Network Engineer

Description
The client is seeking a Sr Network Engineer to support the wired and wireless network infrastructure across the entire client campus. 200+ buildings spanning multiple campuses and sister institutions across East Tennessee. This is a contract to hire focused on datacenter routing and seasoned network engineering work.
This role will work directly alongside the current network engineer who currently carries the full load of the environment alone. The incoming engineer will take on meaningful ownership quickly, providing relief and allowing the team to function more sustainably. The team is actively growing toward 25 people and undergoing a full network architecture rebuild - a rare opportunity for an engineer who enjoys building from the ground up.
Daily responsibilities include designing, deploying, and maintaining enterprise network infrastructure (routers, switches, firewalls, VPCs, wireless);
Tier 2/3 troubleshooting; monitoring network telemetry; managing project life cycles from discovery through closure; maintaining technical documentation; and participating in an on-call rotation (perm only, contractors are not on-call). The environment includes Cisco, Aruba, Arista (actively shifting the majority of hardware from Cisco to Arista), Fortinet firewalls, and Juniper/Junos.
Skills
Network engineering, bgp, command line, lan/wan, datacenter, routing protocols, enterprise, cisco, juniper, junos, lan wan, routing, switching, firewalls, tcp ip, evpn, vxlan, arista, aruba, fortinet, wireless, azure, solarwinds, wireshark, linux, cloud, automation, scripting, ansible, terraform
Top Skills' Details
- Datacenter & Advanced Routing Protocols:
Must have hands-on experience with high-level routing protocols, specifically BGP. EVPN and VXLAN are preferred.
- Hardware/Software:
Cisco, Arista, and/or Juniper/Junos CLI Proficiency. Does not have to be a specific one but Arista, Juniper/Junos preferred. Candidate must be comfortable working entirely in the command line. Practical litmus test: can they explain how to change an interface from access to trunk mode?
- Wired/Wireless Enterprise Networking:
Must have solid LAN/WAN fundamentals and a working understanding of routing protocols. Wireless experience is preferred but not required if routing protocols are strong.
- Enterprise Infrastructure

Experience:

4+ years in network administration/engineering; ideally someone who has worked in large-scale campus or enterprise environments and is comfortable owning complex, multi-site infrastructure.
- High Autonomy & Self-Direction:
Frank assigns tasks and expects them to run. No hand-holding. Candidate must be proactive, give feedback, and show no feet-dragging.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Associate's degree or equivalent; 4+ years direct network engineering experience; intermediate knowledge of WAN/LAN, DNS/DHCP, Layer 2/3, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, firewalls, ACLs; strong verbal and written communication;
Microsoft Azure networking services knowledge; must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship now or in the future.
Preferred

Certifications:

CCNA, CCNP, ACMA, ACMP, AZ-500, AZ-900, Security+
Preferred Technical

Skills:

Automation tools (Ansible, Terraform, Git Lab); network monitoring tools (Solar Winds, Wireshark, Ekahau, Nmap, netflow, packet capture); hybrid cloud experience;
Linux and Free RADIUS basics; cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud).
Key Attributes for Success:
Comfortable getting deep in configs. Will work closely with a senior engineer who has high standards. Must be able to receive direction and run with it independently.
Experience Level
Expert Level
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Knoxville, TN.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $44.00 - $50.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k)…