Network Engineer III

Facilities and Business Operations:

The Facilities and Business Operations at UCF is dedicated to fostering a conducive educational environment for our faculty, staff, students, and the broader community. We are committed to excellence, providing unparalleled expertise, and maintaining a world-class standard in service.

Please visit us at: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). or Facebook and Instagram: UCF Facilities

The Opportunity:

The UCF IT Department within Facilities and Business Operations is seeking to hire a Network Engineer III. This role is responsible for supporting the operation, maintenance, and implementation of enterprise network security services to ensure a secure, reliable, and high-performing network environment. This role manages critical technologies such as firewalls, VPN solutions, and network access control (NAC) systems, while contributing to proactive monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement of security operations.

Working in alignment with established CIS and NIST frameworks, this position plays a key role in protecting university systems and data through operational excellence, compliance adherence, and effective collaboration with cross-functional IT teams.

Responsibilities:

Network Security Operations & Maintenance Operate and maintain network security platforms including NGFW, VPN (remote access and site-to-site), Network Access Systems (NAC).Monitor system performance, availability, logs, and security alerts to ensure optimal network security posture.

Support detection and response activities in coordination with the Network Operations Center (NOC) and Security Operations Center (SOC).Incident Response & Troubleshooting Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve network and security incidents through the ticketing system.

Escalate complex or high-impact issues to appropriate teams while ensuring timely resolution.

Contribute to improved incident response processes and operational efficiency.

Change Management & Continuous Improvement Execute approved changes in accordance with formal change management processes, including validation, testing, and documentation.

Continuously improve event correlation, alert tuning, and operational workflows to enhance system performance and reliability.

Security Compliance & Risk Management Perform firewall rule reviews and implement access control updates.

Support compliance initiatives, audits, and vulnerability remediation efforts.

Apply risk-based decision-making aligned with CIS and NIST frameworks.

Operational Governance & Coordination Ensure adherence to university policies related to change management, network access control, and security standards.

Coordinate maintenance activities and validate operational readiness before and after implementation.

Maintain compliance with configuration management practices and security policies.

Documentation & Reporting Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, including runbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and network/security diagrams.

Contribute to operational reporting, ticket tracking, and performance metrics to support service delivery and continuous improvement.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of relevant experience; or High School Diploma (or equivalent) and 8 years of relevant work experience in lieu of degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).

Preferred Qualifications:

Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CCNP Security, demonstrating advanced knowledge of network security architecture, risk management, and enterprise security practices.

Proven experience supporting large-scale, complex network environments with technologies such as NGFW, VPNs, NAC, and centralized security management platforms.

Hands-on experience with SIEM platforms, log aggregation, and advanced alerting, including correlation and threat detection capabilities.

Knowledge of scripting or automation tools (e.g., Python, Power Shell, or similar) to streamline operations, enhance monitoring, and improve incident response efficiency.

Familiarity with the unique security, compliance, and operational needs of higher education,…