Director of Los Nettos

The University of Southern California (USC) Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking a Director of Los Nettos with an exceptional commitment to service excellence to join our team. 

USC is a leading private research university which ranks No. 3 overall among western universities now grown to 49,500 currently enrolled students and over 30,000 faculty and staff.  USC leads advanced research in biotech, public health, biomedical engineering, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, among other research of the highest quality.  Formed in 1988 by leading Southern California researchers, Los Nettos has been operating as a private regional network for its members and its associates, providing cost-effective connections to the greater Los Angeles area.  Today, Los Nettos offers high-bandwidth Internet connections to a variety of universities, colleges, research facilities, hospitals, city governments, public schools and museums.  Learn more about Los Nettos here.

As the Director of Los Nettos you will be an integral leader of the Los Nettos team while also collaborating with stakeholders across the university ecosystem, and reporting to the ACIO of Infrastructure Services.  This is a full-time exempt position, eligible all of USC’s fantastic Benefits + Perks.  This opportunity is based onsite CAL building, but is most often work-from-home with occasional time onsite.  Due to federal requirements, this role is not eligible for sponsorship. 

The Director of Los Nettos serves as a visionary leader, bridging the gap between research strategy and technological innovation. They navigate complexity with clarity, break down silos, and foster a culture where technology becomes a strategic enabler. Through their work, they help organizations harness the power of digital ecosystems and emerging technologies to create sustainable competitive advantage.  The Director of Los Nettos facilitates overall design and implementation of networking technologies in collaboration with numerous key stakeholders across the university.

The Director of Los Nettos ensures the provision of best-in-class connectivity to the university's Los Angeles-area educational and research organizations, providing high-bandwidth Internet connections to a variety of universities, colleges, research facilities, hospitals, city governments, public schools and museums.  The Director oversees consortium growth, sustainability and innovation to support current and future regional network partners. As part of the leadership team, the Director of Los Nettos models and cultivates ITS culture, values, and behaviors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Great candidates for the position of Director of Los Nettos will meet the following qualifications:

• A minimum 8 years of professional experience in relevant information technology roles.
• A minimum 3 years of professional experience in a management role.
• A bachelor’s degree in in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, IT architecture, or other relevant fields - or combined experience and education as substitute for minimum education. 
• Direct, hands-on experience with network transport, design, planning and implementation, with the ability to develop complex, cost-effective, inter-networking solutions in support of a multi-location, enterprise-wide area network.
• Proven experience designing, planning and implementing large-scale network infrastructures, leading implementations and upgrades, and delivering reliable and quality network service in a higher education environment.
• In-depth understanding of routing protocols including Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), LAN technologies (VLANs, STP, VXLAN), WAN technologies such as virtual routing and forwarding contexts (VRFs), Ethernet VPN (EVPN), Dark Fiber and Ethernet delivery, firewall technologies (SSL decryption, remote access VPN, site-to-site VPN, architecture and placement), and client/server architectures, system design, QoS, load balancers, forward/reverse proxies, converged storage, and converged voice-to-administrative network services.
• Ability to develop and manage a high-performing team, and develop positive working relationships and strong rapport with team members.
• In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Exceptional candidates for the position of Director of Los Nettos will also bring the following qualifications or more:

• A minimum 10 years of professional experience in relevant information technology roles.
• A minimum 3 years of professional experience in a management role, preferably managing managers.
• A master’s degree in in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, business administration, or other relevant fields.
• Knowledge of industry-specific regulations and compliance standards
• Previous experience in the Internet Service Provider or Network Design industry.
• Exemplary communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present the business side of technical topics to nontechnical audiences, and persuasively and effectively interact with various stakeholders and diverse individuals and groups.
• Relevant professional and technical certifications.

