Network Engineer – Journeyman

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

📋 Description

• Set up, maintain, oversee, and troubleshoot Cisco Nexus data center switching environments

• Provide support for Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure fabrics and policy-driven network configurations

• Configure and manage APICs, tenants, VRFs, bridge domains, endpoint groups, contracts, and external connectivity

• Facilitate software-defined networking across data center infrastructure

• Install, configure, maintain, refresh, and troubleshoot top-of-rack switches, data center switches, network appliances, and associated connectivity

• Assist with both physical and logical connectivity among servers, storage, virtualization environments, appliances, cloud services, and enterprise networks

• Configure and troubleshoot VLANs, trunks, port channels, vPCs, routing, access controls, and redundant network pathways

• Aid in network architecture, integration, implementation, testing, troubleshooting, and performance analysis

• Collect and document technical requirements for installations, data center connectivity, equipment refreshes, and relocations

• Develop procedures for implementation, migration, cutover, validation, rollback, and outage contingencies

• Execute approved installations, configuration changes, equipment refreshes, and hardware replacements

• Assist with relocation cutovers at USMEPCOM and MEPS locations

• Conduct equipment staging, configuration validation, connectivity testing, implementation, and post-cutover verification

• Collaborate with cabling personnel on rack layouts, patching, fiber, copper cabling, network drops, and equipment interconnections

• Support site surveys and update network diagrams, rack layouts, as-built documentation, and equipment inventories

• Test network devices and configurations prior to production installation

• Apply approved firmware, operating system, vendor, security, and configuration updates

• Configure devices in accordance with security requirements and DISA STIGs

• Monitor availability, utilization, performance, capacity, faults, interfaces, and data center connectivity

• Troubleshoot Layer 2, Layer 3, fabric, switching, routing, latency, packet loss, and connectivity issues

• Support troubleshooting for WAN, LAN, circuit, SD-WAN, firewall, VPN, wireless, and cloud connectivity

• Participate in Outage Response Team activities and assist with diagnosis, restoration, workarounds, corrective actions, and root-cause analysis

• Coordinate technical escalations with senior engineers, Cisco, DISA, telecommunications providers, vendors, and external support organizations

• Assist remote MEPS and other locations with network connectivity issues

• Adhere to incident, change, configuration, release, and service transition processes

• Maintain configurations, implementation records, change documentation, test results, troubleshooting procedures, and knowledge articles

• Identify recurring issues, performance constraints, configuration problems, and potential points of failure

• Escalate complex issues, operational risks, and proposed changes to senior engineering personnel

⛳️ Requirements

• Active Secret clearance or higher

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Networking, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field

• 3 to 7 years of relevant experience in network engineering, network administration, data center networking, or enterprise infrastructure

• Current Cisco Certified Network Professional certification

• Hands-on experience with Cisco Nexus switches and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure

• Experience supporting ACI tenants, VRFs, bridge domains, endpoint groups, contracts, APICs, and external network connectivity

• Familiarity with software-defined networking and policy-driven data center network architectures

• Experience configuring top-of-rack switches, virtual port channels, port channels, VLANs, trunks, routing, and redundant network paths

• Experience with data center connectivity among compute, storage, virtualization, cloud, security, and network platforms

• Experience in network installations, hardware refreshes, migrations, maintenance activities, and relocation cutovers

• Proficiency in executing method-of-procedure documents, implementation plans, test plans, rollback procedures, and cutover checklists

• Experience supporting network-related outages, service restoration, vendor escalation, and root-cause analysis

• Knowledge of Cisco routing and switching technologies, including EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, VLAN routing, and Quality of Service

• Experience with WAN, LAN, SD-WAN, circuits, firewalls, VPNs, wireless infrastructure, load balancers, and cloud connectivity

• Experience with network monitoring, configuration management, performance management, and observability platforms

• Experience applying DISA STIGs or supporting DoD RMF, ATO, IAVA, CND Directive, and POA&M requirements

• Experience in maintaining network diagrams, rack layouts, as-built documentation, equipment inventories, and configuration records

• Familiarity with structured cabling, patch panels, fiber connectivity, inside-plant infrastructure, and network-drop planning

• Additional certifications such as CCNP Data Center, CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Security, CompTIA Security+, or equivalent credentials

• ITIL Foundation or higher certification

• Experience within a federal or Department of Defense network environment

• Willingness to support travel, after-hours outages, maintenance windows, installations, refreshes, and relocation cutovers as required

🏝️ Benefits

• Option for remote work

• Travel or on-site support as needed for installations, site surveys, equipment refreshes, outages, or relocation cutovers

• Opportunity to contribute to a federal government contract program

• After-hours work and maintenance-window support as needed