Associate Director of Network Services

*Internal to CSUMB Applicants Only*

• Classification:  Administrator II
• Hours:  Full-time / 40 hours per week
• FLSA:   Exempt

Anticipated Hiring Salary Range:  $10,489 to $12,083* mo.
CSU Salary Schedule
*CSUMB provides pay scales representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and CSU systemwide pay for comparable jobs.

• Priority Screening Date: October 27, 2025
• Recruitment Status:  Open Until Filled

About Csumb

California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California’s Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation’s largest four-year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year. 

With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students’ lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB’s sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030. 

The university’s Strategic Plan prioritizes inclusive excellence through recruiting and investing in developing a diverse body of faculty, staff and administrators. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University.

As one of the 23 campuses in the CSU system, CSUMB offers excellent benefits, including access to below-market-rate rental housing on East Campus, and competitive salaries for faculty and staff. With proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, opportunities for faculty, staff and students are as endless as the shores of the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Purpose:

Under the general direction of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Associate Director of Network Services (AD) provides strategic, technical, and operational leadership for the university’s wired, wireless, firewall, telecommunications, unified communications, servers, virtualization platforms, storage, data center systems, video systems, and high-performance research network infrastructure (HPRN). The AD ensures the security, availability, and reliability of all network and telecommunications services that support academic, administrative, and research activities. This position plays a key role in aligning network services with institutional goals, managing substantial budgets, vendor relationships, and fostering collaboration through systemwide initiatives. The Associate Director will supervise the Network Services team and lead efforts to modernize and optimize campus networking operations with a focus on service excellence, innovation, and resilience.

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Collaborates with the CIO and other senior leaders to develop, implement, and evaluate the University’s Information Technology Strategic Plan, ensuring alignment with academic, administrative, and research objectives.
• Leads strategic planning efforts related to network services, including capacity forecasting, infrastructure modernization, and technology alignment with institutional growth.
• Develops multi-year roadmaps and operational frameworks to guide infrastructure evolution, service delivery models, and enterprise-wide connectivity strategies.
• Advises on technology trends, operational risks, and investment opportunities, providing data-driven recommendations and strategic briefings to campus and CSU stakeholders.
• Ensures that network services planning incorporates institutional priorities such as digital equity, sustainability, and technological innovation.

Network & Telecommunications Operations

• Provides strategic and operational leadership over the university’s entire telecommunications and network infrastructure, including inter- and intra-building cable plant, wired and wireless LAN/WAN, firewalls, servers, virtualization platforms, storage, data center systems, voice and video services, unified communications, and connectivity.
• Directs the planning, design, installation, and continuous improvement of network and data center architectures, ensuring reliability, scalability, and support for future growth.
• Establishes operational procedures and performance standards to ensure availability, quality of service, and rapid issue resolution across all network, telecom, and data center services.
• Coordinates cross-departmental infrastructure projects with units such as Academic Affairs, Research, Student Services, and Facilities to align technology deployment with institutional initiatives.
• Oversees vendor engagements, third-party implementation support, and contract compliance associated with enterprise infrastructure and data center operations.

Reliability, Monitoring & Incident Response

• Develops, implements, and enforces policies, architectures, and technical standards to support a highly available, resilient, and fault-tolerant network environment.
• Establishes and manages service-level objectives (SLOs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure system availability, latency, bandwidth usage, fault response time, and service uptime.
• Implements and maintains comprehensive monitoring and alerting platforms to detect anomalies, generate notifications, and facilitate proactive incident response.
• Leads incident management protocols, including root cause analysis, emergency communication, stakeholder coordination, and formal post-incident reviews.
• Oversees disaster recovery and business continuity planning for all network and telecom services, ensuring regular testing, documentation, and integration with university-wide contingency operations.

Security & Compliance

• Collaborates closely with the Information Security Officer (ISO) to design and implement network security policies, practices, and architectures that protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of university data.
• Leads the application of secure network configurations, including firewall policies, access controls, VLAN segmentation, threat detection systems, and intrusion prevention solutions.
• Ensures full compliance with CSU systemwide IT security mandates and applicable laws and regulations, including FERPA, HIPAA, GLBA, PCI-DSS, and emerging cybersecurity standards.
• Oversees security audits, risk assessments, and remediation planning for network-related vulnerabilities.
• Promotes a culture of security awareness among technical staff and collaborates on end-user training initiatives to support safe technology use across the campus.

