Network Engineer

Position Title: Network EngineerLocation: San Diego, CA – OnsiteClearance Requirements: NonePosition Status: ContractPay Rate: $50 - $55 per hourNote: Pharmaceutical or Healthcare industry experience is strongly preferredPosition Description:We are seeking an experienced Network Engineer to support a critical enterprise network environment within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. This is a hands-on onsite position responsible for the installation, configuration, monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimization of network infrastructure supporting high-availability business and technology operations.The ideal candidate will have strong Layer 2/Layer 3 networking expertise, experience supporting production and data center environments, and hands-on knowledge of technologies such as Ruckus, Cisco ACI, Cisco ISE, Palo Alto firewalls, F5 load balancers, SD-WAN, and enterprise wireless networking.Pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, or other highly regulated industry experience is strongly preferred, particularly candidates who have supported environments where network availability, security, compliance, change control, and operational reliability are critical.Key ResponsibilitiesInstall, configure, maintain, monitor, upgrade, and decommission enterprise network equipment and telecommunications infrastructure.Provide hands-on support for data center and data hall floor operations, including equipment installation, connectivity testing, turn-up, maintenance, and troubleshooting.Troubleshoot and resolve escalated LAN/WAN, routing, switching, wireless, firewall, and network connectivity issues.Perform Layer 2 and Layer 3 troubleshooting, log analysis, network health assessments, and root cause analysis.Monitor network performance and availability using SolarWinds NPM, NCM, IPAM, NetFlow, PingPlotter, MIB/OID, and related monitoring tools.Respond to network outages and coordinate with carriers, manufacturers, vendors, and technical teams to restore service.Support routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, wireless infrastructure, and other network devices in high-availability production environments.Assist with network design, configuration, deployment, equipment replacement, and infrastructure refresh projects.Support Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and assist Network Engineering with switch, router, and load-balancer configurations.Support network security technologies including Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco ISE, IPS/IDS, NAC, and secure wireless environments.Perform network operating system upgrades, infrastructure maintenance, configuration changes, and planned technology refreshes.Provide second-level technical support and participate in after-hours/on-call support as required.Manage incidents, problems, configurations, and changes in accordance with established IT service management processes.Coordinate vendors and field-service resources supporting network requirements at remote locations.Document technical issues, troubleshooting steps, root causes, corrective actions, and final resolutions.Maintain compliance with SLAs, operational KPIs, change-management procedures, and service-quality standards.Identify opportunities to automate, simplify, and improve network operations and service delivery.Collaborate with Network Engineering, Service Desk, Operations, Security, vendors, and cross-functional technical teams.Stay current with networking technologies, industry standards, and infrastructure best practices.Required Skills/Education:5+ years of hands-on Network Engineering or Technical Support Engineering experience, preferably in an enterprise, data center, managed services, or technology services environment.Pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, biotechnology, or other regulated-industry experience strongly preferred.Experience supporting business-critical or high-availability production environments.Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.Strong knowledge of Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, LAN/WAN, routing, switching, VLANs, TCP/IP, DNS, and network connectivity.Hands-on experience with Ruckus LAN/WLAN, including:Ruckus ICX-7150-48PF access switchesRuckus ICX-7650-48F core switchesExperience with SonicWall/Sophos WAN and firewall technologies.Experience with Cisco ACI and Cisco ISE.Experience with Palo Alto firewalls and F5 load balancers.Strong understanding of 802.11 wireless networking, IPS/IDS, NAC, and network security.Operational understanding of SD-WAN technologies and solutions.Experience supporting production environments involving routers, switches, firewalls, global/local load balancing, SSL acceleration, compression/caching, and DNS.Experience supporting data center/data hall operations.Strong network troubleshooting, diagnostic, analytical, and root cause analysis skills.Experience with Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Configuration Management.Familiarity with ServiceNow or comparable ITSM platforms.Ability to coordinate multiple vendors and technical teams to resolve complex infrastructure issues.Strong written and verbal communication skills.Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in a fast-paced production environment.Preferred CertificationsCCNA – Cisco Certified Network AssociateCCNP – Cisco Certified Network ProfessionalCCIE – Cisco Certified Internetwork ExpertMCSE or related Microsoft certificationRelevant networking, security, cloud, or infrastructure certificationsAbout Seneca ResourcesAt Seneca Resources, we are more than just a staffing and consulting firm, we are a trusted career partner. With offices across the U.S. and clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to government organizations, we provide opportunities that help professionals grow their careers while making an impact.When you work with Seneca, you're choosing a company that invests in your success, celebrates your achievements, and connects you to meaningful work with leading organizations nationwide. We take the time to understand your goals and match you with roles that align with your skills and career path. Our consultants and contractors enjoy competitive pay, comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plans, and the support of a dedicated team who will advocate for you every step of the way.Seneca Resources is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.