Network Operations Engineer II

Job Title: Network Operations Engineer II – (Optical and IP Engineer)

Job Overview:

The Network Operations Engineer II is an experienced technical role responsible for

troubleshooting, restoring, and maintaining the health of Optical and IP networks in a 24x7

operational environment. This role serves as the primary escalation point for Network Operations

Engineers I and works closely with Engineers III and Team Leads to resolve complex incidents

and improve operational processes.

This role combines hands-on execution with independent judgment. Engineers II are expected to

own incidents from detection through restoration, perform in-depth multi-vendor troubleshooting,

execute scheduled network changes, and mentor junior engineers, escalating only the most

complex, cross-domain, or high-risk issues.

Scope:

• Serve as the second-level escalation point for optical and IP network incidents and alarms.

• Independently troubleshoot and restore service for complex incidents across optical transport

and IP routing domains.

• Own incidents end-to-end, including stakeholder communication, vendor engagement, and

post-incident follow-up.

• Plan and execute scheduled maintenance activities and network changes within change

management procedures.

• Author and improve runbooks, procedures, and knowledge-base content.

• Mentor and guide Network Operations Engineers I.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Incident Management & Advanced Troubleshooting

• Receive and resolve escalations from Network Operations Engineers I, providing technical

direction during active incidents.

• Perform in-depth troubleshooting of optical (DWDM, CWDM) and IP (IPv4/IPv6, MPLS, BGP,

OSPF) networks, including analysis of optical power levels, OSNR, BER/FEC counters,

routing tables, protocol adjacencies, and traffic paths.

• Isolate faults across layers and domains (fiber, optics, transport, routing) and drive incidents to

restoration.

• Act as incident owner for major service-impacting events on shift, coordinating technical

resources and providing timely updates to Team Leads and stakeholders.

• Escalate highly complex, architectural, or cross-organizational issues to Network Operations

Engineers III, Engineering, or the Team Lead with clear diagnostic findings.

Ticket, Case & Problem Management

• Ensure accurate, detailed documentation for all cases worked, and review ticket quality for

Engineers I.• Open and manage cases with vendor TACs (e.g., Cisco, Juniper, Ciena, Nokia, Infinera),

supplying logs, diagnostics, and technical detail to accelerate resolution.

• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for significant incidents and contribute to post-incident

reports and corrective action tracking.

• Identify recurring issues and trends, and recommend preventive or corrective actions.

• Validate service stability after restoration and confirm SLA adherence.

Maintenance & Change Execution

• Plan, prepare, and execute scheduled maintenance activities and network changes, including

method-of-procedure (MOP) review, pre/post checks, and rollback planning.

• Participate in change review processes and assess operational risk of proposed changes.

• Support turn-up, testing, and acceptance of new circuits, services, and network elements.

• Coordinate with field technicians, colocation facilities, ISPs, and service providers during

maintenance and restoration activities.

Mentorship, Process Improvement & Collaboration

• Mentor, shadow, and train Network Operations Engineers I, leading knowledge-transfer

sessions.

• Author, review, and maintain runbooks, procedures, and knowledge-base articles.

• Recommend improvements to monitoring, alarm correlation, and NOC tooling to reduce noise

and improve detection.

• Identify opportunities for scripting or automation of repetitive operational tasks.

• Lead shift handoffs and produce clear, complete shift-turnover documentation.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Planning, and other operational teams to resolve systemic

issues.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• 3–5 years of experience in network operations, with hands-on experience supporting optical

and/or IP networks in a NOC or carrier environment.

• Solid working knowledge of IP routing and switching (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, IPv4/IPv6,

LLDP).

• Working knowledge of optical transport technologies (DWDM, CWDM, fiber types, optics,

amplifiers, patch panels) and the ability to interpret optical performance data.

• Hands-on experience with multi-vendor equipment (e.g., Cisco, Juniper, Ciena, Nokia,

Infinera) and their CLIs and management systems.

• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex incidents independently and make sound decisions

under pressure.

• Experience working with vendor TACs, carriers, and service providers.

• Strong documentation, written, and verbal communication skills, including communicating with

non-technical stakeholders.• Ability to work effectively in a 24x7 shift-based operational environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional-level certifications such as CCNP, JNCIS/JNCIP, Nokia NRS II, or equivalent;

vendor optical certifications (e.g., Ciena, Nokia, Infinera) a plus.

• Experience with fiber testing tools (OTDR, power meters, light sources) and interpreting

results.

• Scripting or automation experience (e.g., Python, Ansible) for operational tasks.

• Experience with ITIL-based incident, problem, and change management processes.

• Familiarity with NOC monitoring, alarm correlation, and ticketing platforms.

• Prior experience mentoring or training junior engineers.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to perform office-related tasks, including prolonged sitting or standing.

• Capability to move within an office environment and effectively use a computer.

• Must have strong communication skills for effective collaboration and coordination.

• Occasional repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers may be required.

• Availability to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays as required in a

24x7 environment.

Salary Range

• Please note that the salary information provided herein is base pay only (gross); it does not include other forms of compensation which may or may not apply to this specific position, namely, performance-based bonuses, benefits-related payments, or other general incentives - none of which are guaranteed, may be subject to specific eligibility requirements, and are wholly within the discretion of Astreya to remit.
• Further, the salary information noted above is a range that consists of a minimum and maximum rate of pay for this specific position. Where an applicant or employee is placed on this range will depend and be contingent on objective, documented work-related considerations like education, experience, certifications, licenses, preferred qualifications, among other factors.