SCOPE OF THE ROLE

The Director of Los Nettos will:

• Oversees the day-to-day engineering and programming required to deliver reliable, high-quality network service to regional partners by collaborating with ITS staff and leadership, monitoring network status, and network performance reporting.
• Strategizes on technology approaches for Los Nettos Network optical infrastructure, associate and consortium programs, and additional advanced technologies. Provides excellent customer service and fulfills changing business and academic needs.
• Facilitates effective governance by leading regular meetings with the Los Nettos directors and technical committee, and implementing standards, procedures, and quality measures. Manages the implications of security and compliance guidelines by embedding university policies and procedures into work plans and workflows. Participates in governance boards, councils, meetings, and campus-wide technology initiatives to understand current and future business needs.
• Actively drives the process of embedding ITS values and behaviors. Leads by example, demonstrating ethics and high accountability to create a culture of trust and transparency. Accountable for the development of team members by helping them set and achieve goals for their career growth. Fosters an inclusive environment that values team member differences, creating a sense of belonging and appreciation. Drives best-in-class customer service to the university through effective team member engagement.
• Provides vision and high-level direction for infrastructure services within the larger context of the ITS and USC environments. Builds and maintains strong relationships with ITS leaders, customers, partners, and stakeholders.
• Works closely with ITS leadership to identify, implement, and support cost- effective, leading solutions for all aspects of the Los Nettos Network, maintaining currency with industry innovations. Provides thought leadership around process optimization, and administers the department budget by creating, planning, monitoring, reconciling, and directing resources.

THE TEAM

The ITS vision aligns strategy, business, and services; affirms ITS cultural values; empowers cross-functional teamwork; embraces world-class best practices; and promotes innovation, excellence, agility, and efficiency. To achieve this vision, ITS is committed to providing a resilient modern technology infrastructure that delivers the performance necessary to meet the demands of a growing customer base. By training in the latest technologies for its highly productive and motivated workforce and providing outstanding customer experience and technology services, ITS aligns with the university’s mission to provide exceptional learning opportunities for students. ITS is creating a workplace where employees can develop cutting-edge skills, take pride in the services they provide, and have access to the roles and career paths that align with their abilities and potential. We are looking for top talent to join us on our journey.

ITS CULTURE

USC’s ITS organization represents a talented team committed to supporting a collaborative culture and delivering secure and innovative IT services, core to the mission of USC. ITS values accountability, excellence, and commitment to exceptional customer experience. ITS strives for a supportive culture that encourages employees to do their best work every day and where individuals are recognized and celebrated for their contributions.

ABOUT USC

USC is the leading private research university in Los Angeles—a global center for arts, technology, and international business. With more than 49,500 students, we are located primarily in Los Angeles and various US and global satellite locations. As the largest private employer in Los Angeles, responsible for $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic environment in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic and professional schools and administrative units. As a USC employee and member of the Trojan team - the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make USC a great place to work - you will enjoy excellent benefits, including a variety of well-being programs designed to help individuals achieve work-life balance.

Join the USC ITS team and work as a trusted partner in shaping an environment of innovation and excellence.

The annual base salary range for this position is $192,142.17 to $219,957.28 with an annual potential bonus at the discretion of leadership. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

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• A minimum 8 years of professional experience in relevant information technology roles. • A minimum 3 years of professional experience in a management role. • A bachelor’s degree in in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, IT architecture, or other relevant fields - or combined experience and education as substitute for minimum education. • Direct, hands-on experience with network transport, design, planning and implementation, with the ability to develop complex, cost-effective, inter-networking solutions in support of a multi-location, enterprise-wide area network. • Proven experience designing, planning and implementing large-scale network infrastructures, leading implementations and upgrades, and delivering reliable and quality network service in a higher education environment. • In-depth understanding of routing protocols including Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), LAN technologies (VLANs, STP, VXLAN), WAN technologies such as virtual routing and forwarding contexts (VRFs), Ethernet VPN (EVPN), Dark Fiber and Ethernet delivery, firewall technologies (SSL decryption, remote access VPN, site-to-site VPN, architecture and placement), and client/server architectures, system design, QoS, load balancers, forward/reverse proxies, converged storage, and converged voice-to-administrative network services. • Ability to develop and manage a high-performing team, and develop positive working relationships and strong rapport with team members. • In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.