Senior Network Engineer

The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the architecture, implementation, and lifecycle management of Fervo’s network infrastructure, built on the Fortinet platform—including FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiNAC, and Fortinet Secure SD-WAN—across corporate IT, cloud platforms, and site environments.

Fervo is working to build the most cost-effective, repeatable geothermal power plants in the world. Achieving this mission requires secure, resilient, and highly available infrastructure that can scale from early-stage development to full commercial operations. Joining Fervo means operating at the intersection of energy infrastructure and modern enterprise systems—where reliability, safety, and disciplined execution are foundational.

As Fervo expands across multiple sites and transitions assets into long-term operations, the network becomes a critical enabler of business performance, cybersecurity, and enterprise connectivity. Fervo has standardized on the Fortinet platform, and this role will own the design, implementation, and ongoing operation of that platform so our environments scale securely and operate reliably across corporate, cloud, and site environments.

Description

The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the architecture, implementation, and lifecycle management of Fervo’s network infrastructure, built on the Fortinet platform—including FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiNAC, and Fortinet Secure SD-WAN—across corporate, cloud platforms, and site environments. This role sets technical direction for the network, delivers reliable and well-documented systems, and raises the engineering standard of the broader team.

This individual will work closely with internal engineering teams, cybersecurity partners, and external service providers to design, deploy, and maintain network solutions across new site builds and existing assets. Success in this role requires deep hands-on Fortinet expertise, sound architectural judgment, and the ability to own complex infrastructure in uptime-critical environments.

Responsibilities

Network Architecture & Engineering

• Design, implement, and maintain secure, resilient network infrastructure on the Fortinet platform across corporate, cloud, and site environments
• Own configuration and lifecycle management of FortiGate firewalls, FortiSwitch switching, and FortiAP wireless, including high-availability design, firmware planning, and capacity management
• Architect and operate corporate SD-WAN for site-to-site connectivity, traffic steering, and WAN resilience
• Author and maintain network design documentation, topology diagrams, and configuration standards that serve as the technical reference for the team

Centralized Management & Visibility

• Administer FortiManager for centralized policy management, device provisioning, and configuration governance across all managed devices
• Operate FortiAnalyzer for logging, reporting, and event correlation, tuning outputs to support operations, security, and audit needs
• Deploy and manage FortiNAC for network access control, device profiling, and segmentation enforcement
• Drive automation of routine network changes using FortiManager scripts, APIs, and infrastructure-as-code practices

Security & Compliance

• Design and enforce network security controls—segmentation, firewall policy, and secure remote access—in alignment with company cybersecurity policies
• Lead firewall policy lifecycle management, including periodic rule reviews, cleanup, and change-control evidence
• Partner with cybersecurity teams on monitoring, logging, and incident response, leveraging FortiAnalyzer telemetry
• Support network-related risk assessments, audits, and remediation activities, including evidencerequests under applicable compliance frameworks

Operations, Reliability & Leadership

• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex network incidents across enterprise and site environments
• Lead network deployment for new site commissioning, expansions, and infrastructure upgrades, coordinating with engineering, construction, and vendor teams
• Partner with managed service providers and Fortinet support to maintain uptime and drive issues to root-cause resolution
• Mentor engineers and contractors, raising the team’s Fortinet platform proficiency and operational discipline

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 10+ years of experience in network engineering or infrastructure operations
• Deep hands-on experience with the Fortinet product portfolio, including FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiNAC, and Fortinet Secure SD-WAN
• Strong experience with routing and switching protocols (e.g., BGP, OSPF), IPsec and SSL VPN, QoS, and network segmentation design
• Experience supporting hybrid networking environments including cloud platforms (Azure or AWS)
• Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills in complex, uptime-critical infrastructure environments

Preferred

• Fortinet certifications such as FCP (Fortinet Certified Professional) or FCSS (Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist) in Secure Networking or Network Security
• Experience supporting industrial control systems or operational technology environments
• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, or NERC CIP
• Experience in energy, utilities, oil & gas, or other regulated infrastructure sectors
• Experience with network automation, scripting (e.g., Python), or infrastructure-as-code tools

Location

Fervo Energy is headquartered in Houston, TX with satellite offices in the Bay Area, CA, Golden, CO and Reno, NV. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence at the Houston office will be required. Some travel is required for this position.

Fervo Energy commercializes technology to own, develop, and operate geothermal assets as the dispatchable foundation to a 100% clean energy future. As a 24/7, reliable clean energy resource, geothermal energy has a major role to play in the future electric grid and Fervo Energy’s key innovations bring a full suite of modern technology to make geothermal cost competitive. Fervo’s innovations include technologies such as advanced computational models, horizontal drilling, and distributed fiber optic sensing that we have developed with partners including Schlumberger, ARPA-E, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Fervo is supported through Cyclotron Road, the Department of Energy, Stanford University, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Fervo Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, genetic information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.