Network Engineer

Job Description

Job Title: Network Engineer
Position Type: Full-Time, Remote
Working Hours: U.S. client business hours (with flexibility for on-call support and critical incident response)

About the Role:
Our client is seeking a Network Engineer to design, configure, secure, and maintain enterprise networks. This role requires strong technical expertise in routing, switching, firewalls, and network monitoring. The Network Engineer ensures networks are high-performing, secure, and resilient, while supporting daily operations and long-term infrastructure planning.

Responsibilities:

Network Configuration & Maintenance:

• Configure and manage routers, switches, and firewalls (Cisco, Juniper, Palo Alto, Fortinet).
• Implement VLANs, VPNs, QoS, and routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP).
• Apply firmware upgrades and ensure device patching.

Monitoring & Troubleshooting:

• Monitor performance with SolarWinds, Nagios, PRTG, or Zabbix.
• Use packet analyzers (Wireshark, TCPdump) to diagnose latency, packet loss, or routing issues.
• Resolve escalated tickets and provide root cause analyses.

Security & Compliance:

• Enforce firewall rules, access control lists (ACLs), and intrusion prevention (Snort, Suricata).
• Support compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOX, GDPR).
• Implement network segmentation and Zero Trust security models.

Performance & Optimization:

• Conduct bandwidth and capacity planning.
• Optimize load balancing and failover systems.
• Maintain ≥99.9% uptime across client environments.

Documentation & Governance:

• Maintain updated network diagrams, runbooks, and topology maps (Visio, Lucidchart).
• Document changes through ITIL or change management processes.

Collaboration & Projects:

• Partner with DevOps and cloud teams to integrate hybrid cloud networking (AWS VPCs, Azure VNets, GCP).
• Support office expansions, migrations, and new data center buildouts.
• Provide recommendations for hardware and vendor selection.

What Makes You a Perfect Fit:

• Strong troubleshooting instincts and calm under pressure.
• Detail-oriented engineer who documents thoroughly.
• Excellent communicator, able to explain technical issues clearly.
• Proactive mindset to prevent outages before they occur.

Required Experience & Skills (Minimum):

• 3+ years in network engineering.
• Cisco CCNA/CCNP or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Knowledge of routing protocols (OSPF, BGP) and enterprise networking concepts.
• Familiarity with network monitoring platforms.

Ideal Experience & Skills:

• CCNP/CCIE, Palo Alto, or Fortinet certifications.
• Experience with cloud networking (AWS VPC, Azure VNets, hybrid networks).
• Familiarity with automation tools (Python, Ansible, Terraform for networking).
• Background supporting multi-site enterprise networks.

What Does a Typical Day Look Like?
A Network Engineer’s day revolves around ensuring networks are stable, secure, and optimized. You will:

• Monitor network health using dashboards and alerts, responding to issues immediately.
• Review and resolve escalated tickets on connectivity or performance.
• Configure devices and services (firewall updates, VPN setup, routing changes).
• Collaborate on migrations, new setups, or cloud integrations.
• Update diagrams and documentation post-change.
• Plan for capacity upgrades and propose network improvements.

In essence: you are the guardian of connectivity and security, ensuring clients have fast, stable, and safe networks every day.

Key Metrics for Success (KPIs):

• Network uptime ≥ 99.9%.
• Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) within SLA.
• Zero missed critical patches or compliance violations.
• Accurate, up-to-date network documentation.
• Positive end-user feedback on performance.

Interview Process:

• Initial Phone Screen
• Video Interview with Pavago Recruiter
• Technical Task (e.g., troubleshoot a simulated network diagram or configure a VLAN)
• Client Interview with Engineering/IT Team
• Offer & Background Verification