Escalation Engineer

Summary/Objectives
The Escalation Engineer (Tier 3) owns complex technical issues end-to-end, restores services quickly, and reduces repeat incidents through root cause analysis, documentation, and standardization. This role is highly customer-facing and requires the ability to communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders while troubleshooting across networking, server/virtualization, and Microsoft 365 identity. Most work is remote support from our office, with hands-on staging/build/testing as needed.

This role requires a strong customer-facing mindset with an emphasis on active listening, clear communication, and calm, professional engagement with SMB owners, including the ability to explain technical issues in business terms and provide proactive status updates. The engineer is expected to lead small-to-mid sized projects end to end, partnering effectively with project and account teams while clearly documenting scope, risks, and customer decisions. Consistent documentation and process discipline are critical, with thorough ticket notes, repeatable troubleshooting steps, and ongoing contributions to standard operating procedures and knowledge base content.

Essential Functions
Networking and firewall (Sophos-centric)

• Explain and troubleshoot VLANs, subnetting, private addressing, DHCP, and DNS in production.
• Implement and troubleshoot NAT (outbound and port forwarding) and firewall rule sets.
• Troubleshoot VPNs (site-to-site and remote access) and validate traffic flow end-to-end.
• Resolve common SMB network issues (loops, bad uplinks, mis-tagged VLANs, DHCP scope issues, DNS misconfiguration).
• Strong preference: hands-on Sophos firewall experience in production (or equivalent with clear transferability).

Switching and wireless (Ruckus and Aruba)

• Production experience with at least one of the following: Ruckus (APs/switching) or Aruba (switching/wireless).
• Turn up switches/APs; configure VLANs and SSIDs; troubleshoot connectivity, roaming, and basic RF/coverage issues.
• Operate effectively in mixed-vendor environments (not Cisco-only).

Hands-on staging and deployment (in-office)

• Rack/stack, power, labeling, patching, and uplink validation.
• Console access when needed (serial/USB) and initial device turn-up.
• Baseline configuration: management IP/gateway, credentials, SSH, backups of configuration where applicable.
• Cutover validation and rollback thinking before shipment/hand-off (or remote cutover coordination).

Virtualization and server (Scale, VMware, Hyper-V)

• Troubleshoot VMware and/or Hyper-V (hosts, VM performance/availability issues, networking/storage basics).
• Scale Computing familiarity is a plus (or similar HCI experience with demonstrated ability to ramp quickly).
• Windows Server administration: roles/features, patching, backups/restore concepts, and common troubleshooting patterns.

Microsoft 365 and identity (Commercial, GCC, GCC High)

• Comfortable working beyond user accounts in Microsoft 365 admin experiences.
• MFA and Conditional Access fundamentals (where to configure, common policies, and how to avoid lockouts).
• Hybrid identity concepts; AD Connect basics strongly preferred (what it does and common sync troubleshooting).
• Escalation-level troubleshooting across core services (Exchange Online/Teams/SharePoint fundamentals).

Work Environment
This job operates primarily in a professional office environment. The role provides remote support into customer environments from our office and performs hands-on staging/build/testing of equipment in an office/lab setting. Onsite customer visits may be required based on contract scope.

Physical Demands
This position may require standing, bending, and lifting equipment during staging/build activities. Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs, and to rack/mount equipment with assistance as needed.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
Full-time. Typical schedule is Monday through Friday during business hours. Occasional evening/weekend work may be required for critical incidents, maintenance windows, or cutovers. Light on-call rotation (typically once every few months); occasional after-hours work during critical incidents or cutovers.

Travel
Onsite customer visits may be required for specific contracts, cutovers, or escalations (not routine by default).

Required Education And Experience

• U.S. citizenship required to support certain regulated customers and environments.
• 5+ years of IT support experience with proven escalation ownership (Tier 3 or equivalent).
• Strong networking fundamentals: VLANs, subnetting, DHCP/DNS, routing basics, and troubleshooting methodology.
• Hands-on firewall experience in production: NAT, rule sets, VPN troubleshooting, and change validation (Sophos preferred).
• Production experience with Windows Server and Active Directory fundamentals (AD DS, DNS; basic GPO knowledge).
• Microsoft 365 administration beyond user accounts (identity and security fundamentals; Conditional Access knowledge strongly preferred).
• Strong customer-facing communication and active listening; able to work directly with SMB owners.

Preferred Education And Experience

• MSP experience supporting multiple customers with differing standards and tooling.
• Switching/wireless experience (Ruckus and/or Aruba preferred).
• VMware and/or Hyper-V experience; Scale Computing experience is a plus.
• PowerShell scripting/automation (runbooks, repeatable fixes).
• Compliance/security exposure (CMMC/NIST/CIS) and secure configuration practices.
• Preferred platforms (plus): Sophos, Ruckus, Aruba, Scale Computing, Hyper-V, VMware (plus; not required).

Work Authorization/Security Clearance (if applicable)
U.S. citizenship required to support certain regulated customers and environments.

AAP/EEO Statement
Velocity1 provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Other Duties
Please note that the job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.