Senior Network Engineer – Tier 3​/Network Architect

Houston, United States

• Salary 65-75hr contract 120k when hired directly
• City Houston
• State/Province TX
• Country United States

Location:Hybrid (Primarily Remote with On-Site Support as Needed – Central Houston, TX)

Employment Type:Full-Time

We are seeking a highly skilled
Senior Network Engineer
to serve as a
Tier 3 escalation point
and
network architecture leader
within our infrastructure team. This is a hands‑on technical role that combines advanced network engineering expertise with strategic design, architecture, and mentorship responsibilities.

The ideal candidate is a
Cisco expert
with extensive experience in
Cisco Fire Power, Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki, SD-WAN, unified communications, and enterprise‑level routing and switching
. You will play a key role in
supporting, designing, and optimizing
our network infrastructure while mentoring junior staff and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to ensure performance, reliability, and scalability.

You will be joining a close‑knit infrastructure group consisting of:

• 1 Network Project Manager
• 1 Junior Server Administrator
• 1 Senior Server Administrator
• 1 Server Specialist

• Serve as the
  highest level of network escalation (Tier
  3), providing on-site and remote technical support.
• Architect, design, implement, and maintain complex
  LAN/WAN, wireless, firewall, and voice
  infrastructures.
• Configure and manage enterprise-level
  Cisco Fire Power, Catalyst, Meraki
  , and
  SD-WAN/MPLS
  connectivity solutions.
• Support and configure
  unified communications
  including
  CUBE routers, voice gateways, and SIP
  .
• Integrate
  cloud networking
  solutions, including
  Azure Express Route
  connectivity.
• Implement and manage advanced routing and switching protocols (
  OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP
  ) and redundancy technologies (
  HSRP, VRRP, GLBP
  ).
• Configure, monitor, and secure
  wireless networks
  (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) using tools like
  Ekahau
  for spectrum analysis.
• Manage and optimize firewall rules, VPNs (
  SSL and Site‑to‑Site
  ), and IDS/IPS systems.
• Conduct
  packet analysis
  using Wireshark and Net Flow analyzer tools to diagnose and resolve network performance issues.
• Perform
  capacity planning and scalability assessments
  to ensure network growth readiness.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate network solutions into enterprise systems.
• Lead network-related projects, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met.
• Maintain detailed
  network documentation
  and troubleshooting guides.
• Research and recommend new technologies to improve performance, security, and efficiency.
• Mentor junior and mid-level network engineers.
• Engage in
  customer‑facing technical discussions
  to align solutions with business objectives.
• Participate in on‑call rotations, including nights and weekends, for critical issues and maintenance windows.

• Associate degree
  in an IT-related field or equivalent work experience.
• CCNP certification
  (mandatory);
  CCIE strongly preferred
  .
• 8+ years
  of experience in network engineering.
• Advanced experience with
  Cisco Fire Power, Cisco Catalyst, Cisco Meraki
  .
• Experience with
  SD-WAN and MPLS
  solutions.
• Proficiency with
  unified communications
  (CUBE routers, voice gateways, SIP).
• Cloud networking experience, specifically
  Azure Express Route
  .
• Expertise in advanced switching and routing protocols (
  OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP
  ).
• Experience with
  wireless standards
  (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) and
  Ekahau
  tools.
• Strong firewall configuration and management skills.
• Expertise with VPNs (
  SSL and Site‑to‑Site
  ).
• Knowledge of
  IDS/IPS, DNS, DHCP, ICMP, SNMP
  , and other core network protocols.
• Experience with packet analysis and Net Flow tools (
  Wireshark, Manage Engine Net Flow Analyzer
  ).
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills.
• Project…