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, , | Technical Services | Full-time | Partially remote
About Knowing Technologies (KT) and the Position
Our mission is to equip independent schools with the tools they need to create educational experiences students crave. Through a combination of strategy consulting and technology support, our team of educators and architects guides schools in building effective technology programming and infrastructure. From complex network engineering to critical instructional design, we help schools save time and eliminate wasteful spending so they can focus on what’s important: teaching and learning.
Over the years, KT has evolved its suite of services to embrace the full technology needs of our customers. We started as an IT support company but realized it’s not enough to just implement technology as a utility. Schools must also build strategies aligned to their unique missions and effectively prepare students for a tech-enabled world. Our current service delivery model takes a proactive planning and relationship-centered approach to create Technology Solutions Partnerships (TSP) that give schools greater control of their mission. KT is now poised for growth and seeking to expand nationally.
Reporting to the Director of Customer Care, the Project Engineer plays a pivotal role in planning and executing diverse technical projects at our customer sites, from installing new technology infrastructure to upgrading existing components. Along with a general and broad knowledge of IT solutions, the role requires significant technical expertise and experience around network design, best practices, and implementation. The Project Engineer coordinates with cross-functional teams to drive successful project outcomes; upholds our commitment to delivering high-quality managed services; and seamlessly takes on reactive technical services work as required.
The successful candidate must be a great planner, a hyper-organized team player, and an excellent, data-driven problem-solver with standout skill tracking where we are and the direct path to where we need to be.
If this sounds like you, and you’re passionate about KT’s mission and the prospect of spreading it to even more schools, we’re looking for you!
Essential Responsibilities:
Implement Projects
- Lead and execute customer project work as directed by the Service Desk Manager in collaboration with the Director of Project Management
- Assist with architecting detailed product solutions and lead the installation of designed solutions at direction of the Systems Architect
- Assist Systems Architect in providing a detailed product selection tied directly to the customer’s goals, constraints, and expectations for success
- Coordinate project schedule and resources with Project Manager; verify availability of required project resources
- Manage and work closely with third party vendors and contractors; serve as their primary contact
- Manage and complete project documents as specified by the Director of Project Management
- Lead pre-project meetings and post-project analyses and reviews
- Interact with customers on-site and remotely, planning and coordinating with them closely for successful project delivery
- Meet or beat planned time in each project's quote/scope for each role
- Keep meticulous record of time spent on tasks, from preparation through completion
- Travel up to 25% of the time and work some evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed for minimal customer disruption
Plan & Problem-Solve
- Keep active logs of issues in each project’s plan (KT uses ConnectWise to house these plans)
- Maintain a customer-centered orientation in devising solutions that meet project outcomes and customer expectations
- Understand and articulate the current technology profile at schools served, and proactively anticipate and document project risks and risk mitigating action plans
- Serve as additional resource for reactive troubleshooting of a broad range of IT solutions and configure, troubleshoot, repair cloud systems/services and VoIP systems to meet school needs
Own & Escalate Tickets
- Own and resolve assigned tickets to company standard; monitor customer satisfaction, escalating when the resolution did not create a superior customer experience
- Escalate issues to Engineer III for further resolution in rare cases where a problem's scope is greater than the understanding or when unable to solve or document the solution path within one hour of attempt to resolve
- Own everything that happens to a ticket once escalated by the Service Desk Manager until issue is resolved, escalated or transferred
- Serve as additional resource to configure, troubleshoot, and repair end user devices if needed
- Keep meticulous time records in ticketing system on all work completed
Document & Share
- Transform technical specifications into visually intuitive representations, facilitating effective communication and ensuring accurate implementation of designed solutions
- Analyze problems, devise effective solutions, and formulate resolution plan
- Keep clients informed through the ticket and project at every step along the way: what has been done, what are the results, what are the next steps
- Verify that the solution is still working, and no further intervention is needed, if warranted
- Ensure tickets are documented completely to facilitate clarity for problem discovery
- Enter contemporaneous time and ticket data throughout each day
- Respond to all communications from the Service Desk Manager, Director of Customer Care, and Director of Project Management
Perform other duties as required
Required Qualifications:
- 3+ years’ progressive experience in server, storage and networking systems design, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, configuring, updating and operation
- 3+ years' experience operating and diagnosing enterprise wireless management systems (Meraki, Cisco, HP, Ruckus)
- 3+ years’ experience designing and implementing networks (LAN / WAN / WiFi / SD-LAN / VPN)
Preferred Qualifications
- 2+ years’ experience leading and independently executing technical projects
- 2+ years’ experience with configuration and operation of Mobile Device Management systems (JAMF School/Pro, Meraki Systems Manager, Mosyle)
- 2+ years' experience configuring, supporting and maintaining cloud-based phone systems and VoIP devices (specifically Zoom)
- Experience maintaining and troubleshooting Windows Servers in a clustered environment (VMware and Hyper-V)
- Experience managing and working with third party vendors and contractors
- Experience overseeing installation of security camera solutions such as Verkada
Abilities and Attributes:
- Fluent in troubleshooting and solving problems with switching and wireless networks
- Familiarity and experience with switches, firewalls, access points by Cisco, Meraki, Sonicwall, HP, Ruckus, Aruba, Ubiquiti; UPSs by APC; VoIP by Zoom; security cameras by Verkada; projector mounting and configuration; switch cabling and cable troubleshooting; mass deployment of end user devices
- Expertise in configuring and diagnosing VoIP systems, using on prem PBX or cloud environments
- Strong verbal and written communicator, with a keen eye for detail; commitment to high-quality work
- Strong listening skills with curiosity to ask questions; action-oriented problem-solver able to deliver in a fast-paced environment using superior organizational skills to manage up and laterally, juggle changing priorities and drive toward deadlines
- Takes initiative to appropriately close open loops in service, skills, customer experience
- Experience in supporting users in educational environments a big plus
- Exceptional record of accounting for actions, results, SLAs and time in tickets
- Ability to travel up to 25% of the time by car and/or plane to customer sites primarily in California
- Able to lift equipment weighing up to 50 pounds
Certifications:
- CompTIA Network+ (required; if not already certified, must be willing to complete certification within first 12 months of employment)
- CCNA (preferred)
- Engineering Cisco Meraki Solutions (preferred)
Location/Travel:
This position is based in Northern California, in close proximity to KT Headquarters in Redwood City. Up to 25% travel will be required to customer sites or KT Headquarters.
How To Apply
Please submit your resume, and, in lieu of a cover letter, compose an answer to the following question (limit your response to no more than one page):
- Describe a project you worked on where an unexpected issue arose in the middle of the project’s execution. What strategies did you employ to tackle the issue? What were the results?
No direct emails or phone calls please.
Salary Range: $95k-$120k*
*Assumes Redwood City market. Geographic differentials will be applied to candidates residing in markets outside of KT’s headquarters location.
Paid time off, 401K match, full medical insurance, commuter benefits, remote work arrangements, and other benefits and perks are part of this role.
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