Retail Network Specialist

Populus is an amazing company where our employees stay because they love their teams and the growth opportunities. Additionally, we offer a competitive 401K match, a generous paid time off package, and Health Benefits.

Our mission is to provide a broad range of quality financial products and services delivered with best-in-class customer service. We work and lead with integrity, and we celebrate employees who exemplify our values. Come join our team!

Job Summary

The Retail Networking Specialist supports the availability, performance, security, and continuous improvement of network and telecommunications services across the company’s retail locations. This position provides advanced troubleshooting, incident response, vendor coordination, deployment support, and project execution for broadband, firewall, switching, cellular, voice, and related store technology. The specialist works closely with field teams, internal support groups, service providers, and technicians to restore service quickly, maintain accurate documentation, and deliver reliable technology solutions for new and existing locations.

Major Responsibilities

• Coordinate with internet, telecommunications, managed-service, hardware, and field-service vendors to open cases, schedule work, track progress, escalate delays, and confirm resolution.
• Perform approved configuration changes, testing, validation, and maintenance activities while following change-management, security, and documentation requirements.
• Support network and telecommunications deployments, upgrades, replacements, and lifecycle initiatives, including firewalls, switches, power devices, broadband circuits, cellular solutions, and voice equipment.
• Support new store openings, relocations, remodels, acquisitions, closures, and special projects by coordinating circuit orders, provisioning, equipment shipments, technician dispatches, installation, testing, and activation.
• Create and maintain procedures, knowledge articles, job aids, reports, status updates, and other materials that improve support consistency and knowledge sharing.
• Troubleshoot complex connectivity, performance, hardware, configuration, and telecommunications issues; identify root causes and coordinate timely restoration of service.
• Respond to incidents, service requests, problems, escalations, and emergency outages in accordance with established priorities and service expectations.
• Provide clear, professional, and timely communication to retail locations, field leaders, corporate partners, technicians, and vendors regarding outages, dispatches, project activity, and service restoration.
• Monitor and support broadband, cellular, LAN, WAN, VPN, firewall, managed switching, and hosted voice services for retail locations.
• Maintain accurate ticket notes, troubleshooting records, configurations, circuit details, inventories, contacts, and other operational documentation.
• Assist with equipment and service evaluations, vendor performance reviews, proof-of-concept testing, standards development, and recommendations for network and telecommunications solutions.
• Participate in an on-call rotation or provide after-hours support as required to address business-critical incidents and planned maintenance.
• Track vendor shipments and field-service activity; communicate schedules and requirements to retail and field leadership; verify equipment receipt, installation, securement, and operational readiness.
• Train other staff (primarily within the technology area), ensuring their ability to use new and/or existing operating systems and application software.

Key Competencies

• Analytical problem-solving to identify root causes, recognize trends, and develop effective solutions.
• Clear and professional communication with retail locations, field leaders, internal partners, vendors, and leadership.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate across teams, and take ownership of assignments through completion.
• Effective prioritization and management of multiple incidents, service requests, and project tasks.
• Effective response and decision-making during high-impact incidents, changing priorities, and time-sensitive situations.
• Strong customer focus and relationship building through active listening, clear expectations, and timely follow-through.
• Proactive identification of potential issues, improvement opportunities, and appropriate next steps.
• Adaptability and commitment to lear…