Position Title: Network Administrator
Location: Corporate IT Department – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (in office)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Position Summary: The Network Administrator is responsible for the secure administration, configuration, deployment, maintenance, and lifecycle management of Hecla’s network infrastructure serving all Hecla locations. Based at the corporate office in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this position administers the backbone of communications across the company, including firewalls, network switches and routing, enterprise wireless, wide area network (WAN) and internet service provider (ISP) circuits, remote access and virtual private network (VPN) services, and the cloud networking that connects Hecla’s on-premises environment to its cloud infrastructure. While systems administration (servers, virtualization, and backup) is outside the scope of this position, this role works in tandem, and significantly, with the systems administration team in the execution of the responsibilities described in this job description.
Central to this role is bringing a structured, standards-driven approach to network administration: establishing and documenting the processes, standards, and update and maintenance cycles by which Hecla’s network is administered across the company. This work will be executed within Hecla’s enterprise IT Service Management (ITSM) platform, and this position will be a key contributor to Hecla’s ongoing alignment with ITIL practices. The ideal candidate combines deep technical network administration ability with a vision for process improvement and will create the standards and documented procedures that enable the service desk to work toward resolutions that provide a more reliable network for the entire corporation.
This is a highly collaborative role on a highly collaborative team. The position partners closely with the Cybersecurity team to deliver services in a secure manner that protects the company and those who rely on the services within our environment and works extensively with IT personnel at Hecla’s sites and operations, critical stakeholders responsible for the functionality of services at their locations, in the execution of the standards this role establishes. This includes supporting and assisting site teams with the operational technology (OT) networks at Hecla’s mine sites. A strong work ethic, a customer-service mentality, and embracing of a collaborative mode of operating are essential in this role.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities of the Position
- Administer Network Infrastructure: Administer, monitor, and maintain Hecla’s network infrastructure across all company locations, including network switches, routing, and the physical and logical connectivity that forms the backbone of communications across the company.
- Administer Firewalls: Administer enterprise firewalls and related network security services, including rule and policy management, network segmentation, and coordinated change control in partnership with Cybersecurity.
- Administer Wireless Infrastructure: Administer enterprise wireless infrastructure, including wireless controllers and access points, with attention to coverage, capacity, and performance across Hecla locations.
- Manage WAN and Internet Services: Administer wide area network (WAN) and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) connectivity and internet service provider (ISP) circuits, including provisioning, monitoring, troubleshooting, and coordination with carriers and service providers.
- Administer Remote Access: Administer remote access and virtual private network (VPN) services, providing secure connectivity for remote users and site-to-site communications.
- Administer Cloud Networking: Administer the cloud networking that connects Hecla’s on-premises environment to its cloud infrastructure, including virtual networks, gateways, and hybrid connectivity, in coordination with the systems administration team.
- Establish Standards and Processes: Establish, document, and maintain company-wide standards and repeatable processes for network administration, including configuration baselines, standard device builds, and operational runbooks.
- Manage Update and Maintenance Cycles: Develop, implement, and manage structured update and maintenance cycles, including firmware and software updates for firewalls, switches, wireless, and related infrastructure, executed through planned maintenance windows across the corporation.
- Work Within the ITSM Platform: Perform and document work within Hecla’s ITSM platform, following ITIL-aligned incident, service request, change, and problem management processes, and actively contribute to Hecla’s ongoing ITIL alignment efforts.
- Enable the Service Desk: Create and maintain documented procedures and standards that the service desk can follow to work toward resolutions, improving first-contact resolution and providing effective escalation paths for network issues.
- Collaborate with the Systems Administration Team: Work in tandem with the systems administration team in the execution of the responsibilities outlined in this description, ensuring network and systems changes are planned and delivered together.
- Partner with Cybersecurity: Work closely with the Cybersecurity team to deliver services in a secure manner that protects the company and those who rely on the services within our environment.
- Support Site Operational Networks: Support and assist site IT personnel with the operational technology (OT) networks at Hecla’s mine sites, providing guidance, escalation support, and alignment with enterprise network standards.
- Monitor and Remediate: Monitor network performance, capacity, and health; respond to alerts and proactively remediate issues before they impact operations.
