NOC Engineer – Washington, DC

Company

Cogent Communications is a global, Tier 1 facilities-based ISP, consistently ranked as one of the top five networks in the world and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol CCOI. Cogent specializes in providing businesses with high-speed Internet access and Ethernet transport services. Cogent's facilities-based, all-optical IP network backbone provides IP services globally. Since its inception, Cogent has unleashed the benefits of IP technology, building one of the largest and highest capacity IP networks in the world. This network enables Cogent to offer large bandwidth connections at highly competitive prices. Cogent also offers superior customer support by virtue of its end-to-end control of service delivery and network monitoring. A competitive base salary and a full benefits package including; Health, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off (PTO), Short- and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Holidays, Parental Leave, 401(k) plan with employer match, stock options, and an Employee Assistance Program. Most benefits take effect within 30 days of employment, and some require a waiting period.

Compensation

[Starting / Initial] Base Salary Pay Range: $70,000-$85,000/yr.

Specific offers within the listed pay ranges are determined by a variety of factors such as experience, education, skills, certifications and business needs.

Responsibilities

• Monitor network health, alarms, and performance across optical (DWDM) and IP platforms using vendor and in-house tools
• Perform initial triage, fault isolation, and root-cause analysis for hardware, optical, and transport-layer issues
• Execute break/fix activities including card replacements, optical power troubleshooting, and circuit restoration
• Open, update, and resolve incident tickets in accordance with SLAs and internal processes
• Dispatch and coordinate with field engineers, smart-hands, and third-party vendors
• Maintain accurate documentation of events, configurations, and procedures
• Escalate complex issues to appropriate engineering teams with well-documented findings

Qualifications

Required Technical Skills:

• Experience supporting optical transport and IP networks in a NOC, operations, or break/fix environment
• Working knowledge of DWDM concepts, including wavelengths, amplification, ROADMs, and OTN framing
• Troubleshooting-level understanding of IP routing and transport fundamentals, including TCP/IP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP
• Experience with one or more of the following platforms:
• Cisco ASR series
• Cisco NCS/MSTP platforms including NCS 2000, NCS 1001, 1004, 1010, and 1014
• Ciena 6500, RLS, and Waveserver
• Arista 7800 Series Routers

Tools & Software

• Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Excel) – professional written communication, tracking, and reporting
• Network monitoring (Ciena MCP / Site Manager, SNMP-based platforms)
• Terminal/SSH clients (PuTTY, SecureCRT)
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a technical field, or equivalent work experience
• 2+ years in a NOC, network support, or transport operations role
• Industry certifications a plus: Ciena OC-A/OC-P, Cisco CCNA/CCNP (Service Provider or Enterprise)

Work Conditions

24x7x365 shift environment (3 individual shifts, weekends, and holidays as required)

Primarily office/NOC-based in Overland Park, KS, Washington, DC and/or Herndon, VA.

By submitting an application or resume for this position, I understand that is an in-office position. To apply for the NOC position, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@cogentco.com.

Applicants Only -No Recruiters Please!

Cogent Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer.