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.