Job#: 3053344 Job Description:Systems Engineer MID - NMS Engineer - Cisco Catalyst Specialist
Location: Norfolk, Virginia (On-site)
Role Summary
The Network Management System (NMS) Engineer is responsible for designing, deploying, and optimizing enterprise network management and orchestration platforms, focusing primarily on the Cisco Catalyst portfolio. This role bridges the gap between traditional network engineering and modern automated operations. The engineer ensures full visibility, health monitoring, and automated lifecycle management of the enterprise network through tools like Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center), Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and other NMS tools.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and deploy enterprise-scale NMS solutions, ensuring high availability, robust disaster recovery, and seamless backup capabilities.
- Install and integrate Cisco Catalyst Center (vManage/Validator/Smart) across on-premises and virtual environments.
- Establish foundational telemetry, including the configuration and tuning of SNMP, Syslog, NetFlow, and streaming gRPC telemetry for deep infrastructure visibility.
- Manage identity services integration, linking NMS platforms with Cisco ISE for secure, role-based access control (RBAC).
- Orchestrate hardware lifecycles, including automated provisioning, switch stacking, and device upgrades for Cisco switches and routers in an enterprise network.
- Develop configuration templates and blueprints within Catalyst Center to ensure uniform deployment across campus LAN and WLAN architectures.
- Support software image management (SWIM) to automate risk-free patch compliance and OS upgrades across campus devices.
- Execute migration runbooks to seamlessly transition legacy infrastructure to modern Catalyst platforms.
- Utilize NMS AI-driven assurance features to proactively detect network anomalies, track client health, and isolate root causes before performance degrades.
- Build custom dashboards and alerts to monitor vital KPIs like link utilization, memory consumption, temperature, and PoE allocation.
- Integrate third-party tools, connecting Catalyst telemetry pipelines to external IT systems like ServiceNow for ticketing or Splunk/SIEM for security operations.
- Troubleshoot complex issues by leveraging NMS packet-capture tools, Wireshark, and sensor data to resolve Layer 2/3 connectivity bottlenecks.
- Automate repetitive tasks by using Python, Ansible, or other scripting platforms alongside Catalyst Center REST APIs to scale network provisioning.
- Deploy Cisco Plug-and-Play (PnP) capabilities to achieve true zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) for remote site switch deployments.
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, Network Engineering, or an equivalent technical field.
Experience: 3-5+ years of dedicated experience managing enterprise networks and network management platforms.
Technical Skills: Deep platform expertise with Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center), Catalyst SD-WAN, and Cisco IOS-XE. Strong understanding of enterprise networking, including routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), VLANs, STP, and L2/L3 architectures. Hands-on experience with modern campus designs, including Cisco SD-Access (SDA), VXLAN fabric, and TrustSec segmentation. Proficiency in monitoring protocols, specifically SNMP (v2c/v3), RMON, Syslog, NetFlow/IPFIX, and REST APIs. Scripting capabilities in Python or Ansible for parsing NMS API payloads and automating bulk workflows.
Preferred Qualifications
- CCNP Enterprise or CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure.
- Specialized Cisco automation or Catalyst specialist certifications.
Everforth Apex is a world-class IT services company that serves thousands of clients across the globe. When you join Everforth Apex, you become part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We offer quality career resources, training, certifications, development opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in many awards, including ClearlyRateds Best of Staffing in Talent Satisfaction in the United States and Great Place to Work in the United Kingdom and Mexico.
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Everforth Apex Benefits Overview: Everforth Apex offers a range of supplemental benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance plans that offer an optional layer of financial protection. We offer an ESPP (employee stock purchase program) and a 401K program which allows you to contribute typically within 30 days of starting, with a company match after 12 months of tenure. Everforth Apex also offers a HSA (Health Savings Account on the HDHP plan), a SupportLinc Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with up to 8 free counseling sessions, a corporate discount savings program and other discounts. In terms of professional development, Everforth Apex hosts an on-demand training program, provides access to certification prep and a library of technical and leadership courses/books/seminars once you have 6+ months of tenure, and certification discounts and other perks to associations that include CompTIA and IIBA. Everforth Apex has a dedicated customer service team for our Consultants that can address questions around benefits and other resources, as well as a certified Career Coach. You can access a full list of our benefits, programs, support teams and resources within our 'Welcome Packet' as well, which an Everforth Apex team member can provide.
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