Cisco Network Engineer, CCIE-Level

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Ireland.

📋 Description

• Act as the ultimate technical authority during critical incidents when standard escalation procedures have failed.

• Conduct in-depth forensic analyses to uncover root causes and offer immediate workarounds or long-term solutions.

• Employ advanced debugging techniques and packet analysis to pinpoint complex network anomalies.

• Provide real-time technical support to restore service availability during significant outages.

• Carry out independent, peer-level evaluations of proposed architectural modifications, capacity enhancements, and new site launches.

• Identify latent risks, single points of failure, and configuration vulnerabilities in suggested network designs.

• Offer a "Red Team" perspective on network modifications to ensure adherence to the highest standards of stability and performance.

• Validate intricate route redistribution methods, BGP policy executions, and high-availability configurations prior to production deployment.

• Deliver expert advice on lifecycle management, technology roadmaps, and hardware/software selections.

• Assist in the technical assessment of new Cisco platforms (e.g., Catalyst 9000 series, Nexus 9k) to ensure compatibility and optimal configuration.

• Counsel leadership on high-risk technical decisions, translating complex network challenges into clear business impact evaluations.

• Contribute to the establishment of network standards, best practices, and operational runbooks.

• Guide internal engineering teams through intricate resolution processes to promote knowledge transfer during engagements.

• Perform post-incident reviews and generate comprehensive root-cause analysis reports.

• Suggest proactive strategies and architectural enhancements to avert the recurrence of critical incidents.

⛳️ Requirements

• Active CCIE Certification (Enterprise Infrastructure or Routing & Switching) is essential.

• At least 10+ years of experience in supporting large-scale, mission-critical, and global Cisco environments.

• Proven experience in managing mission-critical Cisco environments with thousands of users and multiple data centers.

• Established record of successfully resolving intricate, multi-vendor network incidents at the highest technical level.

• Expert-level proficiency in OSPF (multi-area, LSA types, summarization) and EIGRP.

• Advanced skills in BGP configuration, policy-based routing, route filtering, AS-Path manipulation, and complex route redistribution techniques.

• Extensive knowledge of MPLS L3VPNs, L2VPNs, and/or Segment Routing (SR-MPLS) is highly desirable.

• Advanced design and troubleshooting capabilities for VSS (Virtual Switching System) and StackWise Virtual.

• Expert understanding of stateful failover mechanisms, NSF (Non-Stop Forwarding), and graceful restart.

• Comprehensive knowledge of campus and data center switching architectures, spanning-tree optimization, VLAN design, and QoS implementations.

• Familiarity with VXLAN, EVPN, and Cisco ACI is considered a significant advantage.

• Demonstrated ability to operate clearly and effectively during high-stakes, high-pressure outages.

• Ability to articulate complex technical issues to non-technical executives (CTO, CIO) in straightforward business terms.

• Must respond to selective engagement requests with urgency (specific SLA for response to activation required).

• Ability to work independently, providing objective, peer-level analysis without reliance on vendor scripts.

🏝️ Benefits

• Clear scope with no ambiguity over deliverables

• Opportunity for repeat engagements based on performance