Network Administrator, Operations Control Center

Job description

Position Title: Network Administrator Department: Operations & Maintenance Reports To: Manager, Operations Control Center Location: Kitchener, ON Job Summary: We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Network Administrator to oversee and manage NERC CIP (Critical Infrastructure Protection) network systems within a control center environment and beyond. This position plays a critical role in maintaining the reliability, security, and compliance of our energy management and control systems in alignment with NERC CIP standards. As the Network Administrator, you will be directly responsible for the management, security, and performance of Neworks that supports critical energy operations. This role demands expertise in NERC CIP standards, network security, network administration, and the ability to work effectively within a control center environment. Main Responsibilities Accountabilities Outcome Administration of Systems Ensure all networks are running at peak performance by means of system reliability, management and security updates. Maintenance and creation of new networks when required. Monitoring Systems Monitor existing equipment, real time data and control to ensure connectivity for OCC networks. Documentation Ensure existing documentation is up to date as well as the creation of new documentation for procedures and compliance. Compliance Use of best practices and benchmarks to ensure compliance with regulatory and company standards. Uses industry recognized approaches, methodologies and techniques specific to competency area to deliver quality real-time control and monitoring solutions Functional Competencies [LB1] Administer, monitor, and maintain enterprise network and IT systems to ensure availability, performance, and security in support of mission‑critical operations. Design, implement, and support secure network architectures, including routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, IDS, and IPS solutions. Perform routine network health checks, system audits, vulnerability scans, and patching activities to maintain a secure and stable environment. Manage user access, authentication mechanisms, and role-based access controls across networked systems and services. Monitor real-time network and operational systems within the control centre to ensure high availability, resilience, and rapid fault detection. Troubleshoot and resolve network incidents, outages, and performance issues, prioritising minimal downtime and operational impact. Support incident response activities related to network security events, coordinating containment, remediation, and recovery actions. Implement and maintain network backup, disaster recovery, and failover solutions to support business continuity requirements. Collaborate with IT, cybersecurity, and operations teams to support audits, risk assessments, and compliance activities as required. Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for network diagrams, configurations, standards, and operational procedures. Provide technical guidance and support to control centre staff and IT personnel on secure and effective use of networked systems. Evaluate, test, and recommend new networking technologies, tools, and best practices to improve security, reliability, and operational efficiency. Job Requirements Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related field. 5+ years of experience in network administration, with a focus on NERC CIP environments, energy management systems, or critical infrastructure. Strong understanding of NERC CIP standards and how they apply to energy sector cybersecurity and system administration. Proficiency in Windows and Linux server administration, virtualization technologies (VMware, Hyper-V), and network security. Experience with firewalls, IDS/IPS, network segmentation, and multi-factor authentication in compliance with NERC CIP standards. Familiarity with SCADA systems, energy management systems (EMS), or other control systems in the energy sector is highly desirable. Knowledge of incident response, vulnerability management, and cybersecurity best practices. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA, as well as NERC CIP training or certification, are preferred. Other Requirements: Travel may be required from time to time. (U.S. and Europe) Possible call-ins could occur during emergency failures/issues. Job Type: Permanent Full-Time Number of Positions: 1 Grade: P 1 Salary Range: $75,000 - 85,000 CAD Annual Note: We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, welcoming applications from all qualified persons. We encourage Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, gender-diverse people, people with diverse abilities, members of ethnic minorities and faith groups, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected group. Studies have shown that women and people of diverse backgrounds are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification in the posting. We are committed to creating an environment where we eliminate barriers and promote inclusion of equity groups. We strongly encourage applications even if you don’t believe you meet all the requirements outlined. We will do our best to respond. The company reserves the right to change the duties and responsibilities of this position at its own discretion. Upon individual request, Recurrent Energy will endeavor to remove any barrier to the hiring process to accommodate those candidates with disabilities. Interviews will be conducted only with qualified applicants. Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Hiring Process Recurrent Energy may use artificial intelligence (AI) - enabled tools to support efficiency in certain stages of the recruitment process. All applications are also reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team to ensure a fair, consistent, and thorough evaluation. AI tools do not make final hiring decisions. Please note: Candidates will be provided an update on their application. We encourage you to periodically check your spam or junk folders, as some candidates - particularly those using Gmail or Hotmail - have reported our emails being filtered there.