Network Engineer

The City of Chesapeake Department of Information Technology (DIT) is seeking a motivated and technically skilled Network Engineer I to join the Chesapeake Connects (CCX) Broadband Team.

Chesapeake Connects is developing one of Virginia's premier municipal broadband networks, providing carrier-grade communications infrastructure that supports City operations, public safety, schools, libraries, utilities, regional partnerships, and future Smart City initiatives.

Unlike traditional enterprise networking positions, this role combines carrier-class networking, municipal broadband, fiber optic infrastructure, and telecommunications engineering. The Network Engineer I will assist in designing, deploying, operating, and maintaining a citywide fiber optic backbone and advanced IP network while supporting emerging technologies including Private LTE, LoRaWAN, municipal Wi-Fi, and Smart City communications systems.

Working alongside senior engineers, this position participates in broadband construction projects, fiber acceptance testing, network deployments, infrastructure expansion, and operational support of critical communications systems serving more than 200 City facilities.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an engineer seeking hands-on experience with carrier-grade networking technologies, fiber optic infrastructure, and municipal telecommunications while building infrastructure that will serve Chesapeake for decades to come.

Occasional after-hours work and participation in an on-call rotation may be required.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Assist in the installation, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance of the Chesapeake Connects broadband network.
• Support Cisco routing and switching infrastructure, including core, aggregation, and access layer equipment.
• Assist with Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking, including VLANs, routing protocols, MPLS, VPN technologies, and Quality of Service (QoS).
• Support municipal fiber optic infrastructure, including backbone and lateral fiber, conduit systems, handholes, splice enclosures, fiber distribution panels, and patch panels.
• Participate in the commissioning and acceptance of newly constructed fiber optic infrastructure by reviewing OTDR test results, splice documentation, as-built drawings, and contractor deliverables.
• Assist in maintaining optical transport systems and broadband connectivity between City facilities.
• Monitor network performance using enterprise monitoring platforms and assist in troubleshooting outages, fiber cuts, and network performance issues.
• Participate in network cutovers, service migrations, and maintenance activities supporting City operations.
• Support deployment and maintenance of:
• Enterprise routing and switching
• Fiber optic infrastructure
• Municipal Wi-Fi
• Private LTE (CBRS)
• LoRaWAN infrastructure
• Broadband transport services
• Maintain network documentation, including network diagrams, IP addressing, fiber records, GIS infrastructure mapping, equipment inventories, and as-built documentation.
• Coordinate with contractors, consultants, utility companies, vendors, and regional broadband partners during network expansion projects.
• Support implementation of cybersecurity best practices, including network segmentation, firewall policies, and secure remote connectivity.
• Assist with evaluating new networking and telecommunications technologies to improve City infrastructure.
• Provide technical support for broadband infrastructure serving City departments, schools, libraries, public safety facilities, utilities, and regional partners.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

The City of Chesapeake offers an exceptional range of benefits. Please browse our Benefits Brochure, for a full list of benefits and employee perks.PDN-a26efa2e-7a46-4321-aa75-63ca574170cc