Cut Engineer Job Description (Maintenance & Network Transformation)
*Overnight hours will be Sunday thru Thursdaym 8-hrs within the window of 9pm - 8am CST and could shift to 10p-6a CST for maintenance.
Position Summary
The Cut Engineer is responsible for executing approved Methods of Procedure (MOPs) during scheduled maintenance windows across the client s network. This role is hands-on and highly technical, focused on performing logical network changes, device migrations, hardware replacements, and remediation activities across Datacenters, MSO, Retail, and RBO environments. Cut Engineers operate primarily during nighttime maintenance windows on an active bridge, working closely with CUT Admins, engineering teams, and client s stakeholders to ensure safe, accurate, and timely execution of all change activities.
Key Responsibilities
Execution of Network Changes
Perform the actual network "cuts," executing all logical changes and configurations as defined in the approved MOPs.
Execute routing, switching, transport, device swap, or service-impacting steps with precision and adherence to clients standards.
Configure and validate Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switches, Juniper EX Switches, as well as multi-vendor devices (Nokia, etc.), during live maintenance windows.
Validate pre-cut and post-cut conditions per procedure, ensuring service continuity and compliance with acceptance criteria, including quality checks in Vmanage for SD-WAN environments.
Pre-Deployment Readiness & Site Coordination
Coordinate with project managers, Cut Admins, and customer stakeholders to confirm site readiness prior to each maintenance window.
Review and validate cutsheets, install guides, As-Built documentation, and configuration packages to ensure accuracy before execution begins.
Assist in device staging and pre-configuration activities including Network OS upgrades and device preparation to support seamless cut execution.
Validate Bill of Materials (BOM) and ensure all required hardware and configurations are in place prior to change windows.
Bridge Operations & Communication
Join and actively participate in the nightly maintenance bridge, providing live updates, step confirmations, and issue notifications.
Collaborate with Cut Admins, Engineers, and client s teams to ensure real-time visibility into progress and execution status.
Escalate issues promptly to the Cut Admin or Manager when deviations, failures, or unexpected results occur.
Serve as a point of technical escalation during active maintenance windows for assigned workstreams (e.g., MSO).
Operational Accuracy & Documentation
Follow MOPs exactly as written and provide immediate feedback when discrepancies, risks, or improvement opportunities are identified.
Capture accurate execution notes, timestamp confirmations, and device responses to support the Cut Admin's maintenance window reporting.
Produce and maintain As-Built documentation following each change event to reflect the current state of the network.
Assist in validating rollback steps when required to restore service during failed or interrupted events.
Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution
Perform on-the-spot troubleshooting when post-change validations do not align with expected outcomes, leveraging deep knowledge of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP) and switching (STP, VTP, Q-in-Q).
Troubleshoot WAN technologies including MPLS, Metro Ethernet, DMVPN, and xDSL as required during migration activities.
Engage engineering or Tier-3 SMEs when advanced expertise is required, with prior Tier-3 escalation experience preferred.
Support root-cause data collection when issues emerge during the maintenance window.
Quality & Continuous Improvement
Provide procedural feedback to the Lead Engineer / MOP Author to refine future execution steps and enhance repeatability.
Identify recurring issues or trends during execution and recommend improvements to change methodology.
Apply experience with change request and MOP creation to contribute to procedural quality reviews when called upon.
Qualifications
3 5 years of experience in network operations, deployment engineering, or telecom maintenance (aligned with internal role profiles).
Strong hands-on experience with routing and switching across multi-vendor environments Cisco (Catalyst, Nexus, ISR/ASR), Juniper, Nokia.
Proficiency with key routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP) and switching protocols (STP, RSTP, VTP); WAN technologies including MPLS, DMVPN, and Metro Ethernet.
Experience with SD-WAN platforms (Cisco Viptela/Vmanage preferred); familiarity with transport/optical environments is a plus.
Ability to read, interpret, and execute detailed MOPs, cutsheets, network diagrams, and configuration files.
Experience with ITSM and documentation tools such as ServiceNow, Confluence, and Smartsheet.
Cisco certifications (CCNA or CCNP) strongly preferred.
Comfortable working U.S overnight maintenance windows and in high-pressure, real-time execution environments.
Strong communication skills for live bridge participation.
Competencies
Precision and attention to detail
Strong problem-solving under time constraints
Execution discipline
Clear communication
Ability to work independently and with distributed teams
Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.
- Dice Id: cxbcsi
- Position Id: Job44521
- Posted 30+ days ago
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