IT Operations Center Intern (NOC)

Overview In business for more than 70 years, Republic Finance is proud to be a trusted lender in over 300 communities across the United States! We specialize in providing flexible lending solutions and outstanding customer service. Driven by our shared mission to pursue excellence for our team, our customers, and our performance, we are continuously improving our customer offerings in tandem with opening more branches in new states each year. We also regularly promote from within and enjoy giving back to the communities we serve. In a nutshell, our company culture is about helping customers, investing in our employee's future, and ensuring that our performance makes an impact on our community! We are seeking an enthusiastic IT Operations center Intern to join our growing Infrastructure and Network Operations team. In this role, you will work under the guidance of senior network engineers to help support, maintain, and optimize enterprise network infrastructure. You will collaborate with infrastructure, security, cloud, and operations teams to ensure reliable, secure, and high-performing network services while gaining hands-on experience with enterprise networking technologies. PLEASE NOTE that this is a hybrid position and requires working onsite at our Plano, TX office. Responsibilities are as follows: Help configure, monitor, and maintain enterprise network infrastructure including routers, switches, wireless access points, firewalls, and VPN solutions. Assist senior engineers in troubleshooting network connectivity, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, and wireless issues. Support the implementation and maintenance of LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, and cloud networking solutions. Help configure network services including VLANs, IP addressing, routing protocols, load balancing, and network segmentation. Participate in network monitoring using enterprise monitoring tools to identify performance issues, outages, and capacity concerns. Assist with installing firmware updates, operating system patches, and network hardware upgrades while following organisational change processes. Develop and maintain network documentation including topology diagrams, IP address management, configuration standards, and operating procedures. Learn to configure and maintain network security technologies including firewalls, VPNs, access control lists (ACLs), and network access control (NAC). Support identity and access management initiatives by assisting with network authentication, role-based access, and secure remote connectivity. Assist with automation of network administration tasks using PowerShell, Python, or other scripting languages. Collaborate with Infrastructure, Cloud, Security, and Help Desk teams to troubleshoot incidents, improve network reliability, and support infrastructure projects. Find opportunities to improve network performance, automate manual processes, and enhance operational efficiency while maintaining high availability. Requirements Currently pursuing (or recently graduated with) a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field. Basic understanding of networking fundamentals including TCP/IP, OSI Model, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP, and subnetting. Familiarity with enterprise networking concepts including VLANs, VPNs, wireless networking, and network security. Basic knowledge of Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, Fortinet, or similar networking technologies. Exposure to network monitoring and troubleshooting tools. Familiarity with Windows and Linux operating systems. Experience with scripting languages such as PowerShell, Python, or Bash is a plus. Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills. Strong eagerness to learn and adapt to new technologies. Good communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally across teams and explain technical concepts clearly. Preferred Qualifications: Fortinet Certified Associate (FCA), Fortinet Certified Fundamentals (FCF), or coursework toward Fortinet Certified Professional (FCP) certification or Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST Networking), CompTIA Network+, or coursework toward Cisco CCNA. Familiarity with cloud networking concepts in Microsoft Azure or AWS. Basic understanding of network security standard processes including firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and Zero Trust principles. Experience with network monitoring platforms such as SolarWinds, PRTG, Nagios, or Azure Network Monitor. Exposure to network automation and Infrastructure as Code concepts using Python, Ansible, or Terraform. Familiarity with Wireshark or other packet analysis tools. Understanding of wireless networking standards (802.11), IPv6, and software-defined networking (SDN). Benefits All employees with Republic Finance can participate in: Employee of the Month Program Philanthropic support for multiple charities including an annual drive for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Professional offices with a friendly team environment Employee Assistance Program - Confidential mental health support Access to LinkedIn Learning's library of 10,000+ professional development courses All Full-Time employees are eligible for: Health/Dental/Vision Insurance 15 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) to start + 1 additional personal day 401k + employer match Company provided Life Insurance & Long Term Disability Republic Finance, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age disability or veteran status in employment opportunities and benefits. Republic Finance, LLC maintains a Drug-Free Workplace.