Systems Engineer - Senior Lead Networking Specialist - Hybrid Remote IL

First American Bank was founded in Chicago, and over the years has expanded throughout Wisconsin and Florida. As the largest privately held bank in Illinois, we now have over 60 locations and assets of $5+ billion. We are a community bank at heart with international expertise, traditional values, and a forward-looking philosophy. Our employees have the experience and vision to meet the needs of savers, borrowers, and businesses in the 21st century.

First American Bank can offer employees a level of visibility, career growth, and stability that is difficult to find in many larger corporations.

The Senior Lead Networking Specialist is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining complex network infrastructures, including LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, wireless, and data center environments, with a focus on scalability and high availability. In addition, this specialist will be responsible for evaluating current network systems and participate in the identification, development, and implementation of industry standards and security best practices.

• Design, develop, analyze, troubleshoot, and document computer networks (such as Juniper and Cisco Systems) and infrastructure.
• Lead major network projects to support capacity growth, upgrades, new products/features, and integration.
• Maintain in-depth up-to-date knowledge of standards, guidelines, industry trends, etc., for the Networking discipline, including LAN, WAN, SD-Wan, Wireless, Data Center networking and firewalls. Lead the team in the implementation of these standards.
• Execute comprehensive scopes of work in alignment with assigned implementation plans, including system architecture builds, testing protocols, technical documentation, and end-user training.
• Contribute to the development and analysis of network designs and protocols including prototyping and assessment.
• Lead end-to-end planning, engineering, forecasting, and implementation efforts for moderately complex network systems, proactively identifying and aligning resource requirements to ensure optimal performance and scalability.
• Recommend changes in maintenance and systems standards, training support personnel on the conversion and implementation of the system.
• Ensure compliance with change control processes and adherence to standards.
• Participate in the diagnosis, isolation, and resolution of network problems, providing root cause analysis.
• Proactively identify potential issues in the production environment and help recommend potential solutions. Work cross-functionally to accomplish assignments.
• Interact with internal and external peers and managers to exchange complex information related to areas of specialization.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and on-the-job training to more junior engineers.
• Partner with the Information Security team to assess risk of threats to the network and ensure that appropriate actions are taken in a timely manner.
• Conduct and complete additional assignments/projects as designated by management.

• Bachelor’s degree required with emphasis on Computer Science and Management Information Systems.
• Certifications in Cisco, Palo Alto, and/or Aruba are preferred.
• Minimum five years of experience in IT infrastructure and networking, with a strong background in network design, planning, and implementing scalable, highly available, and mission‑critical network environments.
• Advanced knowledge and expertise in Cisco, and Palo Alto Networks required.
• Experience with a variety of routing protocols and IP Addressing (BGP, EIGRP, and OSPF) required.
• Demonstrated experience in project management—including planning, organization, and resource coordination—is required.
• Experience implementing WIFI and VOIP QOS policies in complex environments required.
• Qualified military veterans are encouraged to apply.
• Must be professional, comfortable speaking with external and internal contacts with a demonstrated ability to tailor the message appropriately to the audience and situation effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to convey thoughts and ideas effectively and succinctly via written formats, including emails, letters, and electronic platforms.
• Maintain professional…