Senior Wide Area Network Engineer

Best consideration date for applications: Tuesday, December 1, 2026

PURPOSE OF POSITION

The Senior Network Engineer reports to Executive Director of MDREN, contributes to the long-term development of MDREN's statewide complex and heterogeneous data communications systems. The role is responsible for evolving MDREN’s architecture to support scalable, resilient, and high-performance connectivity for research, education, and partner networks, including integration with regional and national R&E networks.

The Senior Network Engineer provides technical leadership in the design, implementation, and operation of MDREN’s statewide Wide Area Network (WAN) and optical transport infrastructure. This includes advanced routing, switching, and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM)-based optical systems supporting high-capacity (100G/400G+) backbone services. The engineer takes a leadership role in the day-to-day operation of the network. The senior network engineer develops technical solutions for data, video, and convergence of the voice systems in support of MDREN’s goals and objectives. The position is expected to provide leadership and strategic input and will work with staff and technical institutional contacts in support of the MDREN network.

The activities of this position support the mission and goals of MDREN, member institutions, and University System of Maryland (USM).

RESPONSIBILITIES

Network Operations, Monitoring, and Maintenance:

• Maintains and operates MDREN’s statewide wide area network (WAN) infrastructure, including core, edge, and optical transport layers.
• Ensures high availability, performance, and resilience across all backbone and interconnection services.
• Responds to and corrects problems within the MDREN network.
• Monitors network activity to detect, identify, and address security issues, events, and intrusions to the Network.
• Proactively monitors all enterprise communication systems for proper, stable operation, taking appropriate corrective action if required.
• Ensures networking maintenance and upgrades are coordinated with the affected parties.
• Works with network equipment vendors to find effective solutions to network issues and upgrades.
• Maintains related computer systems, software packages, and network appliances in support of the network.
• Develops implementation plans and schedules.
• Develops and maintains documentation, policies, procedures, and methods for the operation of the MDREN network.

WAN & Optical Network Architecture & Engineering:

• Designs, engineers, and maintains MDREN’s statewide WAN, including backbone, regional aggregation, and partner interconnects.
• Leads architecture and deployment of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical transport systems, including wavelength services, reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) configurations, and optical path engineering.
• Integrates and operates optical/IP convergence architectures, leveraging router-based DWDM optics where applicable.
• Engineers and supports high-capacity backbone upgrades (100G/400G and beyond).
• Collaborates with member institutions and partner research and education networks (RENs) on interconnection design and capacity planning.

Member Engagement and Network Services Support:

• Supports and contributes to MDREN’s web presence by maintaining accurate, up-to-date technical content related to network services, infrastructure status, and member resources.
• Collaborates with MDREN leadership and administrative staff to ensure the website reflects current services, network architecture, and strategic initiatives.
• Provides technical oversight for website content related to network operations, including service documentation, outage notifications, and performance information.
• Assists in the administration and continuous improvement of the MDREN website, including recommending enhancements to structure, usability, and future design to better support member institutions and stakeholders.
• Provides technical support and guidance to MDREN member institutions to ensure effective use of network services.
• Serves as a primary technical resource for member institutions on network services and connectivity.
• Troubleshoots and resolves member-reported network issues.
• Communicates network changes, outages, and upgrades to affected members.
• Supports onboarding of new member connections and services.

Research, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement:

• Identifies and evaluates emerging technologies and best practices to enhance network capabilities.
• Researches new technologies, tools, and methodologies relevant to enterprise and research network environments.
• Evaluates and recommends improvements to network architecture, performance, and security.
• Supports long-term strategic planning for network evolution.