Senior L3 Network Engineer

Senior L3 Network Engineer

Location: Durham, NC - Hybrid (3+ days onsite per week)
Duration: 12+ Months
Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Summary

STAFFXPERT LLC is seeking a Senior L3 Network Engineer on behalf of our client in Durham, NC
. This role is ideal for an experienced network engineering professional with deep expertise in Cisco, Palo Alto, SD-WAN, cloud networking, automation, and manufacturing/OT environments. The engineer will provide advanced L3 support while contributing to network modernization, automation, security, and infrastructure projects.

• Provide L3 network support across enterprise, data center, cloud, and manufacturing environments.
• Design, deploy, and maintain Cisco routing and switching infrastructure across Catalyst, Nexus, ISR, and ASR platforms.
• Configure and troubleshoot BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, route redistribution, and advanced Layer 2/Layer 3 technologies.
• Manage Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls, Panorama, Global Protect, NAT, and security policies.
• Implement Zero Trust, network segmentation, and IT/OT security controls.
• Design, deploy, and support Cisco Viptela and Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN environments.
• Support infrastructure and compute-related projects, including virtualization and data center initiatives.
• Manage WAN connectivity across MPLS, Internet, DIA, VPN, and hybrid environments.
• Design and support cloud networking across AWS, Azure, and GCP.
• Implement and maintain cloud connectivity solutions such as Express Route, Direct Connect, Cloud VPN, Transit Gateway, and Virtual WAN.
• Support OT/industrial networks, including SCADA, PLC, MES, and manufacturing systems.
• Perform root cause analysis, problem management, and major incident resolution.
• Develop network automation using Terraform, Ansible, Python, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices.
• Monitor network performance, security, and availability using enterprise monitoring and security platforms.
• Create technical documentation and contribute to network modernization initiatives.
• Collaborate with security, cloud, infrastructure, and engineering teams on strategic projects.

• 10+ years of enterprise network engineering experience.
• Strong expertise in Cisco routing and switching technologies.
• Hands‑on experience with Palo Alto firewalls, Panorama, and Global Protect.
• Strong experience with Cisco Viptela and/or Palo Alto Prisma SD-WAN.
• Advanced knowledge of BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS, VLANs, STP, Ether Channel, HSRP, and QoS.
• Experience with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP networking.
• Strong network security and Zero Trust knowledge.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, or OT environments.
• Hands‑on Terraform and Ansible experience is required.
• Experience with network automation and Python scripting.
• Strong troubleshooting, root‑cause analysis, and incident‑management skills.
• Experience with network monitoring and troubleshooting tools such as Wireshark, Solar Winds, Thousand Eyes, and Splunk.
• Strong communication and technical documentation skills.

• CCNP, PCNSE, or equivalent industry certification.
• Experience with large-scale enterprise network modernization.
• Experience supporting VMware and data center infrastructure projects.
• Experience implementing network segmentation and secure IT/OT architectures.
• Strong experience working across cloud, security, infrastructure, and operations teams.

This is a hybrid position in Durham, NC, requiring onsite presence at least 3 days per week.