Location: Chicago, IL or Remote
Work Arrangement: Onsite in Chicago or Remote
Employment Type: Contract
Duration: 6 Months
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Network Engineer to support network design, deployment, migration, and operations across domestic and international business environments. This role will focus on migrating branch locations from MPLS to a Zscaler SD-WAN solution as part of a global network transformation initiative. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional engineering and operations teams to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable network solutions.
Primary Skills
Zscaler SD-WAN
Network Engineering
WAN Migration
Cisco Routing and Switching
Network Security
Palo Alto Networks
Secondary Skills
Cisco Wireless
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
Cisco Catalyst Center
SolarWinds
ThousandEyes
Spine-Leaf Architecture
Quality of Service (QoS)
F5 BIG-IP LTM/GTM
Network Automation
Network Segmentation and Encryption
Key Responsibilities
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Migrate branch locations from MPLS to Zscaler SD-WAN as part of a global branch transformation project.
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Analyze business and technical requirements and design, implement, troubleshoot, and support network infrastructure solutions.
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Collaborate with engineering, operations, and business teams to evaluate technical requirements and develop effective network solutions.
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Apply networking principles and technologies involving routers, switches, virtualization, load balancers, and network security.
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Implement and support security technologies, including firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and web application firewalls.
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Configure, monitor, and troubleshoot Cisco routing and switching, wireless infrastructure, and spine-leaf network architectures.
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Support network automation and configuration standardization using Cisco Catalyst Center or comparable tools.
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Monitor network performance and availability using tools such as SolarWinds and ThousandEyes.
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Support Palo Alto Networks security solutions, F5 LTM/GTM, network segmentation, encryption, and QoS for voice and video traffic.
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Develop and maintain technical documentation, network diagrams, solution specifications, standards, guidelines, and operating procedures.
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Troubleshoot hardware, software, and network issues and support system monitoring and escalation activities.
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Participate in scheduled maintenance, implementations, and after-hours support as needed, including nights and weekends.
Required Qualifications
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At least 5 years of experience in network engineering.
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Hands-on experience with branch-site WAN migrations, with a strong focus on Zscaler solutions.
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Strong understanding of network architecture, design principles, routing, switching, and network infrastructure operations.
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Experience with Zscaler SD-WAN or Zscaler Zero Trust Branch (ZTB) solutions.
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Knowledge of network security technologies, including firewalls, VPNs, intrusion detection and prevention, and web application firewalls.
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Experience with one or more of the following: Cisco Wireless, Cisco ISE, Cisco Catalyst Center, SolarWinds, ThousandEyes, Palo Alto Networks, or F5 LTM/GTM.
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Understanding of network segmentation, isolation, encryption architectures, and QoS.
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Experience standardizing and automating network configuration and deployment.
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Ability to troubleshoot network hardware, software, connectivity, and performance issues.
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Strong technical documentation skills, including the creation of network diagrams and technical specifications.
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Ability to provide implementation support and escalation coverage during nights or weekends when required.
Preferred Qualifications
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Relevant networking or network security certifications.
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Experience with Cisco Catalyst Center or similar network automation platforms.
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Experience with Cisco routing and switching in spine-leaf architectures.
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Familiarity with load balancing technologies, including F5 LTM/GTM.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by applicable law. Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may request assistance.
Employment may be contingent upon the successful completion of job-related pre-employment screening, which may include background and reference checks and, where permitted by applicable law and applicable to the position, drug testing. All such screening will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
