Network Engineer II

Is this you? Are you a Network Engineer with experience supporting cloud and managed infrastructure environments? Do you thrive in a customer-focused role, enjoy solving complex networking and security challenges, and want to contribute to innovative cloud solutions? If so, we'd like to hear from you! 

Who are we?  Glad you asked! Opti9 is a trusted cloud solutions provider committed to delivering industry-leading, tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of businesses across a wide range of industries. We are a premier Veeam partner, as well as an AWS Premier Consulting Partner and Certified Solution Provider. Our expertise includes managed cloud, backup and replication, disaster recovery, security, and Microsoft 365 solutions. In the public cloud space, we specialize in migration, optimization, transformation, and cloud-first application consulting.  

What sets us apart? A fun, casual, and collaborative culture that embraces fresh ideas, innovation, and a strong customer-first mindset. At Opti9, we work hard, support each other, and never shy away from a challenge. We believe in balancing results with a positive team spirit—and we’re always on the lookout for authentic, accountable individuals who are ready to grow with us and make an impact.  

What would you do?  In this role, you will be a part of a diverse and talented Cloud Networking team that works with a wide range of physical and logical technologies in the Cloud provider space. As a member of the team, you will be tasked with weekly and monthly customer facing projects that involve pushing our infrastructure to the next level while staying competitive in the marketplace we reside in. You will be pushing the boundaries on SDN, micro segmentation, logical circuit technologies, data center designs and concepts, etc. You will be working across multiple vendors for networking and security products that support our public and private cloud infrastructure. Primarily, this role will be focused on doing new customer deployments across our supporting technologies.

This candidate will also require excellent interpersonal skills between internal teams and our customers representing the product workload owners. Also in this role, you will be acting as Tier 3 support to the Cloud Ops and NOC teams as needed outside of regular customer related projects.

What are the details?   

Primary Responsibilities:  

• Support customer facing projects for firewall and route/switch involving design, diagrams, documentation, implementation 

• Deploy and configure new customer environments utilizing NSX, security configurations, VMware Cloud Director networking and related infrastructure technologies

• Troubleshoot and resolve network connectivity issues, including routing, switching, NAT configurations, firewall policies, and network path optimization 

• Manage, maintain, and improve the Palo Alto, FortiGate, and VMware NSX (V/T) SDN infrastructure supporting customer and infrastructure workloads 

• Regularly maps out and documents customer and infrastructure firewall diagrams to current and accurate versions 

• Respond to critical incidents and perform effective troubleshooting and remediation during production outages 

• React to Networking/Security monitoring platform alerting and ensure adherence to customer and infrastructure SLA uptimes 

• Intermediate level understanding of TCP/IP network protocols, including common application protocols 

• Assist with administration and maintenance of all data center and colocation core and distro connectivity all the way down to the access level 

• Configure and support private and hybrid connectivity solutions across customer sites and cloud environments, including Megaport, PacketFabric, Azure ExpressRoute, AWS Direct Connect, and similar services 

• Pro-actively review and maintain client infrastructure residing in the Opti9 environments 

• Collaborate across teams to share technical knowledge, improve operational efficiency and support workload distribution 

• Serve as an escalation point for junior Network Engineers, providing guidance on troubleshooting, implantation and best practices 

• Update, maintain, and implement firewall standards and security best practices to strengthen the organization's overall security posture 

• Partner with customers, Sales Engineering, and internal teams to design scalable, secure network architectures and ensure successful deployment of network security solutions 

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by evaluating emerging technologies, refining operational procedures, and enhancing network reliability and security 

What do you know?    
Required Technical Knowledge and Experience:  

• 2-4 years of hands-on work with Fortinet and Palo Alto UTM next gen firewall technologies. 

• Experience implementing multi-tenancy using VDOMs within FortiOS 

• 2-4 years of experience deploying firewall VMs and basic navigation of VMware environments 

• Strong understanding of networking protocols and technologies, including: 

• BGP, OSPF, TRUNKS, VLANs, Port-Channel, Static routing, MLAG/vPC. 

• VRF, Traffic Shaping / QoS 

• Palo Alto Command line 

• Knowledge of Cisco encryption technologies (IPSec, SSL), and hot standby protocols HSRP and VRRP 

Preferred Technical Knowledge and Experience:  

• Experience with VMware vSphere, NSX-V & NSX-T SDN technologies 

• VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)

• Familiarity with Microsoft Hyper-V 

• Experience with Arista Spine & Leaf Data Center deployments 

• Scripting or automation capabilities using Python, Ansible, or similar technologies

General Knowledge and Experience:  

• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to work effectively with both local and remote staff, teammates, and managers 

• Ability to occasionally adjust work schedule to meet business needs (standard is 40-hour week, with occasional after hours and weekend requirements in an on-call fashion) 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment; ability to multi-task, change direction, effectively prioritize, and meet deadlines 

• Able to clearly and correctly express complex technical concepts in English, both verbally and in writing 

• Effective in basic documentation and diagram creation for customer and infrastructure needs 

• Strong organizational, oral, and written communication skills 

• Working knowledge of data security best practices 

• Strives to grow within the team and personally as an engineer through education, certs, etc. and must have a “can do” attitude 

What do you get from us?       

• Unlimited PTO – That’s right! Unlimited PTO and paid holidays so you can recharge, take care of what matters, and bring your best self to work    

• Flexible Work Options – Enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid schedule with a mix of remote and in-office collaboration if you're located near one of our offices   

• Health, Dental & Vision Coverage – Comprehensive insurance plans to keep you and your family healthy    

• HSA & FSA Plans – Use pre-tax dollars for healthcare and dependent care expenses. Plus, we contribute to your HSA every paycheck    

• Wellness Reimbursement – An annual benefit to support your physical and mental well-being, covering a wide range of health-related expenses    

• 401(k) with Company Match – Invest in your future with our 401(k) plan and company contribution    

• Casual, Supportive Culture – We keep things laid-back but focused, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and accountability    

• Recognition & Rewards – We celebrate wins and recognize contributions with regular programs that highlight your impact    

• Professional Development – Access learning opportunities, training programs and support for certifications to help you grow your career    

• Give Back Together – Participate in group volunteer opportunities and community initiatives that align with our values    

• Zoo Membershi p – Unwind outside of work with a 50% reimbursement on your annual zoo membership    

• A Place You’ll Want to Be – We’re building a team of great people doing meaningful work—and we have fun doing it  

Opti9 provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, service in the military, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Our hiring process includes AI screening for keywords and minimum qualifications. Recruiters review all results.