Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Computer Network Administrator

🎯 Role Definition

As a Computer Network Administrator you will be the primary operational owner for the organization's network infrastructure — ensuring high availability, secure connectivity, and optimal performance for on‑premises, branch, and cloud-connected environments. This role combines hands‑on engineering of routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs and wireless networks with day‑to‑day operational responsibilities: monitoring, incident response, change management, configuration backups, and vendor coordination. The ideal candidate understands TCP/IP fundamentals, implements network security best practices, automates repetitive tasks, and communicates clearly with technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

This position is optimized for candidates with proven experience in LAN/WAN administration, network security controls (firewalls, IDS/IPS, NAC), enterprise wireless, and monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Nagios, PRTG). Certifications such as CCNA/CCNP, JNCIA, CompTIA Network+/Security+, and cloud networking knowledge (AWS VPC, Azure Virtual Network) are highly desirable.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Network Technician / Network Support Technician
IT Help Desk Technician with networking focus
Systems Administrator with networking responsibilities

Advancement To:

Senior Network Administrator / Network Engineer
Network Architect
IT Infrastructure Manager / Director of Network Operations

Lateral Moves:

Security Analyst / Network Security Engineer
Systems Engineer / Server & Virtualization Administrator
Cloud Network Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, configure, and maintain enterprise LAN/WAN infrastructure including routers, switches, VLANs, STP, and inter‑site connectivity to ensure reliable, low‑latency communications across data centers and branch offices.
Implement and manage routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP) for multi‑site connectivity and internet peering, maintaining route optimization and resilience.
Deploy, configure, and maintain firewall technologies (e.g., Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA/Firepower) to enforce network segmentation, application access control, and threat prevention policies.
Administer secure remote access solutions including site‑to‑site and client VPNs (IPsec, SSL/TLS, IKEv2) and multi‑factor authentication integration for remote workforce connectivity.
Operate and tune enterprise wireless networks (802.11ac/ax), including access point placement, RF spectrum analysis, controller management, wireless security (WPA2/WPA3, 802.1X), and roaming optimization.
Manage DNS, DHCP, and IP address management (IPAM) services to ensure reliable name resolution, address allocations, and network discovery functionality.
Monitor network health and performance using tools like SolarWinds, Nagios, PRTG, or Zabbix; create dashboards, SLAs, alerts, and runbooks for proactive incident detection and remediation.
Troubleshoot complex, cross‑platform network incidents involving switching, routing, firewall policies, VPN tunnels, MPLS, and ISP connectivity, performing root cause analysis and long‑term remediation.
Maintain network hardware lifecycle: procurement, staging, configuration management, firmware upgrades, and replacement planning to reduce unplanned downtime.
Implement VLAN design, QoS policies, and traffic shaping to prioritize voice, video, and business‑critical application traffic across converged networks.
Create and maintain comprehensive network documentation: topology diagrams, runbooks, configuration baselines, standard operating procedures, and change records to support reliable operations.
Perform regular configuration backups, change control, and versioning of network device configs to enable rapid recovery and auditability.
Integrate network logging and alerting with SIEMs (Splunk, ELK, QRadar) and IDS/IPS solutions for centralized security monitoring and incident response collaboration.
Support voice and unified communications infrastructure (VoIP, SIP trunking, QoS for call quality) coordinating with vendors and telephony teams to diagnose call path and quality issues.
Execute network capacity planning and performance tuning, analyzing utilization trends and forecasting upgrades for bandwidth, switching capacity, and wireless density.
Enforce network security best practices: patch management for network devices, access control lists (ACLs), segmentation, NAC enforcement, and routine vulnerability scanning remediation.
Manage vendor relationships and coordinate on‑site vendor activities for warranty, hardware replacements, and escalations to minimize service disruption.
Lead and participate in network change management, scheduled maintenance windows, and major infrastructure projects including migrations, upgrades, and new site deployments.
Implement and validate disaster recovery and business continuity network plans, including failover testing, BGP route policies, and alternate connectivity strategies.
Provide Level 2/3 support for escalated network incidents, mentor junior administrators, and contribute to on‑call rotations and incident postmortems.
Automate repetitive network tasks and orchestration (configuration templates, backups, device provisioning) using scripting (Python, Ansible, PowerShell) and APIs to increase consistency and reduce MTTR.
Ensure compliance with regulatory and corporate policies around logging, encryption, access controls, and change tracking for network infrastructure.

