Network SME

Req No: SO#100001034201
Title: Network SME
Location: Houston, TX (Hybrid - Onsite 3 days a week)
Duration: 6-12 months contract
Interview: MS Team

Job Description:

Experience:
• 8-12+ Years of relevant IT Experience

Basic Qualification:
• Bachelor's degree in engineering
• Diploma

Certifications:
• NSE4
• CCIE/ CCIE-Data Center
• CCNP - R&S/Security
• PCNSA/PCNSE

Network Operations - Service Deliverables:

The service consists of providing operations support for network & security infrastructure.

Roles & Responsibilities: This role is responsible for providing overall end-to-end technical assurance of network design for client's internal/external LAN/WAN/WIFI services. Provide engineering and technical support for service requests/projects, technical consulting and implementation aspects related to the network infrastructure. Work with client's Network engineering team, Service Delivery/Project Managers and Change Managers to ensure the successful design, development, and implementation of activities in the network infrastructure.

Network & Security Management:

• Oversee and manage routers, switches, firewalls (FortiGate, Cisco, PaloAlto), SDWAN/SDLAN, load balancers (F5), wireless LAN, IPS, proxies, and cloud infrastructure.
• Optimize network performance, security, scalability, and availability through continuous monitoring and automation (SNMP, sFlow, Netconf, telemetry).
• Implement Leaf-Spine/3-Tier architecture, gateway load balancing, and WAN technologies.

Incident Management & Troubleshooting:

• Lead Network P1 calls and drive service restorations.
• Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for network incidents and implement corrective/preventive actions.

Change Management & Implementation:

• Lead execution of key network changes with minimal/no service disruption.
• Lead new technology rollouts and network scope expansions, ensuring team readiness.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Work with service owners and cross-functional teams to execute changes and manage impacts.
• Lead all network related communication to stakeholders.

Security, Compliance & Continuous Improvement:

• Drive network security improvements and ensure compliance with organizational standards and SLAs.
• Simplify and optimize processes through automation and continuous learning.
• Enhance network security, stability, and customer satisfaction.

Technology Knowledge Areas -

• Firewall: FortiGate, Palo Alto, Cisco ASA
• SDWAN: Fortinet
• Wi-Fi: Fortinet, Juniper Mist
• Routing: Good knowledge on routing protocols - OSPF, BGP, AIGRP, EIGRP, Static routing
• Switching: Good knowledge on switching protocols STP, LACP, MCLAG, VLAN, VTP
• VPN: Strong knowledge on SSL and IPSEC
• Load Balancer: F5 LTM
• Hands-on knowledge of Ansible, Linux shell and python scripting, and other automation tools
• Experience with enterprise network tools like Splunk, Netscout
• Knowledge on cloud solutions for Network Security (Azure/AWS)
• Hands-on knowledge of Ansible, and python scripting, would be added advantage.

Technology Experience -

• SDWAN & SDLAN Solutions: Hands-on experience in the implementation, troubleshooting, and administration of SDWAN solutions, including Fortinet, FortiGate SDWAN. Proficient in configuring, optimizing, and securing WAN networks, ensuring high availability and performance.
• Routing & Switching: Extensive experience in managing and troubleshooting Cisco Routers and Nexus switches, with in-depth knowledge of routing protocols (OSPF, BGP, static routing, VRF) and switching technologies (VLAN, STP, VPC, stacking).
• Firewalls: Expertise in deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting next-generation firewalls, including Fortinet FortiGate, Checkpoint, Cisco ASA and Palo Alto
• Load Balancers: Hands-on experience in managing and configuring F5 LTM, GTM, APM load balancers, ensuring effective traffic distribution and optimizing network performance and availability.
• IPS/IDS: Proficient in managing and troubleshooting IPS solutions from Checkpoint, Palo Alto, and Fortinet, providing advanced threat prevention and security monitoring.
• Proxy Servers: Expertise in troubleshooting and managing Zscaler PITC proxy servers to ensure secure internet access and application performance.
• Tunneling Protocols: Solid knowledge of IPSEC and GRE tunneling protocols for secure site-to-site and remote access VPNs.
• Cloud Infrastructure & Security: Experience in managing firewall solutions in Cloud environments (Azure/AWS), ensuring security, compliance, and seamless connectivity across cloud-based applications and networks.
• Network Monitoring & Tools: Hands-on experience with network monitoring and management tools like Splunk, Netscout and ThousandEyes for performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and proactive issue resolution.
• Wireless Solutions: Experience in implementing and troubleshooting Fortinet, Juniper Mist Wireless Controllers and Access Points, along with familiarity in managing wireless networks for both SDLAN and traditional LAN environments.

Desirable:

• NSE7 / CCIE-Data Center
• CCNP - R&S, Security
• CCSA/CCSE
• PCNSA/PCNSE
• F5 201/301

Skills: Network, FortiGate/Palo Alto/Cisco ASA/Checkpoint, SDWAN/Fortinet, load balancers/F5, wireless, Juniper, OSPF/BGP/AIGRP/EIGRP, VPN/SSL/IPSEC/GRE, Ansible/Linux/Python, Splunk/NetScout/ThousandEyes , Azure/AWS, STP/LACP/MCLAG/VLAN/VTP.