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 learning new technologies, systems, processes, and documentation requirements.
• Analytical problem-solving to identify root causes, recognize trends, and develop effective solutions.

Interactions

• Direct Report Title Number N/A
• Indirect Report Title Number N/A
• Other Internal/External Interactions - Chief Information Officer, Vendors, Field Employees/Management

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the major responsibilities.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand or walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop or bend; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 lbs. Must have appropriate vision to see up close, and at a distance with ability to adjust vision and focus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This position might require long hours and weekend work.

Travel
N/A

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in some work environments can be moderate.

Disclaimer
The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted, as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

EEO Statement
Populus Financial Group is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. In compliance with applicable law, Populus Financial Group does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, pregnancy status, or any other protected classification. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotions, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment.