Collaboration Engineer III

Salary Range: $98,564 - $129,365
This is an exempt position. Pay rates are based on education, skill, experience level and internal equity.

Follow Your Calling, Find Your Career
The success of Mecklenburg County rests on strong, competent talent at all levels of the organization. We are a growing team of talented and passionate IT professionals who are dedicated to delivering creative tools and innovative solutions to engage and serve more than 1 million County residents as well as 6,000 employees. Our mission is to serve the residents of Mecklenburg County by providing business-valued IT solutions and services that are flexible, engaging, and innovative.

POSITION SUMMARY
This advanced-level position is responsible for leading the architecture, design, implementation and lifecycle management of the enterprise Cisco collaboration and contact center environment. This role serves as the technical lead for the Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) environment, ensuring the scalability, security, and performance of the enterprise VoIP network, and overseeing the E911 system based on Cisco Emergency Responder. As the key subject matter expert for Cisco collaboration technologies, this engineer plays a pivotal role in defining enterprise communication strategies, driving innovation, and ensuring alignment with business objectives.

Responsibilities include architecting, deploying, and optimizing CUCM, VoIP endpoints, and associated network infrastructure to support a resilient and efficient collaboration ecosystem. Additionally, the role includes leading the design, integration, and maintenance of the Cisco Emergency Responder system to ensure compliance with E911 regulations and precise emergency call routing. The engineer collaborates with IT leadership, enterprise architects, and strategy and planning teams to develop and refine the technology roadmap, ensuring future-ready solutions that align with organizational goals. This position works closely with cross-functional IT teams, including security, networking, and application development, to evaluate emerging technologies, address complex technical challenges, and implement best practices. The engineer is responsible for establishing standards, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the reliability and effectiveness of enterprise communication solutions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Strategy, Architecture, and Design:
Define and lead the strategic direction for Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM), VoIP infrastructure, and collaboration services.
Architect and design enterprise collaboration solutions to ensure reliability, scalability, and futureproofing.
Develop long-term technology roadmaps in collaboration with IT leadership, architecture, and strategy teams.
Evaluate, recommend, and implement new features, integrations, and enhancements to drive continuous improvement.
Lead the design and implementation of Cisco Emergency Responder to enhance emergency call routing and compliance with E911 regulations.

Implementation and Optimization:
Oversee large-scale deployments and upgrades of CUCM, VoIP endpoints, and collaboration infrastructure.
Develop automation strategies for provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance of Cisco collaboration technologies.
Ensure seamless integration of collaboration tools with cloud and hybrid environments.
Establish performance benchmarks and optimization strategies to enhance system efficiency.

Technical Support and Troubleshooting:
Serve as the top escalation point for complex issues related to CUCM, VoIP endpoints, gateways, and Cisco Emergency Responder.
Lead root cause analysis efforts and implement long-term corrective actions to improve system reliability.
Establish monitoring frameworks and proactive maintenance plans to minimize downtime and service disruptions.
Collaborate with IT teams to develop standardized troubleshooting procedures and enhance service response times.

Security and Compliance:
Develop and enforce enterprise security standards for voice and collaboration technologies, including encryption, access controls, and monitoring.
Ensure compliance with E911 regulations, data protection policies, and industry security frameworks.
Conduct risk assessments, audits, and vulnerability management initiatives to strengthen system security.
Oversee the deployment of security patches, updates, and configuration hardening strategies.

Training, Documentation, and Mentorship:
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, including architecture diagrams, configuration guidelines, and operational procedures.
Provide advanced training and mentorship to IT teams on collaboration technologies and best practices.
Lead cross-functional knowledge-sharing initiatives to ensure effective collaboration between IT and business teams.
Design training programs for end-users to maximize adoption and efficiency of collaboration tools.

Customer and Business Engagement:
Act as a strategic advisor to business units, ensuring communication solutions align with organizational goals.
Partner with stakeholders to design and implement collaboration enhancements tailored to business needs.
Oversee service request management and ensure adherence to SLAs for VoIP and collaboration services.
Advocate for innovation by identifying opportunities to integrate emerging collaboration technologies into the enterprise environment.

