Senior Network Engineer

Pepper Construction is a national general contracting and construction management firm that primarily serves the private sector. With offices in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio, Pepper Construction provides clients the experience and resources of a national company, combined with the hands-on approach of a local company.

We are seeking a skilled Sr. Network Engineer with proven experience in Cisco networking technologies and a strong background in network security. This role is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure and efficient network infrastructure across the organization. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with Cisco hardware and software, and a deep understanding of security best practices.

PLEASE NOTE - Candidates not currently located in the Chicago, IL area will not be considered.

This position will be primarily onsite in our Barrington IL office with one day remote and will require travel to Pepper offices and construction job sites in the Midwest.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deploy, configure, and manage Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, and wireless solutions.
• Manage the migration from a traditional on-premise solution to Cisco Secure Access
• Implement and maintain network security protocols , including firewalls, VPNs, and access controls
• Ability to lead end to end network projects and implementations
• Create standard architecture, process and implementation plans for job sites, and manage job site requests
• Monitor and optimize network performance, ensuring reliability and security
• Identify and mitigate network vulnerabilities and threats
• Collaborate with IT and security teams on infrastructure design and risk mitigation
• Maintain documentation for configurations, procedures, and network diagrams
• Support network-related incident response and troubleshooting
• Assist in audits and compliance activities (e.g., ISO, NIST, HIPAA)
• Support the entire corporate and job site network and security configurations

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or related field (or equivalent work experience)
• 7+ years of experience as a Network Engineer in Cisco-based environments
• Strong knowledge of Cisco technologies (routing, switching, wireless, and firewalls)
• Experience with Meraki wireless required
• Proficient in VPN technologies, firewall rule sets, and intrusion prevention systems (IPS)
• Knowledge of network monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, PRTG, Cisco DNA Center)
• Experience with network security tools and concepts (e.g., ACLs, VPN, IDS/IPS, segmentation)
• Familiarity with security standards and frameworks
• Experience with Cisco Secure Access preferred
• Excellent troubleshooting and analytical skills

Certifications:

• Cisco Certification (or in progress) CCNP required , Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) preferred
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate or CCNP Security a plus
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or CompTIA Security+ a plus

The midpoint salary for this role is $140,000. We consider many factors when determining the actual hiring salary. These factors may include location, transferable skills, work experience, licensure and certification, business needs, internal equity, and market demands.

Pepper Construction is dedicated to offering our employees a comprehensive and best-in-class benefits package that prioritizes their physical, financial, and emotional well-being. We offer medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans, a generous 401k match, and a student loan repayment benefit. In addition to paid time off for company holidays, vacation, and personal days, Pepper offers fully paid medical and parental leave, mental health services, and more.

For additional information, visit

Pepper Construction is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Please note: Pepper does not sponsor work visas.