Network Engineer/Architect

Job Details Job Ref#: 44738 Duration: 12+ Months (Contract) Pay Rate: $85.00 (W2 only) or $95.00 (C2C) MUST be located in the Los Angeles, able to work onsite downtown LA when needed. Will also travel to client sites in the LA regions as needed. Key Responsibilities Cisco SD-WAN Architecture and Solution Definition Lead the design and definition of Cisco SD-WAN solutions for enterprise and mission-critical environments. Develop SD‑WAN architectures using MPLS, Internet, broadband, LTE/5G, private‑line, and hybrid WAN transport models. Define how Cisco SD‑WAN overlays will operate across existing and future WAN underlays. Design SD‑WAN control, data, and management plane architecture using Cisco SD‑WAN components such as vManage, vBond, vSmart, and Cisco WAN Edge routers. Build and validate SD‑WAN policies for application‑aware routing, traffic steering, segmentation, path preference, SLA‑based forwarding, failover, and resiliency. Define transport‑side and service‑side VPN designs, including how WAN edge devices connect into LAN, firewall, data center, and cloud environments. Lead SD‑WAN migration planning from legacy WAN or MPLS‑centric environments to modern Cisco SD‑WAN architectures. Establish SD‑WAN design standards, implementation templates, validation methods, and operational handoff documentation. Cisco SD-WAN Deployment and Operations Configure, deploy, troubleshoot, and support Cisco SD‑WAN environments using centralized templates, policies, and device‑level configurations. Support Cisco SD‑WAN edge platforms, including Cisco Catalyst 8000/8500, ISR, ASR, and other IOS‑XE SD‑WAN‑capable platforms. Troubleshoot SD‑WAN control connections, tunnel formation, BFD behavior, policy application, routing advertisements, NAT traversal, certificate issues, and overlay reachability. WAN, MPLS, and Routing Integration Design and support WAN environments that include MPLS, carrier Ethernet, Internet, broadband, private fiber, and hybrid transport models. Understand how Cisco SD‑WAN operates over MPLS underlays, including transport VPN design, routing exchange, path selection, QoS treatment, and failover behavior. Support MPLS‑related routing requirements, including L3VPN, L2VPN, VRF segmentation, PE/CE routing, route targets, route distinguishers, and carrier handoff models. Configure and troubleshoot advanced routing using BGP, OSPF, IS‑IS, EIGRP, route redistribution, route filtering, prefix lists, route maps, communities, and routing policies. WAN/LAN Edge and Physical Handoff Integration Define how WAN services terminate into customer environments, including routers, switches, firewalls, optical handoffs, and LAN aggregation points. Validate WAN/LAN interface designs involving routed handoffs, VLAN tagging, trunking, port channels, VRFs, firewall zones, and segmentation boundaries. Understand how fiber‑based services are delivered into a site, including carrier demarcation, cross‑connects, patching, optics, transceivers, and handoff types. Work with field teams and providers to validate fiber paths, patch schedules, port assignments, light levels, media types, and physical connectivity. Troubleshoot physical and Layer1/Layer2 issues involving fiber, optics, dirty connectors, incorrect transceivers, speed/duplex mismatches, VLAN tagging, port configuration, and cabling errors. Ensure SD‑WAN edge devices are properly integrated with upstream carrier services and downstream LAN, firewall, and data center infrastructure. High Availability, Resiliency, and Performance Design resilient SD‑WAN and WAN architectures using dual circuits, diverse carriers, redundant WAN edge devices, diverse fiber paths, HA designs, and multiple transport types. Define failover and traffic‑steering behavior between MPLS, Internet, broadband, LTE/5G, and private transport options. Implement and validate QoS strategies across SD‑WAN, MPLS, and LAN/WAN handoff points. Support voice, video, business‑critical applications, operational technology, cloud services, and venue‑specific traffic requirements. Validate latency, jitter, packet loss, throughput, convergence, tunnel stability, and application performance across the WAN. Use Cisco SD‑WAN analytics, packet captures, flow data, SNMP/telemetry, ThousandEyes, router