Community & Collaborative Engagement

• Serves as CSUMB’s networking representative on regional, statewide, and national committees, task forces, and professional associations, fostering cross-institutional collaboration and strategic alignment.
• Collaborates with the CSU Chancellor’s Office and peer campuses to support systemwide initiatives, including shared networking services, regional data centers, procurement agreements, and technology standards development.
• Leads or contributes to regional projects that expand broadband access, infrastructure resiliency, and educational equity throughout the Monterey Bay region and beyond.
• Cultivates partnerships with K–12 districts, community colleges, universities, research institutions, libraries, and public agencies to extend the university’s impact through interconnected digital services.
• Identifies and pursues external funding and grant opportunities that support infrastructure development, research networking, and digital inclusion efforts.

Innovation & Educational Support

• Leads the evaluation, pilot testing, and adoption of emerging networking technologies, including SD-WAN, edge computing, next-generation wireless, automation, and AI-driven network management platforms.
• Analyzes trends in digital infrastructure and develops recommendations for continuous service innovation, future-proofing, and competitive advantage in support of academic and research excellence.
• Partners with faculty, researchers, and technology staff to identify infrastructure opportunities that enable advanced computing, high-performance research networking (HPRN), and collaborative academic technologies.
• Drives hybrid infrastructure planning, including cloud and on-premises integration strategies, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and alignment with institutional IT architecture.
• Incorporates environmental sustainability and energy efficiency goals into technology selection, procurement, and lifecycle strategies, supporting CSUMB’s broader climate commitments.

Vendor, Budget, & Resource Management

• Manages all financial aspects of network services, including operating and capital budget planning, cost analysis, resource forecasting, lifecycle costing, and long-range financial modeling.
• Oversees procurement processes for infrastructure hardware, software, licenses, services, and consulting, in alignment with CSU and institutional policies.
• Develops business cases, total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses, and return on investment (ROI) evaluations to support infrastructure decisions.
• Ensures cost-effective vendor contracts through negotiation, contract management, and performance monitoring in coordination with procurement and legal teams.
• Monitors spending trends, reconciles expenditures, and ensures adherence to internal controls and audit standards.
• Prepares and presents budget proposals, strategic investment plans, and justifications to campus leadership and systemwide partners as needed.

Leadership & Supervision

• Provides comprehensive leadership and direct supervision to the Network Services team, fostering a culture of accountability, inclusivity, and high performance in support of institutional goals.
• Oversees day-to-day operations, initiates task planning and review cycles, monitors workloads, and aligns team efforts with project milestones and campus priorities.
• Manages all aspects of personnel administration, including recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluation, promotions, disciplinary actions, and professional development planning.
• Leads workforce planning efforts to ensure appropriate technical coverage, role clarity, and staff readiness to meet evolving technology demands.
• Coaches, mentors, and supports staff through regular feedback, goal setting, team-building, and succession planning initiatives that prepare future leaders within the unit.
• Reassesses and restructures team functions as necessary to improve cross-functional collaboration, responsiveness, and service delivery excellence.

Other Responsibilities

• Represents the university on institutional committees, CSU system task forces, regional consortia, and professional associations, serving as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor on network and telecommunications infrastructure.
• Supports the development and submission of grant proposals and external funding applications that enhance CSUMB’s academic technologies, digital infrastructure, and research networking capacity.
• Participates in IT governance activities, policy development initiatives, and cross-functional planning bodies to ensure integration of network services with broader campus strategies.
• Contributes to institutional reporting, accreditation documentation, and compliance initiatives involving network and infrastructure domains.
• Performs other job-related duties and special projects as assigned in alignment with departmental and university priorities.

Other Functions:

1. Performs other job-related duties and special projects as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities:

Broad knowledge of enterprise networking and telecommunications, information security, and IT service management, with the ability to apply project management and process improvement practices to complex initiatives. The role requires familiarity with trends in higher-education technology, including cloud services and collaboration platforms, as well as experience in budget planning, vendor management, and strategic policy development within a university or similarly complex environment.

