Senior Network Engineer

Overview

Job Title: Senior Network Engineer (Lead-Level)

Location: Onsite, Southern California

Type: Full-time, Permanent

Role Overview

A forward-thinking public organization supporting over 200,000 residents is seeking an accomplished Network Engineer to take ownership of a complex, city-scale network environment. This is not a maintenance role — it’s a leadership-level opportunity to modernize critical infrastructure that supports public safety, community services, and digital operations across dozens of facilities.

Step in as the lead-level network owner for a city-scale environment with real operational scale and variety. You’ll design, modernize, and harden the entire network stack (L1–L7), introduce best practices, mentor teammates, and drive meaningful change. Budget and leadership support have grown significantly — this is the ideal time to shape the future state instead of just keeping the lights on.

If you’re looking for a hands-on environment where your technical depth directly impacts a community and your decisions set the tone for years to come, this is that rare opportunity.

• Lead network operations across firewalls, switches, wireless, and ISP connectivity, ensuring uptime, scalability, and security.
• Architect and implement improvements across routing, segmentation, and connectivity.
• Troubleshoot complex network issues, driving root-cause analysis and lasting fixes.
• Manage data center design, cabling, power distribution, and environmental controls.
• Oversee DNS, DHCP, and WINS configurations, ensuring seamless service delivery.
• Maintain lifecycle management for network software, firmware, and hardware.
• Implement and tune monitoring tools to proactively detect issues and optimize performance.
• Partner cross-functionally with IT, security, and operations teams to align infrastructure with evolving needs.
• Write and maintain runbooks, diagrams, and documentation to create repeatable excellence.
• Mentor junior staff and champion continuous improvement in network standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience).
• 5+ years of experience in mid-size, complex network environments with full-stack exposure.
• Proficient across all network layers (L1–L7), from cabling and switching to firewalls and load balancing.
• Deep understanding of core protocols: DHCP, STP, VTP, HSRP, EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, and vPC.
• Hands-on with Cisco Nexus, Catalyst, Firepower, Meraki, and Fortigate or Sonic Wall environments.
• Proven track record managing VPNs (IPSec, SSL, SD-WAN) and multi-site networks.
• Operates within structured change management and documentation frameworks.
• Confident communicator and collaborator with strong ownership mentality.
• Equivalent skill level to Cisco CCNP (Enterprise, Data Center, or Security).

• Network design and architecture across multi-site or public environments.
• Public sector, utility, or education networks with high diversity and uptime requirements.
• Wireless optimization, site surveys, and public safety coverage design.
• Exposure to Zero Trust or micro-segmentation architectures (Cisco Secure, Illumio).
• Network automation or infrastructure-as-code (Python, Ansible, templating).
• Monitoring and observability systems:
  Net Flow, SNMP, Syslog, NAC tuning, packet analysis.
• Disaster recovery, redundancy, and failover strategies across data centers.
• Advanced certifications (CCNP/CCIE/Fortinet NSE/Palo Alto PCNSE/Meraki CMSS).

• Real Impact:
  Your work directly supports critical public infrastructure serving hundreds of thousands of people.
• Work-Life Balance: 9/80 schedule — every other weekend is a three-day weekend.
• Career Stability:
  Pension eligibility after tenure milestones and exceptional benefits.
• Comprehensive Coverage:
  Medical, dental, and vision plans among the best in the region.
• Public Sector Advantage:
  Reduced local taxes and long-term job security.
• Supportive Environment:
  Leadership actively investing in modernization and team development.
• Visibility & Ownership:
  Be recognized as the technical lead driving strategy, design, and execution.

Competitive salary range of $114,000–$152,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis now and in the future. This position does not offer sponsorship.