Secondary Functions

Assist application owners and infrastructure teams with network requirements for new applications, cloud migrations, and integrations to ensure optimal network design for performance and security.
Conduct periodic security reviews and network architecture assessments to recommend improvements and reduce attack surface.
Provide user training and create knowledge base articles to help support teams and end users understand network features and troubleshooting basics.
Coordinate with facilities and cabling vendors for structured cabling projects, rack layouts, port mapping, and labeling to maintain physical network integrity.
Participate in cross‑functional project teams (cloud, storage, security, desktop) to ensure cohesive infrastructure planning and deployment.
Maintain spare parts inventory, firmware inventory, and documented maintenance agreements to accelerate recovery during hardware failures.
Support procurement activities by developing technical requirements/specifications and evaluating vendor proposals for switches, routers, firewalls, and wireless equipment.
Analyze and report on monthly/quarterly network metrics, incident trends, and capacity forecasts to inform leadership and budget planning.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep understanding of TCP/IP, OSI model, subnetting, and IPv4/IPv6 addressing.
Expert hands‑on experience with enterprise routing and switching platforms (Cisco IOS/XE/ NX‑OS, Juniper JunOS).
Proficiency with firewall configuration and management (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco ASA/Firepower).
Strong experience with VPN technologies (IPsec, SSL, site‑to‑site, client VPN) and remote access security.
Wireless networking skills including controller‑based and cloud‑managed APs, RF planning, and enterprise 802.11 standards.
Familiarity with routing protocols OSPF, BGP, and MPLS design and troubleshooting for multi‑site networks.
DNS, DHCP, and IPAM administration and troubleshooting experience.
Network monitoring and observability tool experience (SolarWinds, Nagios, PRTG, Zabbix, Datadog).
Hands‑on scripting/automation using Python, Ansible, or PowerShell for network provisioning and configuration management.
Experience integrating network logs and events with SIEM systems (Splunk, ELK, QRadar) for security monitoring.
Knowledge of QoS, VLANs, trunking, STP/RSTP/MSTP, and network redundancy technologies (HSRP, VRRP).
VPN, MFA, and network access control (NAC) technologies for endpoint and user access security.
Experience with cloud networking (AWS VPC, Azure Virtual Network, hybrid connectivity, Direct Connect/VPN Gateway).
Familiarity with VoIP/SIP and QoS for unified communications and voice quality troubleshooting.
Understanding of compliance and security frameworks (PCI, HIPAA, SOC2) as they apply to network controls.

Soft Skills

Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a methodical approach to root cause analysis.
Clear verbal and written communication skills for describing technical issues to non‑technical stakeholders.
Customer service orientation and ability to manage expectations during incidents and maintenance windows.
Effective time management and prioritization in a dynamic, multi‑project environment.
Team collaboration and mentorship skills to coach junior staff and work across IT teams.
Attention to detail for accurate configuration, documentation, and change control.
Ability to remain calm under pressure during outages and escalations.
Continuous learning mindset to stay current with evolving networking and security technologies.
Project management fundamentals: planning, stakeholder communication, and deliverable tracking.
Vendor management and negotiation skills to manage hardware and support contracts.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
Associate degree in Information Technology, Computer Networking, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Network Engineering, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Network Engineering / Computer Networking
Information Technology / Information Systems
Computer Science / Cybersecurity

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
2–5 years of hands‑on experience in network administration or network operations.

Preferred:
5+ years of progressive experience administering enterprise LAN/WAN environments, strong track record with routing/switching, firewalls, wireless, and network monitoring. Certifications such as Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Juniper JNCIA/JNCIS, CompTIA Network+/Security+, or cloud‑specific certs (AWS/Azure networking) are highly preferred.