Network Engineer - Tampa, FL

Essential Job Functions:

Network Design & Implementation:

• Design, configure, and deploy LAN, WAN, and Wireless Networks, ensuring they meet business needs and performance standards.
• Develop and maintain detailed network diagrams and documentation, including IP addressing schemes, network topology, and hardware configurations.
• Implement network solutions to ensure scalability, redundancy, and high availability.
• Collaborate with IT teams and business stakeholders to identify network requirements and recommend solutions.

Network Management & Optimization:

• Monitor the performance of network systems, ensuring optimal throughput, uptime, and minimal latency.
• Perform proactive network capacity planning, including monitoring bandwidth usage and scaling the network infrastructure as needed.
• Optimize network performance through fine-tuning configurations, upgrading hardware, and implementing best practices.
• Manage routing, switching, and traffic management, ensuring efficient data flow across the network.

Network Security:

• Implement and manage network security solutions, including firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and network access control (NAC).
• Ensure the network is secure by applying security best practices, including encryption, access control, and threat mitigation strategies.
• Conduct regular network security assessments, vulnerability scans, and penetration tests to identify and address potential threats.
• Respond to and mitigate network security incidents, ensuring timely resolution and minimal impact on business operations.

Troubleshooting & Support:

• Diagnose and troubleshoot network issues, including outages, performance degradation, and connectivity problems.
• Provide Level 2/3 support for network-related incidents and escalate issues to the appropriate teams when necessary.
• Analyze network logs and monitoring data to identify trends, bottlenecks, and potential issues.
• Collaborate with other IT teams to resolve cross-functional problems affecting network performance.

Network Infrastructure Maintenance:

• Manage and maintain network hardware, including routers, switches, firewalls, wireless access points, and load balancers.
• Apply firmware updates, patches, and configuration changes to ensure all network devices are up to date and secure.
• Schedule and perform regular network maintenance, minimizing downtime and ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Manage network inventory, tracking hardware assets and software licenses.

Wireless Network Management:

• Design, deploy, and manage wireless networks to ensure strong coverage, security, and optimal performance across all company locations.
• Implement wireless security protocols and guest access management to ensure controlled and secure access.
• Monitor and troubleshoot wireless network performance, ensuring minimal interference and optimal signal strength.

Vendor & Service Provider Management:

• Coordinate with external vendors, ISPs, and service providers to troubleshoot issues, request services, and ensure SLA compliance.
• Evaluate new network hardware, software, and services, making recommendations to senior management for procurement.
• Collaborate with vendors during network upgrades, migrations, or new implementations to ensure successful deployment.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity:

• Implement network redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery solutions to ensure business continuity in the event of network failures.
• Design and test backup and recovery processes to ensure that network configurations can be restored in a timely manner.
• Document and maintain disaster recovery procedures for the network infrastructure.

Compliance & Documentation:

• Ensure that the network infrastructure complies with regulatory and security standards, such as PCI-DSS, GDPR, or HIPAA.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of network configurations, processes, and troubleshooting procedures.
• Ensure adherence to change management procedures, minimizing risks associated with network changes.

Required Skills:

• Strong understanding of networking protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, OSPF, BGP, MPLS).
• Familiarity with network monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG, Nagios) and troubleshooting methods (e.g., packet capture analysis).
• Solid knowledge of network security principles, including firewalls, encryption, VPNs, IDS/IPS, and NAC.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure to resolve critical network issues.
• Familiarity with software-defined networking (SDN) and network automation tools.
• Knowledge of ITIL practices and experience with IT service management platforms.

Competencies:

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to think critically when troubleshooting network issues.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• A proactive and self-motivated individual who can work both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong commitment to staying updated with emerging network technologies and best practices.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 3-5+ years of experience as a network engineer or similar role, managing LAN, WAN, wireless networks, and network security.
• Professional certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), CompTIA Network+, or equivalent.
• Experience with cloud networking (e.g., AWS, Azure) and integrating on-premises networks with cloud services.
• Hands-on experience with network hardware such as Cisco, Juniper, HP, or similar networking equipment.
• Experience configuring and managing firewalls (e.g., Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, Fortinet), routers, switches, and VPN technologies.

Travel Requirements:

• N/A