- Manage Hardware Lifecycle: Manage the network hardware lifecycle, including specification, procurement input, deployment, warranty and support management, and decommissioning.
- Strengthen Security and Compliance: Apply hardening baselines and secure configuration standards in coordination with Cybersecurity, and support Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) IT general control compliance for in-scope systems.
- Document and Improve: Produce operational, procedural, and informational documentation for relevant systems; promote continuous improvement and provide training to IT staff and users as necessary.
- Automate: Research and recommend innovative and automated approaches for network administration tasks.
- Support After-Hours Needs: Participate in scheduled after-hours maintenance windows and provide escalation support for network infrastructure issues.
- Engage with Operations: Work closely with IT personnel at Hecla’s sites and operations, critical stakeholders for the functionality of services at their locations, in the execution of the standards established through this role, including occasional travel to mine-site operations to more fully engage with operations locations and strengthen alignment between corporate IT and operations.
Skills and Abilities:
- Structured Network Administration: Proven experience aligning and creating processes and standards for the execution of network administration across an organization, including update cycles and maintenance cycles.
- Routing and Switching: Strong working knowledge of enterprise switching and routing in a multi-site environment, including VLANs, dynamic routing, and network segmentation.
- Firewall Administration: Experience administering enterprise firewalls, including policy and rule management, secure segmentation, and disciplined change control.
- Wireless Networking: Experience administering enterprise wireless environments, including controllers, access points, and coverage and capacity planning.
- WAN and Remote Access: Experience managing WAN, SD-WAN, and ISP circuits, coordinating with carriers and service providers, and administering remote access and VPN services.
- Cloud Networking: Experience with hybrid connectivity between on-premises and cloud environments, including virtual networks and gateway services.
- ICS and OT Network Exposure: Exposure to industrial control system (ICS) and operational technology (OT) network environments, such as those supporting mining or industrial operations, is a plus and of added benefit to a candidate in this role.
- Structured, Process-Driven Operations: Experience working in highly structured, process-driven environments with repeatable tasks and well-defined procedures. Direct experience with an ITSM platform and ITIL-aligned incident, request, change, and problem management processes is preferred in the ideal candidate, as Hecla is introducing and implementing these practices.
- Customer Service and Work Ethic: A strong work ethic and customer-service mentality, with a high level of involvement with team members and site stakeholders who carry responsibility for the functionality of services at their locations.
- Documentation: Ability to organize and write standards, runbooks, and procedures in a logical, methodical manner that others can follow.
- Problem-Solving: Excellent diagnostic and problem-solving skills, with the discipline to perform root cause analysis and implement permanent corrective actions.
- Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to present technical ideas and solutions in user-friendly, non-technical language and to forge strong cross-departmental relationships.
- Prioritization: Outstanding organizational and time-management skills to plan, prioritize, and execute effectively in an environment with changing business needs.
Education and Credentials:
- Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressive network administration experience in an enterprise or multi-site environment, with demonstrated experience administering firewalls, switching and routing, and wireless infrastructure.
- Process Leadership: Demonstrated experience establishing or improving administration processes and standards, such as update and maintenance cycles, configuration baselines, and operational documentation, strongly preferred.
- Certifications: ITIL Foundation certification preferred; entry-level networking and security certifications such as the Juniper Networks Certified Associate (JNCIA) and the Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA), or comparable vendor certifications, valued as indicators of specialized proficiency.
Other Qualifications:
- Independent and Team Collaboration: Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively as part of a small, close-knit, and highly collaborative team of information technology professionals.
- Scheduling Flexibility: Willingness to work occasional early mornings, nights, and weekends to support planned maintenance windows and infrastructure needs.
- Travel: Occasional travel to Hecla mine-site operations required. Following the first three months of service, the need for MSHA training will be evaluated to aid in meeting requirements at Hecla mine sites.
- Driver’s License: Must possess a valid driver’s license.
- Confidentiality: Strong commitment to maintaining confidentiality and ethically handling sensitive information with impartiality and professionalism.
- Pre-Employment Screening: Completion of standard pre-employment screening requirements.