routing protocols 

• System analysis and design methods 

• Enterprise backup technology 

• Experience with IIoT protocols for secure and efficient communication in industrial environments. 

• Understanding of cybersecurity best practices in critical infrastructure. 

Skills:   

• Experience with Palo Alto firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and other network security technologies. 

• Hands-on experience with network monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Wireshark, etc.). 

• Microwave Radio Network, line of sight, wireless data infrastructure and network troubleshooting experience. 

• Experience with network upgrades and patches. 

Abilities:   

• Ability to independently learn and troubleshoot new technical skills, products, and workflows quickly. 

• Ability to oversee and coordinate technology projects, ensuring timely delivery, budget adherence, and alignment with business objectives. 

• Drafting technical documentation and reports from systems 

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, contractors, and citizens, communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. 

• Ability to analyze and compile technical information and reports including making presentations, developing standard operating procedures, and designing user guides. 

• Strong interpersonal, customer service, analytical, and project management skills. 

Licenses and Certifications Required:   

• Approved certifications: 

• CCNA or JNCIS-ENT 

• CCNP or JNCIP-ENT 

• Network+ 

• CISSP 

• CEH 

• Colorado Driver’s license and a safe driving history.    

• Senior Network Engineer: 3+ of the following or comparable certifications or the ability to obtain approved certifications within 6 months 

• Network Engineer: 1 + of the following or comparable certifications or the ability to obtain approved certification within 6 months.  

WORKING CONDITIONS  

Essential Personnel:  

• When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel. 

Physical Demands: 

• Light work lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. 

• Occasional standing and walking to monitor and work on Network hardware.

• Occasional climbing ladders and crawling in confined spaces to evaluate and troubleshoot physical network infrastructure. 

• Vision sufficient to read computer screens, printouts, and related documents. 

• Dexterity to operate a computer system and other related equipment. 

• Speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens. 

• Capable of driving between Aurora Water facilities throughout Colorado. 

Work Environment: 

• This position is based at our Southeast Area Maintenance facility, with occasional field visits to Auora Water treatment and distribution facilities throughout Colorado.  

• This role allows for a hybrid schedule with a minimum of three days a week in the office/onsite. This position may require coming in more than 3 days per week based on business needs or projects. 

• Work can occur indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions with exposure to noise, dust, and fumes.  

• The role will require on-call rotation for after hours to response to cybersecurity incidents or operational emergencies.  

Equipment Used: 

• Uses standard office equipment including personal computer. 

• Uses common office software, advanced software, and on-premise and cloud databases. 

• This position may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment. 

For Veterans preference:  Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.
           
The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer.  We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants.  It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.
                                         
Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace.  A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.
 

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:
As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check. 

Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions are required to complete and pass a drug screening as a condition of employment. Safety sensitive positions include Civil Service positions within Police and Fire Departments and positions where their job responsibilities have direct and substantial responsibility that would impact the health and safety of others.  

Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.