Cisco Network Engineer

Client cannot sponsor candidates now or in the future Location: Charlotte, NC Hybrid — 3 days onsite (Tuesday and Wednesday, plus one day of your choice) Contract — 1 year Position Summary This role sits on a Telecom Network Support (TNS) team and is responsible for executing key telecom operations tasks in partnership with the Telecom Operations Compliance (TOC) team. The engineer will serve as the primary liaison to TOC, performing compliance-driven operational work such as OpenGear configuration and troubleshooting, Cisco/OpenGear password changes, ACL changes, IOS/OS upgrades, and Patch Mitigation Plan (PMP) review, with work tracked through Footprints and ServiceNow. Ansible playbook development and execution to support these activities is a strong plus. This is a Tier II network operations role , supporting issues escalated from the Network Operations Center (NOC). The ideal candidate has approximately 5 years of hands-on enterprise networking experience , is comfortable troubleshooting production network issues independently, and can clearly communicate their troubleshooting methodology. This position requires an understanding of datacenter and network security technologies. Familiarity with network automation and monitoring is highly valued. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who excels with little supervision and works well in small teams using Agile engineering principles. Responsibilities Support internal data networks with a focus on improving reliability. Serve as a Tier II escalation point for network issues received from the NOC. Perform operational support activities in coordination with the Telecom Operations Compliance team, including: OpenGear configuration and troubleshooting. Password changes on Cisco devices and OpenGear. ACL changes on network devices. Perform IOS/OS upgrades on Cisco devices and support scheduled upgrade initiatives. Review and support execution of Patch Mitigation Plans (PMPs) and related patch activities. Develop, maintain, and execute Ansible playbooks to support repeatable operational tasks (configuration changes, password updates, ACL modifications, and related automation). Enter, update, and manage change requests/tickets in Footprints and ServiceNow associated with device changes and compliance-driven work. Collaborate across all tiers of the operations organization and partner closely with TOC to ensure operational readiness. Contribute to network improvement initiatives and operational process improvements. Perform troubleshooting and analysis of routing, switching, and related network devices in a production enterprise environment. Document troubleshooting steps, operational changes, and technical findings clearly and accurately. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or related discipline plus 2 years of related experience. In lieu of a bachelor's degree: High School diploma/GED plus 6 years of related experience. CCNA certification is required. Approximately 5 years of enterprise networking experience with progressive troubleshooting responsibilities. Previous experience supporting enterprise network operations or a Network Operations Center (NOC). Demonstrated network operations experience troubleshooting enterprise networks with strong TCP/IP fundamentals. Strong knowledge of routing and switching in Cisco environments. Experience performing Cisco IOS/OS updates/upgrades and completing required validation checks. Experience creating/updating operational tickets and documenting device changes in enterprise ticketing/change systems (Footprints and/or ServiceNow preferred). Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce clear documentation and follow controlled operational procedures. Proficiency configuring and troubleshooting common networking protocols and technologies. Ability to troubleshoot routing and switching issues independently in a production environment. Desired Qualifications Prior experience providing network operations support in a large enterprise environment. Experience executing operational changes on network devices, including Cisco IOS/OS upgrades and post-change validation. Hands-on experience with OpenGear configuration and troubleshooting (or similar console/terminal server platforms). Experience implementing device security changes such as password changes and ACL modifications on Cisco/OpenGear/network devices. Ansible automation experience—playbook execution preferred; playbook creation and maintenance is a strong plus. Experience creating and managing operational change documentation/tickets in ServiceNow. Familiarity with network monitoring tools and enterprise datacenter environments. NERC SIP experience is a plus but is not required. #J-18808-Ljbffr