Principal Network Engineer – Cisco Catalyst/Nexus | Active CCNP Required/CCIE Preferred

Location: Aliso Viejo, CA (Hybrid 2-3 days ONSITE)

Position Overview

Take ownership of an enterprise and data center network assessment focused on architecture, security, redundancy, and fault tolerance. This principal-level role combines deep Cisco networking expertise with hands-on Layer 2/3 engineering, network architecture evaluation, and technical leadership. You will identify critical gaps in the existing environment, document risk-rated findings, and develop a prioritized remediation roadmap to improve network resilience, security, and reliability.

What You'll Do / Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Assess the current LAN, data center, and perimeter network, including topology, configurations, hardware lifecycle, and operational practices.
• Find single points of failure and gaps in redundancy (HSRP/VRRP, vPC, port-channels, STP design, routing convergence).
• Evaluate security posture: segmentation, firewall-to-switch integration, management plane hardening, and Layer 2 security controls.
• Document findings in a risk-rated gap assessment report, with current-state and target-state diagrams.
• Recommend remediations and build a phased roadmap with quick wins and longer-term architecture changes.
• Present findings to IT leadership, then support or lead remediation work.

Required Qualifications

• Active Cisco CCNP certification (Enterprise or Data Center) is required. Candidates without a current CCNP will not be considered.
• 12+ years of enterprise or data center network engineering experience. (Principal level)
• Proven experience leading network assessments (gap analysis) or architecture reviews and producing formal deliverables.
• Expert in Cisco Catalyst and Nexus platforms and in Layer 2/3 switching: VLANs, STP, vPC, LACP, SVIs, OSPF/EIGRP/BGP, and first-hop redundancy (HSRP/VRRP).
• Strong knowledge of high-availability design, network security architecture, and NGFW integration.
• Hands-on experience with fiber optics (SFP/QSFP, SMF/MMF, DOM) and network analysis tools (SolarWinds, Wireshark, or similar).
• Excellent technical writing and executive communication skills.

Preferred

• CCIE or CCDE certification, especially for Principal level.
• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or laboratory environments, including HIPAA familiarity.
• VXLAN/EVPN, NIST CSF or CIS Controls, network automation, and Arista EOS.