Continuous Improvement and Leadership:
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the performance and reliability of collaboration platforms.
Participate in industry forums, certifications, and technology leadership programs to stay ahead of trends.
Provide leadership in cross-functional IT projects and contribute to enterprise-wide technology transformation efforts.
Champion the adoption of automation, AI-driven collaboration tools, and cloud-based solutions to future-proof the organization's communication capabilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible technical systems experience in VOIP or Information technology with a strong emphasis on security-related functions. The ideal candidate for a security role will have exposure to server management, networking, firewalls or other security devices in addition to traditional desktop or service desk functions.
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or closely related field
Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted: Yes

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Industry certifications related to Information Technologies, Networking and VoIP
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of

• Information technology and trends
• Awareness of many Information Technology concepts and discipline areas
• Knowledge of County policies and business unit functions
• Knowledge of HIPAA laws and regulations
• Knowledge of PCI-DSS standards.
• Knowledge of Information Security principles, techniques, and technologies
• Detailed knowledge of VoIP fundamentals (including voice compression, packetization, and the differences between analog and digital voice signals)
• Detailed knowledge of Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) configuration, including endpoint setup, user management, and call routing.
• Detailed knowledge of Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CUCME features and dial plans.
• Troubleshooting voice network issues.
• Detailed knowledge of networking topologies
• Knowledge of project management skills
• Knowledge of vendor management
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interface with management and staff
• Technical writing and documentation skills
• Knowledge of PCI Compliance laws and regulations

Skills

• Define, track, and assure responsiveness to clients' information technology problems
• Prepare status reports
• Effectively coordinate, perform and complete multiple duties and assignments concurrently and in a timely manner
• Categorize time spent, requests for service and assets according to provided definitions

Abilities

• Contributing to Team Success: Actively participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.
• Building Partnerships: Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Communication: Clearly conveys information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.
• Collaboration: Works effectively and cooperatively with others; establishes and maintains good working relationships.
• Customer Focus: Ensures that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafts and implements service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs.
• Decision Making: Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; compares data from different sources to draw conclusions; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
• Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills: Has achieved a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas; keeps up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.
• Driving for Results: Sets high goals for personal and group accomplishment; uses measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals; tenaciously works to meet or exceed goals while deriving satisfaction from that achievement and continuous improvement.
• Planning and Organizing: Establishes courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
• Managing Conflict: Deals effectively with others in an adversarial situation; uses appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people.

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Advanced proficiency in various computer applications
• Proficient in creating call manager scripts.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Physical Demands Frequency
Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. Constantly (26 or more hrs/week)
The person in this position needs to move about from point X to point Y. Occasionally (up to 10 hrs/week)
Operates a computer or other office equipment. Constantly (26 or more hrs/week)
Ascends/Descends a ladder to perform duties or operate equipment. Occasionally (up to 10 hrs/week)
The person in this role is required to position themselves to maintain
equipment such as computers, servers, machinery, etc. Constantly (26 or more hrs/week)
The person in this role frequently communicates and must be able to
exchange and convey information. Constantly (26 or more hrs/week)
Must be able to review information on paper or computer. Constantly (26 or more hrs/week)
Must be able to discern information from long distances. Not Applicable
Must be able to detect or distinguish flavor or smells. Not Applicable

Demand Weight Frequency
Must be able to carry/move equipment 10 lbs or less Occasionally
Must be able to carry/move equipment 11-20 lbs Occasionally
Must be able to carry/move equipment 21-50 lbs Occasionally
Must be able to carry/move equipment 51-100 lbs Not Applicable
Must be able to carry/move equipment Over 100 lbs Not Applicable

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT
This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, requirements or working conditions. Other duties may be assigned based on business need and the supervisor’s request. Mecklenburg County reserves the right to revise the job description at any time. Designated positions may be required to assist in emergency and/or disaster situations.