Technician Discipline & Skills Matrix

Discipline Definition

Network and IT Technicians at [MATTFAULKNER] support infrastructure operations across client environments, with a focus on reliability, security, and excellent service delivery. Responsibilities span data circuit management, network switch health and port configuration, incident response, WiFi troubleshooting, and ongoing documentation and process improvement. Technicians are expected to grow their technical depth, operate with increasing autonomy, and contribute to the operational maturity of the team over time.

Level Overview

Level	Title	Classification
Level 1	Technician I	Part-Time / Contractor / Entry Full-Time
Level 2	Technician II	Full-Time
Level 3	Technician III	Full-Time
Level 4	Senior Technician	Full-Time

Capability Matrix

Technical Patterns & Practices

Capability	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Fundamentals	Displays knowledge of networking and IT fundamentals required for the role	Consistently applies fundamentals and assists team members when needed	Consistently applies fundamentals; independently mentors peers on best practices	Ensures adherence to technical fundamentals and industry best practices across the team
Troubleshooting	Understands and applies basic troubleshooting concepts and processes	Demonstrates elevated troubleshooting experience; applies structured diagnostic processes	Independently diagnoses and resolves complex issues without guidance	Independently diagnoses complex issues and provides creative, scalable solutions
Networking Knowledge	Understands OSI model, IP addressing, VLANs, and switching basics	Demonstrates working knowledge of routing, switching, and wireless fundamentals	Demonstrates and shares advanced knowledge of network architecture and protocols	Expert in networking domain with broad understanding of industry standards and emerging technologies
Security Practices	Understands importance of security standards and data protection requirements; adheres to PCI and company policy	Implements appropriate security controls; mentors peers on security best practices and company-specific standards	Proactively identifies security risks and formulates and implements solutions; escalates to leadership as appropriate	Provides guidance and mentorship on security patterns; ensures team-wide adherence to security and compliance requirements
Documentation	Documents work in assigned systems following provided templates	Recognizes gaps in documentation and provides solutions to close them	Produces and maintains high-quality runbooks, SOPs, and incident playbooks	Drives documentation standards across the team; ensures knowledge base is current and complete

Business Acumen

Capability	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Business Understanding	Demonstrates general understanding of own area and curiosity about broader business problems	Demonstrates understanding of how operations impact upstream and downstream workflows and client relationships	Understands the technical needs of the business and how they relate to operational decisions; track record of actionable recommendations	Understands the relationship between technology and business outcomes; creates strategies to help clients and [MATTFAULKNER] operate more effectively
Client Awareness	Understands that work directly impacts client experience and behaves accordingly	Understands client SLAs and the business impact of incidents and outages	Anticipates client needs and proactively communicates risks or dependencies	Identifies and investigates client needs and priorities to ensure the correct problems are being solved

Effective Communication & Collaboration

Capability	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Communication	Communicates clearly and concisely in written and verbal formats; uses approved communication tools	Communicates complex information clearly to diverse audiences; organizes updates to drive action	Proactively shares status, scope, dependencies, and decisions with relevant stakeholders in a timely manner	Demonstrates high self-awareness; tailors communication style to audience to achieve desired outcomes
Collaboration	Listens effectively, asks good questions, and shares information with team	Collaborates across teams to identify and implement solutions	Collaborates across teams on technical solutions; manages group dynamics effectively	Drives cross-functional collaboration; ensures the right people with the right expertise are involved
Tool Proficiency	Uses current communication and ticketing tools (e.g., email, Slack, ticketing system)	Contributes to improvement of communication tools and workflows	Recommends improvements to communication and documentation tools	Champions adoption of communication and collaboration tools across the broader team

