A Senior Network Specialist is a highly technical leadership position who will be responsible for implementing and/or supporting large and complex network designs & configurations on TDS's combined voice/video/data network infrastructure. This 24x7 position will:

Provide subject matter expertise in integrating and supporting multiple diverse technologies
• Proactively drive improvements to configurations, processes, and standards across the organization.
• Have significant interaction with customers, vendors, and adjacent teams.
• Successfully lead critical network impacting projects and will assist management in analyzing the business impacts of technology decisions.
• Be available and accountable to TDS network infrastructure and customers at all times unless explicitly on vacation

A Senior Network Specialist will perform these duties in one of the following Network Operations functional areas:

• IP Network Operations
• Advanced Technical Support
• Server and Applications Operations
• Business Systems and Support

TDS Telecom, headquartered in Madison, Wis., employs 2,900 people and is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS], a Fortune 1000 company. Founded in 1969, TDS Inc. employs 9,100 people and has approximately six million connections nationwide through its businesses U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom, OneNeck IT Solutions LLC, and TDS Broadband Service. TDS Inc. has been named to several Forbes lists, including America's Best Employers for Diversity, Best Large Employers, and Best Employers for Women. Visit tdsinc.com.

• Network operator responsible for comprehensive planning and execution with live hands on the network in direct support or deployment actions and activities. This encompasses change management, outage management, and preventative maintenance & reporting on the service provider and enterprise networks, as well as customer trouble resolution.
• Mentor co-workers on network technologies, products and processes, network equipment, and provide first level internal escalation for peers. Participate in product and process development meetings, and routine design reviews with Product Management and Network Services teams.
• Manage vendor, carrier, and customer relationships relative to network performance and customer impact. Manage and initiate appropriate level of internal and external leadership escalation.
• Grow technical skills as they pertain to TDS network infrastructure through various training options, investigation in the lab, online research, etc

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) -OR- 4+ years professional work experience.
• 6+ years experience in Voice/Data/Video networking.

Other Qualifications

Technical:

• Broadband and narrowband access technologies including (but not limited to) POTS, xDSL, TDM ans SONET, ISDN, WiFi, WiMAX, PON, Ethernet
• Transport technologies including (but not limited to) SONET, ATM, Ethernet, POS, DWDM, WDM.
• Voice Switching technologies including Legacy TDM and Voice over IP technologies (e.g. SIP, MGCP, NCS).
• IP/MPLS technologies including (but not limited to) routing and routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, BGP), subnetting, multicast, tunneling, bridging, MPLS, IPSLA and QoS, traffic engineering, VoIP, and IPTV.
• Power Concepts associated with AC and DC power equipment and HVAC implementations in both cabinet and building applications.
• Customer premises equipment including (but not limited to) Routers, Switches, PBX, IP Phones, ATAs, eMTAs, Residential Gateways, set-top boxes, cable modems, commercial and home wiring concepts

Additional Skills:

• Able to lead a cross-functional group to work complex network issues/projects.
• The ability to manage changing priorities for yourself and others and to handle several complex network tasks concurrently. Able to set priorities.
• Scope of responsibility is primarily set by employee based on management direction and department strategy.
• Able to lead diverse individuals/teams. Able to interact and work with others as part of a team and remove barriers to the team's success.
• Proactively identifies complex issues and is able to lead cross-functional groups to resolve. Has the knowledge and skills to escalate issues when appropriate. Possesses expert knowledge of internal processes and tools and drives changes when necessary.
• Ability to analyze technological solutions to meet business needs.
• Ability to lead change.
• Excellent organizational and written/verbal communication skills.
• Excellent presentation skills. Able to present concepts to senior management.
• Able to represent TDS at industry functions.
• Positive attitude and company focus are required.
• Requires software knowledge and skills in business and office applications, such as spreadsheets, database applications, word documents, network drawing tools, basic network applications (telnet, FTP Client, FTP Server) and basic Unix tools.
• The ability to make timely decisions.
• The ability to organize priorities (self and others) to achieve maximum performance cost effectively.
• Basic mathematical and statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of business analysis tools (including, but not limited to cost-benefit analysis, NPV, IRR)

Other:

• Ability to travel as necessary if the needs of the business dictates.
• If the needs of the business dictate, perform network tasks outside normally scheduled business hours to complete project work, provide on-call support and/or implement scheduled network changes.

Physical Demands and Work Environment. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits

As a part of your total compensation, #TDS provides a comprehensive, competitive benefit package. The benefit plans address both the immediate and long term needs that you and your family may have. For an overview of what we have to offer for full-time employees including vacation, health benefits and retirement options please click here.

At TDS, we embrace Equal Employment Opportunity by valuing our differences and consider all qualified applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by law. To learn about our diversity & inclusion philosophy and culture, click here!