Cisco ISE Lead & NAC Engineer

Role Overview: We are seeking a senior Network Infrastructure & Security Lead with 8+ years of enterprise network engineering experience and 5+ years of hands-on leadership in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Network Access Control (NAC) deployments. In this role, you will architect, implement, and secure enterprise network access across wired, wireless, and cloud interfaces while leading network modernization, 802.1X policy enforcement, and infrastructure automation.

Job Summary: Cisco ISE Lead & NAC Engineer

• Position Title: Cisco ISE Lead & NAC Engineer / Senior Network Engineer

• Location: Santa Clara, CA (100% Onsite, 5 days/week)

• Interview Process: Mandatory Onsite Interview

• Experience Required: 8+ Years Enterprise Network Engineering | 5+ Years Cisco ISE & NAC

• Core Specialty: Cisco ISE (AAA, 802.1X, MAB, Posture, Profiling), Enterprise Wireless (Catalyst WLCs), Layer 2/3 Routing & Switching

• Advanced Architecture: Cisco DNA Center, SDA Fabric, Zero Trust, Network Automation (Python, Ansible)

Key Responsibilities:

• Network Access Control (NAC) & Security Architecture: Design, deploy, and support enterprise-wide Cisco ISE solutions for AAA, 802.1X, MAB, device profiling, posture assessment, and guest access services. Integrate ISE with Active Directory, PKI/Certificates, MDM, and SIEM tools.

• Enterprise Wireless Engineering: Architect and optimize wireless infrastructure using Cisco Catalyst Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs), supporting WPA2/WPA3, RF tuning, QoS, high-density environments, and ISE wireless onboarding.

• Core Routing & Switching Operations: Manage enterprise LAN/WAN infrastructure on Cisco Catalyst 9K platforms. Configure and troubleshoot OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, VLANs, STP/RSTP, EtherChannel, HSRP/VRRP, and Multicast.

• Modernization & SDA Integration: Drive transition toward Zero Trust architectures, Cisco DNA Center (DNAC), and Software Defined Access (SDA) fabric deployments.

• Automation & Engineering Leadership: Lead cross-functional network projects, develop automated workflows using Python/Ansible/REST APIs, and provide Tier-3 escalation support and root-cause analysis for network outages.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in enterprise network engineering.

• 5+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience designing and operating Cisco ISE and NAC environments.

• Deep technical expertise in 802.1X, RADIUS, TACACS+, AAA protocols, Active Directory integration, and PKI/EAP-TLS certificate architectures.

• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco Catalyst 9K switches, Cisco WLCs, and routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP).

• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

Preferred Certifications & Skills:

• Cisco certifications: CCNP Security, CCNP Enterprise, or CCIE.

• Hands-on experience with Cisco DNA Center (DNAC), Software-Defined Access (SDA), and Python / Ansible network automation.