Work Management

Capability	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Task Ownership	Takes ownership of assigned tasks; gathers information needed to prioritize and complete work	Takes ownership of tasks; uses work management data to prioritize backlog and communicates issues to leadership	Uses work management data to prioritize own backlog and contributes to team backlog management	Manages own and team backlog using work management data; delegates and works with stakeholders to accomplish tasks efficiently
Problem Resolution	Identifies why a problem is occurring; analyzes available data and creates a resolution plan	Identifies root cause and creates resolution plans using technical solutions	Identifies root cause and implements technical solutions independently	Identifies root cause, implements solutions, and uses findings to improve processes and prevent recurrence
SLA Adherence	Understands target SLAs for their area	Understands and consistently delivers within target SLAs	Consistently delivers within SLAs; identifies systemic risks to SLA performance	Consistently delivers within SLAs; recommends SLA improvements based on operational data
Process Improvement	Adheres to established processes and procedures	Adheres to processes; identifies and communicates gaps to leadership	Analyzes and improves existing work processes; mentors within own team	Track record of analyzing and improving processes; provides mentorship to the broader team
Project Management	N/A	Understands project management best practices	Applies project management principles effectively	Applies project management principles to deliver work on schedule, within scope and budget
Schedule Adherence	Adheres to scheduled work times	Adheres to scheduled work times	Adheres to scheduled work times	Adheres to scheduled work times; provides schedule recommendations based on team needs

Network Operations (Domain-Specific)

Capability	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Circuit Management	Understands circuit types and basic lifecycle; assists with tracking and documentation	Manages circuit tickets, coordinates with carriers, and tracks status through resolution	Independently manages circuit lifecycle including escalation, vendor coordination, and root cause documentation	Oversees circuit management practices; identifies patterns and recommends process improvements
Switch Health & Port Config	Performs basic port checks and status verification under supervision	Configures and troubleshoots switch ports, VLANs, and basic access policies independently	Manages switch configurations, conducts health reviews, and maintains documentation	Designs and enforces switch configuration standards; leads health review processes
Incident Response	Responds to assigned incidents following documented playbooks	Responds to and resolves incidents; documents findings and follows escalation paths	Leads incident response for complex issues; produces post-incident documentation	Leads and improves incident response processes; defines escalation paths and playbook standards
WiFi Troubleshooting	Performs basic WiFi diagnostics (signal strength, channel, SSID) with guidance	Independently diagnoses and resolves WiFi complaints; documents findings	Performs advanced wireless troubleshooting including RF analysis and AP configuration review	Evaluates wireless environment holistically; recommends design or configuration improvements
Monitoring & Alerting	Understands monitoring dashboards; escalates alerts per documented procedures	Responds to monitoring alerts; triages and routes appropriately	Tunes monitoring thresholds and contributes to alert logic improvements	Defines monitoring strategy; ensures coverage across all critical systems and circuits

Qualifications

Experience

	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Industry Experience	0–1 year in IT or network operations	1–3 years in IT or network operations	3–5 years in IT or network operations	5+ years in IT or network operations
Technical Support	0–1 year troubleshooting or supporting technical systems	1–3 years of hands-on technical support	3–5 years of technical support with demonstrated independence	5+ years with demonstrated expertise and leadership
Project Management	Not required	Awareness of PM best practices	0–1 year of project involvement	1–3 years of project management experience
Stakeholder Management	Not required	Not required	Experience managing stakeholder relationships	Demonstrated track record managing stakeholder relationships

Education & Credentials

	Technician I	Technician II	Technician III	Senior Technician
Education	4-year degree in related field preferred, or equivalent experience	4-year degree in related field preferred, or equivalent experience	4-year degree in related field preferred, or equivalent experience	4-year degree in related field preferred, or equivalent experience
Certifications	CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) or equivalent preferred	CompTIA Network+ or equivalent preferred	CompTIA Network+, CCNA, or equivalent required	CCNA, CCNP, or equivalent required; security certification preferred

Notes

This matrix is a living document and will be updated as [MATTFAULKNER] team capabilities and client environment complexity evolve.
Levels are not strictly tied to tenure. Advancement is based on demonstrated capability across all categories above.
Contractors are evaluated against the same capability standards as full-time employees at the equivalent level.