Network Automation Engineer

Network Automation EngineerPTC is a leading manufacturer and marketer of welded and cold drawn mechanical steel tubing and tubular shapes, plated bar and tubing, and fabricated parts and precision components. We value our employees' health and wellness. We offer the following:FREE HealthcareHSA optionDentalVisionLife InsuranceDependent & Spouse Life InsuranceLong Term DisabilityCritical Illness & Accident Coverage401K plan with company matchReferral BonusEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)Annual college scholarship available for children & grandchildren of PTC employeesTuition Reimbursement eligibilityEssential Duties and Responsibilities:Design and deployment: Design, build, and maintain automation solutions for network configuration, provisioning, and orchestration. Integrate network provisioning into CI/CD pipelines to ensure consistent, automated deployment across the network.Scripting and development: Develop automation scripts and playbooks using languages such as Python and frameworks like Ansible. Leverage application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs) to interact with network devices and platforms.Process improvement and optimization: Identify opportunities to automate repetitive network tasks, thereby reducing toil and human error. Create automated test suites and validation procedures for network infrastructure to ensure reliability and performance.Collaboration and technical leadership: Work with cross-functional teams, including network engineers, software developers, and DevOps, to gather requirements and deliver innovative solutions. Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other network engineers on automation best practices.Troubleshooting and monitoring: Use automation tools and frameworks to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve complex network incidents and performance issues. Implement monitoring and telemetry to track network availability, capacity, and performance.Documentation and maintenance: Create and maintain detailed documentation for automation processes, procedures, and network configurations. Stay up-to-date with emerging network technologies and recommend new tools and methodologies.Minimum Education and/or Experience Requirements:Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field is preferredYears of Experience: 5 yearsSkills and Abilities:Programming and scripting: Proficiency in Python is typically required, along with experience in scripting for network automation and PLC programming.Networking fundamentals: A strong understanding of networking protocols and technologies, including TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, DNS, and VLANs.Network automation tools: Extensive hands-on experience with configuration management and orchestration tools such as Ansible, Terraform, and SaltStack.Version control and CI/CD: Familiarity with version control systems like Git and experience with continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines.APIs and data formats: Experience with web service APIs (RESTful), and data formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML.Network devices and platforms: Hands-on experience with major network equipment from vendors like Cisco and Juniper, including experience with their respective automation APIs.Cloud networking: Familiarity with cloud environments and virtualized networking concepts (AWS, Azure, GCP) is often a plus.