The University of Maine System (UMS) seeks a highly skilled and visionary Optical Network Architect to join our UMS IT Infrastructure team. Reporting to the Director of Network Services, this role will lead the design, evolution, and performance optimization of our regional optical network, which forms the backbone of Networkmaine.

Our network—spanning Maine, New Hampshire, and into Massachusetts—supports UMS and more than 800 public constituents, the majority connected via high-performance optical infrastructure. At its core, Networkmaine is an all-optical environment, enabling robust, scalable, and resilient connectivity for research, education, and public service.

If you have a passion for cutting-edge optical transport technologies and want to shape the future of a mission-critical, “five-nines” network, this position offers both strategic influence and hands-on impact.

This is a hybrid position that is primarily remote, with occasional travel to Portland, Maine, for key meetings, major outage response, and hands-on project work. Please review the University Guidelines for Remote Work.

Key Responsibilities

Architectural Leadership: Define and set the technical direction for the UMS regional optical network, including DWDM, packet transport, and IP service layers.
Design & Implementation: Develop conceptual, logical, and physical designs for optical, packet, and IP infrastructure; perform installations and advanced configurations.
Performance & Reliability: Conduct capacity planning, analyze performance, and implement enhancements to ensure high availability and resiliency.
Collaboration: Serve as the lead liaison with UMS network constituents, partner organizations, R&E networks, service providers, and equipment vendors.
Technology Evaluation: Assess emerging technologies for architectural fit, performance, and operational feasibility.
Standards & Automation: Promote standardization, documentation, and automation across network operations.
Supervision: Directly supervise up to two full-time network engineers and provide mentorship to additional staff and students during projects and outage response.

Salary: The salary range for this position is $120,000 to $130,000, commensurate with the candidate's training, education, and experience.

Benefits: The University of Maine System offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes (but is not limited to):

13 paid holidays plus earned vacation and sick time
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
Short-term disability insurance and employer-paid long-term disability insurance
Employer-paid basic life insurance and supplemental life insurance
Tuition waiver program for employees and their dependents (spouse, domestic partner, and dependent children)
403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution

To learn more, please review the Benefits Information Summary.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with evenings and weekends as needed.

Please review the full job description for more information, Optical Network Architecture.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Requirements:

Strong understanding of facilities-based service provider network architecture and hardware solutions.
Deep expertise in the design and operation of optical, transport, and IP network architecture and related protocols.
In-depth understanding of relevant network security considerations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to work well under pressure in a high-stakes environment to expedite service restoration and problem resolution.
Ability to reliably travel to Portland, Maine, facilities within four hours travel time for in-person assistance in major outage response efforts.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in a technical field
- In lieu of a technical degree, a non-technical degree with equivalent experience may be considered.
Minimum of ten years of relevant experience with Optical, Transport, MPLS/Segment Routing, BGP, routing, switching, IPv4/IPv6, and EVPN.

How to Apply:

Materials must be submitted via “Apply Now” below. You will need to complete an application and upload the following:

A cover letter that describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position.
A resume/curriculum vitae.

Important items to know about the recruitment process:

Review of applications will begin immediately. For full consideration, materials must be submitted no later than September 7, 2025.
Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
Incomplete application materials cannot be considered.
Candidates selected to proceed to the final stages of the search process will be requested to provide three (3) names and contact information for references.
The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screenings.
We are not able to consider applicants who require Visa sponsorship now or in the future.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity, or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207-581-1226. TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

About the University of Maine System

The University of Maine System (UMS), established in 1968, consists of seven universities and the University of Maine School of Law, spread across various locations in Maine. UMS provides system-wide services and governance from these locations, leveraging the distinct strengths and collaborations among its institutions to advance strategic priorities for UMS and the state of Maine.

Choosing UMS means opting for a high quality of life supported by excellent benefits such as tuition waivers, robust retirement contributions, and comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability. Maine's diverse landscapes, from accessible wilderness and rugged coastline to urban centers and rural communities, offer numerous cultural activities, strong public schools, safe neighborhoods, and high-quality healthcare. Discover more about Maine's exemplary lifestyle on the Maine Office of Tourism website.