diagnostics, provider test results, and optical test data to isolate and resolve issues. Senior L4 Escalation and Technical Leadership Serve as the senior escalation point for complex Cisco SD‑WAN, WAN routing, MPLS integration, carrier handoff, and WAN/LAN edge issues. Lead root‑cause analysis for high‑impact or recurring network incidents. Provide technical direction to L1–L3 engineers, field teams, project managers, vendors, and client stakeholders. Review proposed designs and changes for technical accuracy, risk, resiliency, operational impact, and alignment with architecture standards. Lead technical bridges during major incidents, circuit turn‑ups, SD‑WAN migrations, maintenance windows, and cutover events. Communicate clearly with both technical and non‑technical audiences, including client leadership and executive stakeholders. Ideal Candidate Experience as a Senior Technical Leader who understands how to build and operate Cisco SD‑WAN environments over complex underlays, including MPLS and carrier Ethernet services. While deep MPLS knowledge is important, this role is not limited to traditional MPLS engineering. Must be able to define how the SD‑WAN overlay should operate, how it integrates with existing WAN and LAN environments, and how it supports routing, segmentation, performance, resiliency, security, and operational requirements. Understands how WAN services physically enter a site, including carrier handoffs, fiber termination, optics, demarcation points, WAN edge routers, firewalls, and LAN aggregation infrastructure. The role requires hands‑on technical depth, architectural judgment, troubleshooting discipline, and the ability to guide engineering teams through complex design, implementation, migration, and escalation scenarios. Understands the physical reality behind the design — how the carrier circuit enters the building, how fiber is terminated and patched, how the handoff reaches the WAN edge router, and how that router connects into the LAN or security stack. Able to define how SD‑WAN overlays are built across MPLS and Internet transports, how routing and segmentation should work, how applications should be steered across available paths, how failover should behave, and how the WAN edge connects into the broader LAN, firewall, and data center environment. Required Skills/Experience 10+ years of enterprise or service provider network engineering experience, with significant hands‑on responsibility for WAN, routing, and production network environments. Strong hands‑on experience designing, deploying, and troubleshooting Cisco SD‑WAN solutions. Strong understanding of Cisco SD‑WAN architecture, including overlay/underlay design, vManage, vBond, vSmart, WAN edge routing, templates, policies, and centralized management. Experience building Cisco SD‑WAN solutions over MPLS, Internet, broadband, LTE/5G, and hybrid WAN transports. Strong routing expertise with BGP, OSPF, IS‑IS, EIGRP, route redistribution, route filtering, route maps, prefix lists, communities, and policy‑based routing. Working knowledge of MPLS services, including L3VPN, L2VPN, VRFs, PE/CE routing, QoS, and carrier handoff models. Hands‑on experience with Cisco WAN edge and routing platforms such as Cisco Catalyst 8000/8500, ASR, ISR, or equivalent enterprise/service provider platforms. Strong understanding of how WAN circuits physically terminate into customer environments, including carrier handoffs, fiber, optics, routers, switches, firewalls, and LAN aggregation devices. Ability to troubleshoot across multiple layers, including physical fiber, carrier services, routing, SD‑WAN overlays, QoS, firewall integration, and application performance. Experience leading technical cutovers, site migrations, WAN transformations, circuit turn‑ups, and high‑risk maintenance windows. Ability to create clear technical documentation, diagrams, implementation plans, validation plans, and operational handoff materials. Strong communication skills with the ability to explain Cisco SD‑WAN, WAN, routing, and fiber concepts to technical teams, project teams, and client stakeholders. Strong communication skills with the ability to explain Cisco SD‑WAN, WAN, routing, and fiber concepts to technical teams, project teams, and client stakeholders. #J-18808-Ljbffr