Skills: Proven ability to lead diverse technical teams, manage complex infrastructure lifecycles, and foster collaboration across academic, administrative, and research domains. Demonstrated strength in long-range strategic planning, service architecture design, and translating institutional priorities into technical action plans. Skilled in conflict resolution, staff coaching, workforce development, and team reorganization. Excellent project management, oral and written communication, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Ability to: Lead secure, scalable, and highly available enterprise network environments using modern architectures and best practices. Oversee infrastructure planning, risk management, and the development of KPIs and SLAs for service monitoring and improvement. Apply strategic and operational judgment in technology investment, capacity forecasting, and sustainability tradeoffs. Represent the university in CSU-wide, regional, and national forums related to infrastructure, research support, and shared services. Cultivate inclusive, high-performance teams through mentorship, professional development, and succession planning. Develop funding strategies, author proposals, and build partnerships to advance institutional technology initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications:

Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in computer science, network engineering; or related field from an accredited college/university AND four (4) years of significant, professional experience in particularly those areas involving TCP/IP Internet networking, wireless networking, client-server technologies, and network operations practices. A graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for two years of the required experience. Additional experience, which has demonstrated the requisite skills and abilities, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year basis.

Demonstrated ability to address the essential functions associated with this position including the knowledge and abilities identified above.

Preferred Qualifications/Desirable Experience:

A master's degree and five (5) years of relevant experience. Technical fluency with Oracle/PeopleSoft, CSU Common Management System or equivalent student information system; Microsoft and global perspectives; technological sophistication; service learning; ethical reflection and practice; and collaboration.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT AND POSITION DESIGNATIONS:

• All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check (including a criminal records check).
• The person holding this position will have a duty to report to the Campus Title IX Officer information pertaining to discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order EO 1095, EO 1096, and EO 1097 as a condition of employment.
• The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083  as a condition of employment.
•  This position is designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA).  The position is required to participate in training at the direction of the Clery Director and must also promptly report allegations of reportable crimes according to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, its accompanying regulations; the California State Education Code, Chapter 15.5, of the Donahoe Higher Education Act, Section 67380; and the California State University system-wide policy, Code EO 1107.
• This position has been designated as a sensitive position with access to and responsibility for detailed personally identifiable Level 1 confidential information about students, faculty, staff or alumni that is protected, personal or sensitive as defined in the CSU Information Security Data Classification Standards.
• This position is required to comply with confidentiality requirement outlined in the Department of Education’s Family Educational Rights and Privacy and California’s Educational Code Chapter 13 regarding sensitive student issues.Must possess and maintain a valid license to drive in the State of California, pass the Defensive Training Class, and be insurable under the University's liability coverage.
• May require occasional evenings and/or weekend work.

Physical Environment:

Office environment with standard equipment and tasks. The position requires working at a computer and desk for extended periods of time.  May require travel between campus offices and off-campus locations. 

The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. While on campus, students, faculty, staff, and the community will be expected to follow all campus safety mandates.  

Benefits/Perks:

This is a management-level position with an attractive benefits package, which includes: a vacation accrual rate of 16 hours per month; an excellent choice of medical, dental, and vision insurance; long-term disability coverage; life insurance; educational incentives; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS); and 14 paid holidays a year. For further information, please visit Employee Benefits Summary. The University Corporation at Monterey Bay also provides access to affordable housing near main campus. The allocation of housing is subject to several factors, including availability, eligibility criteria, and specific program guidelines. For more information, visit: https://csumb.edu/corporation/employee-housing

Application Procedure:

For full consideration, applicants must complete the required online application prior to the priority screen date found at Careers at CSUMB. Application submissions received after the application screening date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University. Materials submitted become the property of CSUMB and will not be returned.

CSUMB is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Human Resources at (831) 582-3389 or emailing  humanresources@csumb.edu. All employees must be eligible for employment in the U.S.

General Information:

CSUMB hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States and is an E-Verify employer. In compliance with federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics, you can view the notice of availability and access the Cal State University, Monterey Bay annual security and fire safety reports at https://csumb.edu/clery/asr-and-fsr-notices-availability/.

CSUMB is a smoke and tobacco-free campus.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

CSUMB is an Equal Opportunity employer seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. We value and celebrate diversity in all its forms and strive to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion. We consider qualified applicants for employment for their anticipated contributions and without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or disability.