Hybrid :: Senior Network Engineer opening in Chicago, IL :: 12+ Months Contract

J's Consulting & Solutions - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Mid Level

Chicago, IL

About the position

As a Senior Network Engineer, you will play a critical role in configuring and operating local and wide area networks at scale, both in physical and cloud environments. Your primary responsibility will be to ensure maximum network availability, scalability, reliability, performance, and security for both internal and external consumers. This position requires collaboration with cross-functional teams to implement and maintain network configurations that support various business requirements and initiatives. You will be expected to work in a hybrid model, which includes onsite presence in our Chicago, IL office and Aurora, IL data center as needed. In this role, you will collaborate with resources and third-party vendors to implement and maintain network configurations that meet business needs, while also troubleshooting and resolving any issues that arise. You will be responsible for implementing and maintaining effective monitoring and logging solutions to provide visibility into network operations, ensuring continuous availability and performance. Regular network software maintenance will be part of your duties, including applying upgrades, patches, hot fixes, and security configurations. You will also procure, provision, and maintain network hardware, rapidly detect and troubleshoot technical incidents, and focus on continuous improvements to enhance incident response and prevent recurrence. Automating repetitive networking tasks will be a key part of your responsibilities, as will tracking and assessing network utilization trends and participating in capacity planning activities. You will work within established configuration and change management policies to ensure awareness, approval, and success of changes to the network infrastructure. Additionally, you will create and maintain technical, procedural, and educational documentation and diagrams related to the network ecosystem, while embracing a culture of enablement, customer service, continuous improvement, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Other duties may be assigned as needed.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with resources and third-party vendors to implement and maintain network configurations supporting business needs, and to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Implement and maintain effective monitoring and logging solutions to provide visibility into network operations, ensuring continuous availability, scalability, reliability, performance, and security.
• Perform regular network software maintenance, applying upgrades, patches, hot fixes, and security configurations.
• Procure, provision, and maintain network hardware.
• Rapidly detect, troubleshoot, mitigate, and resolve various technical incidents, and focus on continuous improvements to enhance incident response and prevent recurrence.
• Automate repetitive networking tasks.
• Track and assess network utilization trends and participate in capacity planning activities.
• Work within established configuration and change management policies to ensure awareness, approval, and success of changes to the network infrastructure.
• Create and maintain technical, procedural, and educational documentation and diagrams related to the network ecosystem.
• Embrace a culture of enablement, customer service, continuous improvement, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience operating scalable, available, reliable, secure, high-performance networks in both physical and cloud environments.
• Experience configuring and managing OSPF, BGP, QOS, HSRP and/or similar protocols.
• Working knowledge of network monitoring and diagnostic tools (e.g. OpManager, LiveAction, Solarwinds, tcpdump, Wireshark, NMAP, ICMP-based commands, cloud-native tools, etc.).
• Theoretical and practical understanding of the OSI and TCP/IP models.
• Proficiency with Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls, Cisco ASR routers, and Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switches.
• Experience with cloud networking technologies (Google Cloud Platform preferred).
• Practical understanding of and ability to manage cloud-native, virtual, and appliance-based load balancing solutions.
• Excellent understanding of Internet concepts, technologies, and protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, TLS / SSL, etc.).
• Experience detecting and securing networks against cyber-attacks, breaches, intrusions, and other threats.
• Proficiency managing point-to-point and client-based VPN technologies.
• Ability to manage DNS and Internet domains.
• Experience with Content Delivery Network (CDN) providers such as Akamai and Cloudflare, including management of Web Application Firewall, DDoS, and other security protection capabilities.
• A solid understanding of Kubernetes networking concepts is preferable, particularly within Google Kubernetes Engine.
• Excellence in navigating and prioritizing multiple simultaneous responsibilities of varying scope and complexity.
• Ability to effectively articulate technical concepts via oral, written, and other non-verbal communications to audiences at varying levels of proficiency.
• Demonstrated desire and ability to be self-directed, take ownership of issues, and establish a prominent level of credibility.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure, both independently and in collaboration with others.
• Ability to rapidly learn new technologies via mentoring, formal training, and independent research and testing.
• A genuine desire and willingness to share knowledge effectively with others.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Knowledge of Site Reliability Engineering principles
• Familiarity with Kubernetes networking concepts
• Experience with network security best practices