Senior Network Engineer

POSITION OVERVIEW FLSA: Exempt, Full Time Department: Information Technology (IT) Division: DAN Services Inc Primary Worksite: 6 West Colony Place, Durham, NC Reports to: Vice-President of Information Technology JOB SUMMARY The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, administration, security, and continuous improvement of the organization's enterprise network infrastructure. This role ensures the availability, performance, and security of wired and wireless networks supporting headquarters, remote offices, cloud environments, disaster recovery operations, and a globally distributed workforce. The Senior Network Engineer collaborates with internal business partners, vendors, and technology teams to architect resilient network solutions that align with organizational goals while maintaining high availability, scalability, and security. This position serves as the technical lead for networking technologies and provides advanced troubleshooting and engineering expertise across the enterprise. CORE RESPONSIBILITIES Network Infrastructure & Operations Design, implement, configure, and maintain enterprise LAN, WAN, WLAN, and SD-WAN environments. Manage and support routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and network appliances. Administer TCP/IP networking, VLANs, routing protocols, DNS, DHCP, NAT, and network segmentation. Ensure reliable connectivity for headquarters, remote users, branch offices, and cloud-hosted resources. Monitor network performance and proactively identify capacity constraints or bottlenecks. Perform network optimization to improve reliability, throughput, and resiliency. Maintain highly available network architectures with redundancy and failover capabilities. Cloud Networking & Hybrid Infrastructure Design and support Microsoft Azure networking components, including Virtual Networks (VNets), VPN Gateways, Network Security Groups (NSGs), and Azure Firewall. Configure secure connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and cloud environments. Support Microsoft Entra ID integration and hybrid networking architectures. Assist with cloud migrations and modernization initiatives. Ensure network configurations support Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) deployments. Cybersecurity & Network Security Configure and manage enterprise firewall policies and access controls. Support Zero Trust security initiatives and network segmentation strategies. Monitor and remediate security vulnerabilities affecting network infrastructure. Implement secure remote access technologies, including VPN and multi-factor authentication integrations. Assist with incident response activities related to network security events. Participate in vulnerability assessments and remediation planning. Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to ensure compliance with organizational security standards. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Design and maintain resilient network architectures supporting disaster recovery objectives. Ensure redundant Internet connectivity and failover capabilities. Support replication technologies and recovery connectivity for critical systems. Participate in disaster recovery planning, documentation, and annual testing exercises. Develop and maintain network recovery procedures and technical documentation. Network Monitoring & Performance Management Monitor enterprise network health using monitoring and alerting platforms. Analyze logs, packet captures, and performance metrics to troubleshoot complex issues. Identify recurring problems and implement long-term solutions. Maintain network documentation, topology diagrams, and configuration standards. Produce reports on network availability, uptime, and performance metrics. Collaboration & Vendor Management Collaborate with infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems administration, and application teams to support enterprise initiatives. Work with Internet service providers and telecommunications vendors to resolve issues and coordinate upgrades. Evaluate new networking technologies and provide recommendations for modernization. Support procurement activities by providing technical specifications and architecture guidance. Participate in change management processes and planned maintenance activities. Leadership & Technical Mentorship Serve as the senior technical resource for network architecture and engineering. Mentor junior engineers and IT staff on networking best practices. Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and technical documentation. Participate in after-hours maintenance windows and emergency incident response as required. Promote continuous improvement and operational excellence across network services. Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Develop the long-term network strategy aligned with DAN's mission and business objectives. Maintain comprehensive infrastructure documentation, architecture diagrams, and operational standards. Lead technology lifecycle planning, infrastructure modernization, capacity forecasting, and infrastructure budgeting. Participate in annual IT budgeting, forecast infrastructure replacement costs, recommend capital expenditures, and evaluate operational expenditures. Identify operational risks and recommend mitigation strategies. Evaluate emerging networking technologies and prepare business cases for adoption. Serve as the primary technical advisor to the Vice President of IT. Ensure institutional knowledge is documented and transferred. Standards & Governance Establish enterprise networking standards, configuration baselines, naming conventions, and engineering best practices. Configuration & Asset Lifecycle Management Maintain standard network configurations, backups, version control, and configuration compliance. Manage hardware lifecycle, warranty management, firmware lifecycle, end-of-life planning, technology refreshes. Coordinate patch management, firmware management, certificate lifecycle, IPAM, network inventory, network diagrams, disaster recovery documentation, ISP management, circuit inventory, and telecom contracts. Vendor, Executive & Operational Leadership Manage vendor relationships, review contracts, evaluate new products, negotiate technical solutions, and participate in vendor selection. Present infrastructure, health metrics, outage summaries, risks, and investment recommendations to executives. Participate in Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews. Own KPIs including uptime, SLA compliance, MTTR, capacity utilization, and incident trends. Automation & Emerging Technologies Develop automation using PowerShell, Python, Ansible, Terraform, Infrastructure as Code, and configuration automation. Support AI-assisted monitoring, SASE, Secure Service Edge, SD-Branch, cloud-native networking, and Zero Trust evolution. Expanded Technologies NAC (Cisco ISE, Aruba ClearPass, FortiNAC), 802.1X, SAML, OAuth, LDAP, RADIUS, TACACS+, DNS Security, WPA3, RF planning, Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Virtual WAN, Azure Front Door, LogicMonitor, Datadog, Azure Monitor, Microsoft Sentinel. Business & Leadership Skills Project management, cross-functional collaboration, business continuity planning, risk assessment, policy development, technical writing, vendor negotiation, technology evaluation. Strategic thinking, decision making, conflict resolution, executive presentation skills, adaptability, continuous learning, coaching and mentoring. Mentor engineers, develop technical training materials, lead MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Skills & Qualifications Demonstrated expertise in enterprise networking technologies, including routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, and wireless infrastructure. Extensive experience designing and supporting hybrid cloud networking solutions utilizing Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Entra ID. Strong knowledge of network security principles, Zero Trust architecture, segmentation, and secure remote access technologies. Experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise firewalls and network security appliances. Proficiency in network monitoring, diagnostics, packet analysis, and performance optimization. Experience supporting disaster recovery architectures and high-availability network designs. Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining excellent customer service and technical excellence. Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Network Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered. Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise network engineering. Experience supporting large-scale Microsoft-based enterprise environments. Experience with hybrid cloud infrastructure and remote workforce technologies. Proven experience leading complex network implementations and upgrades. Preferred Certifications Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Microsoft Certified: Azure Network Engineer Associate CompTIA Network+ Fortinet NSE Certification Palo Alto Networks Certification Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) (preferred) Preferred Technology Environment Microsoft Azure Networking Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory) Microsoft 365 Cisco Routing & Switching Fortinet Firewalls Palo Alto Firewalls Aruba or Meraki Wireless SD-WAN Technologies DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP VPN Technologies Network Access Control (NAC) SolarWinds, PRTG, or similar monitoring platforms Wireshark and packet analysis tools Fiber circuits and enterprise telecommunications infrastructure VoIP and unified communications platforms Disaster recovery and business continuity networking solutions WORKSITE The primary worksite is the DAN office in Durham, North Carolina. Following an introductory period (3 – 6 months), this position will be eligible for telecommuting or a remote work arrangement. Details will be discussed during the interview process