Network Engineer

Network Engineer

The Bridgespan Group ("Bridgespan") is a global nonprofit that aims to build a better world by strengthening the ability of mission-driven organizations, philanthropists, impact investors, and corporations to achieve breakthrough results in addressing society's most important challenges and opportunities. Founded in 2000, Bridgespan has offices in Boston, Johannesburg, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore. Across these six locations, we have a diverse team of staff with varied backgrounds and experience across multiple sectors. We work with social change organizations such as TaRL Africa, Tiko, and CAMFED; philanthropies and foundations such as OSF, Women First Fund, and The Ford Foundation; impact investors such as TPG's Rise Fund, Black Ambition, and AfricInvest; and bold funding collaboratives such as TED's Audacious Project and Co-Impact. Bridgespan aims for a world where all people have the opportunity to flourish. Given how society works today—as manifest in systems and mindsets that have developed over time—that opportunity is not accessible to all. We are committed to equity, specifically to doing work to help ensure that race, gender, and other dimensions of identity are not determinants of life outcomes and to building an organization where the diverse set of individuals we need can thrive in pursuit of their full professional potential, and to proactively addressing the systems that help or hinder these goals. It is a commitment to both external equity work and internal inclusivity that gets Bridgespan closer to achieving its mission.

The Network Engineer designs, implements, and maintains the organization's network infrastructure across physical, wireless, and cloud environments. Ensures high availability, security, and performance of LAN, WAN, WLAN, and Azure-based network services while driving modernization and operational excellence. Objectives of the Role

• Designing, deploying, and maintaining robust network infrastructure spanning physical data centers, campus environments, and Azure cloud platforms.
• Ensuring network availability, performance, and security across LAN, WAN, WLAN, and hybrid cloud environments.
• Partner with IT leadership and architecture teams to align network design with organizational goals and digital transformation initiatives.
• Monitoring network health, analyzing performance metrics, and proactively resolving issues to minimize downtime and user impact.
• Developing and maintaining documentation for all network systems, configurations, and operational runbooks. Evaluating emerging network technologies and recommending improvements that enhance reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Supporting and mentoring junior network staff and contributing to a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, configure, and manage physical and virtual network infrastructure including routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and wireless access points.
• Administer and optimize LAN environments including VLAN segmentation, spanning tree, and inter-VLAN routing across campus and data center environments.
• Plan, implement, and support WAN connectivity including MPLS, SD-WAN, and internet circuits; manage BGP, OSPF, and other routing protocols.
• Architect and manage enterprise WLAN deployments, including controller-based and cloud-managed wireless systems; ensure RF coverage, capacity, and security standards are met.
• Design and maintain Azure network infrastructure including Virtual Networks (VNets), ExpressRoute, VPN Gateways, Network Security Groups (NSGs), Azure Firewall, and Azure DNS.
• Implement and manage hybrid connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and Azure, including Hub-and-Spoke and Virtual WAN topologies.
• Enforce network security best practices including zero-trust principles, network segmentation, access control lists (ACLs), and firewall policy management.
• Monitor network performance using tools such as SolarWinds, PRTG, Azure Network Watcher, and similar platforms; respond to and resolve incidents within SLA targets.
• Lead network-related change management activities, including planning, testing, and documentation in accordance with ITIL change processes.
• Collaborate with the Security team on vulnerability assessments, patching, and compliance initiatives affecting network infrastructure.
• Support capacity planning, lifecycle management, and refresh projects for physical and cloud network assets.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 5-7+ years of experience in network infrastructure engineering, with cloud and data center experience.
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting complex network environments composed of routers, switches, load balancers, and firewalls.
• Strong understanding of IP routing protocols including BGP and OSPF for IPv4 and IPv6, along with switching fundamentals, MPLS (L2/L3 VPN), VRFs, NAT, ACLs, VLANs, MLAG/LAG, and SNMP.
• Good understanding of data center networking technologies including VXLAN EVPN.
• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following platforms: Cisco Nexus, Juniper MX, Arista, or Dell.
• Hands-on WLAN experience with enterprise platforms such as Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center), Aruba, or Meraki; RF design, site surveys, and wireless security (WPA3, EAP).
• Solid Azure networking experience including; VNets, NSGs, Azure Firewall, ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway, Private Endpoints, and Azure Virtual WAN.
• Fundamental knowledge of Linux operating systems.
• Strong understanding of network technologies including capacity and bandwidth management, network automation, and AIOps.
• Experience with network monitoring tools, SNMP, NetFlow/IPFIX, and logging/SIEM integrations.
• Ability to work effectively in global, cross-functional team environments and implement best operational practices to improve network service quality.
• Industry certifications preferred: CCNP (Enterprise or Data Center), Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate, or equivalent.
• Experience with major cloud providers (AWS, GCP, or Azure), particularly network features and hybrid connectivity.
• Exposure to open-source networking technologies such as FRR, Cumulus Linux, SONiC, or whitebox switching platforms.
• Python scripting or proficiency in another programming language for network tooling and automation.
• Network automation experience using Ansible, Chef, Terraform, or equivalent configuration management tools.
• Experience with flow analysis, metering, and packet trace analysis for network diagnostics and performance investigation.

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO WORK IN THE US WITHOUT SPONSORSHIP, THE BRIDGESPAN GROUP IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP

At Bridgespan, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion because we are passionate about helping our clients achieve breakthrough results. An organization that reflects the diversity of our clients and their beneficiaries will produce deeper relationships, engagement, and insights. Bridgespan is committed to providing equal opportunities. We serve diverse organizations and are committed to non-discrimination. Bridgespan will not discriminate against any employee with respect to any term or condition of employment, including but not limited to less favorable treatment, exclusion from employment or employment opportunities (including hiring, assignment, performance assessment and promotion) on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, gender (including pregnancy), gender identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, expression, veteran's status or other protected characteristics or status. We actively partner with organizations representing minority concerns and interests to build high-performing teams that mirror the communities we serve.

All company sponsored programs including training, job, social and recreational activities are required to be nondiscriminatory and all human resource practices are monitored to ensure equal opportunity.