Lead Network Operations Engineer || Cleveland, OH || Contract

Role- Lead Network Operations Engineer

Experience- 8+ Years

Location: Cleveland, OH
Job Type: Contract

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Network Operations Engineer to join our team in Cleveland, OH. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in SD-WAN, network switches, and network operations support, with a proven ability to lead and coordinate a team of network engineers.

This role demands both technical expertise and leadership capabilities to ensure stable and secure network operations, as well as efficient issue resolution.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead day-to-day network operations, including monitoring, incident response, and change management.
• Manage and support SD-WAN infrastructure and ensure high availability and performance.
• Maintain, configure, and troubleshoot network switches and routers.
• Act as the primary escalation point for network-related issues.
• Oversee network performance and implement improvements and optimizations.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams for deployments and upgrades.
• Ensure compliance with security standards and company policies.
• Mentor junior network engineers and provide technical leadership within the team.
• Prepare and maintain network documentation, reports, and dashboards.
• Participate in on-call rotation and support after-hours issues as needed.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Proven experience in network operations and support (5+ years preferred).
• Hands-on expertise in SD-WAN solutions (e.g., Cisco Viptela, Fortinet, or similar).
• Strong understanding of network switches, routers, and associated technologies (e.g., VLANs, STP, BGP, OSPF).
• Leadership or team lead experience in a technical or operations-focused environment.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to resolve complex issues quickly.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with network monitoring tools and platforms.
• Ability to work independently and lead team initiatives effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications such as CCNP, CCNA, JNCIS, or equivalent.
• Experience with cloud networking (AWS, Azure) is a plus.
• ITIL or network operations process knowledge is a plus.