Network System Specialist

Introduction

Elections Manitoba (EM) is an integrity-driven organization dedicated to ensuring free, fair, and accessible elections for the people of Manitoba. As an Independent Office of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, EM is steadfast in upholding the core values of democracy. The team at EM is committed to fairness, integrity, respect, excellence, participation, innovation, and accountability, striving to create an environment where every voice is heard and every vote counts.

If you are driven to make a difference and highly motivated to help safeguard the democratic process in Manitoba, we encourage you to apply. This is more than just an IT role — it’s an opportunity to serve the people of Manitoba with integrity and purpose.

Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of Information Technology, the Network System Specialist plays a key role in maintaining and securing Elections Manitoba’s IT network and infrastructure. Our environment is highly specialized, with a significant amount of custom in-house software built to manage the stages of the electoral process. This position ensures EM’s corporate headquarters and all 57 returning offices across the province have reliable, secure network connectivity before, during, and after election events.

The incumbent will balance day-to-day network administration with proactive monitoring, troubleshooting, and broader system performance, as well as continuous improvement while supporting staff and stakeholders in a dynamic, time-sensitive environment. This is an onsite office-based role, working at Elections Manitoba’s Headquarters. During Election periods, the incumbent may be required to travel to perform job duties at other EM locations within the province.
Duties:
Manage and maintain Elections Manitoba’s internal and wide area networks, including firewalls, routers, switches, and other equipment across on-premise and cloud environments. Implement and monitor security measures such as VPNs, firewalls, and access controls to protect sensitive data. Regularly test systems for vulnerabilities and provide technical support for network issues and access. Maintain clear documentation of network configurations and procedures, support both Windows and Linux servers in cloud and on-premise environments (including Azure and Intune), and collaborate with developers and vendors to ensure network compatibility for new applications.

Qualifications:

Essential:

Post-secondary education in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline with a focus on networking (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).

Proven experience in network design, implementation, and administration across various technologies (e.g., broadband, fiber, satellite, wireless), including VLANs, SD-WAN, and QoS (Quality of Service).

Hands-on experience with Azure cloud services (including Azure App Service / Web Apps, VM hosting, Azure Dev Ops), IaaS, SaaS, Intune and hybrid environments.

Strong understanding of routers, firewalls (Forti Gate preferred), Web Application Firewall (WAF), VPNs, wireless networks, ACLs, routing, Active Directory / Entra , virtualization platforms, load balancing and Windows and some Linux servers.

Knowledge of encryption techniques, SSL certificates, and multi-factor authentication.

Effective political acumen with the ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters with tact and diplomacy.

Proven experience in vulnerability testing, patch management, security monitoring, and developing/implementing security best practices and compliance measures.

Solid troubleshooting, project management, and documentation skills.

Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to explain technical information clearly to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment.

Elections Manitoba is seeking candidates who are willing to work on a flexible schedule when operations require; this may include working outside of standard office hours and working additional hours during election periods. The incumbent must be capable of traveling for work-related purposes within Manitoba and be physically capable of lifting, carrying, and transporting equipment.

Conditions of Employment:

Must be legally entitled to work in Canada

A satisfactory Criminal Record Check

Must be, and remain, politically non-partisan in both perception and fact.

Must possess a valid Manitoba Driver’s License with access to a vehicle to use for work-related purposes.

Ability and willingness to travel throughout Manitoba when operations require.