Position SummaryThe Staff IT Engineer is a senior technical role responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the organization's network infrastructure, including wired switching/routing environments, wireless networks (including long-haul radio tower connectivity), and the security technologies that protect them. This role serves as a technical authority for network architecture decisions, partners with OT/SCADA teams on integration projects, and provides mentorship to junior engineering staff. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with the ability to communicate clearly with both field technicians and executive stakeholders.
Key ResponsibilitiesRouter & Switch Network Architecture- Design, deploy, and maintain enterprise routing and switching infrastructure across corporate, field, and remote sites.
- Develop network architecture standards, including IP addressing schemes, VLAN segmentation, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), and redundancy/failover strategies.
- Lead capacity planning and lifecycle management for core, distribution, and access-layer network hardware
- Evaluate and integrate networks from acquired facilities or businesses, including migration planning and configuration standardization.
- Troubleshoot complex, multi-site network issues involving routing, switching, QoS, and WAN performance.
- Maintain network documentation, topology diagrams, and configuration backups/version control.
- Support change management processes for network modifications, including risk assessment and rollback planning.
Wireless Design (Radio Tower Networks & Wi-Fi)- Design and engineer point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless links for radio tower and long-haul remote-site connectivity
- Conduct RF site surveys, link budget calculations, and interference analysis for tower-based wireless deployments.
- Design enterprise Wi-Fi architecture for offices, field facilities, and industrial sites, including AP placement, channel planning, and coverage/capacity analysis.
- Coordinate with tower owners, telecom carriers, and licensing bodies on frequency coordination, tower access, and regulatory compliance (e.g., FCC)
- Monitor and optimize wireless network performance, including throughput, latency, and signal integrity across radio and Wi-Fi networks.
- Plan for redundancy and failover between wireless links and wired/cellular backup paths for critical remote connectivity.
Infrastructure Security Technologies- Design and maintain network security architecture, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and network access control (NAC)
- Implement and manage segmentation strategies (e.g., DMZs, VLANs, microsegmentation) to protect IT and OT/SCADA environments.
- Support secure remote access solutions, including VPNs, zero-trust network access (ZTNA), and multi-factor authentication integration at the network layer.
- Partner with security/compliance teams to align network design with frameworks such as NIST, IEC 62443, or NERC CIP where applicable.
- Participate in vulnerability assessments, penetration test remediation, and security incident response involving network infrastructure.
- Maintain firewall rule sets, ACLs, and security policies, ensuring least-privilege access across network segments.
- Evaluate and recommend security technologies during vendor selection and contract renewal processes.
Cross-Functional & Leadership Duties- Serve as a technical lead on infrastructure projects, coordinating across IT, OT, security, and field operations teams.
- Manage vendor relationships and evaluate hardware/software solutions, contracts, and renewals.
- Produce clear technical and executive-level documentation, including project plans, architecture diagrams, and status reporting.
- Mentor junior and mid-level network engineers; review designs and configurations for quality and standards compliance
- Participate in an on-call rotation for critical network and security incidents.
- Maintain awareness of emerging networking, wireless, and security technologies and recommend adoption were beneficial.
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree - Computer Engineering from Fermin Toro University
- Minimum requirements (mandatory):
- 5 years of Oil and Gas experience in Wireless Field Operations Support.
- Over 16 years of experience in Industrial Network Engineering.
- Demonstrated extreme proficiencies in wireless technologies; RF planning and design, and wireless deployment PTP and Point to MultiPoint.
- Proven skills in Routing and Switching including BGP, OSPF, Static Routing, and VLAN technologies.
- Technical Proficiencies in Radius Authentication using NPS, TACACS, and Cisco ISE.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience supporting large enterprise O&G companies with over 50k nodes.
- Experience with Industrial Networking Models including the Purdue Model and IEC62443.
- Experience with multiple wireless vendors including Cambium, Ubiquiti, Cisco, Aruba, and Fortinet.
- Experience with Network Monitoring tools including Solarwinds, and CNMaestro.
Travel Requirements:- Willing to travel up 25%.
Work Schedule:- This position follows a hybrid schedule working in the office on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and working remote Wednesday and Friday. Monday-Thursday are 9 hours and Fridays are 4 hours.
Western Midstream does not offer sponsorship of employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions for this role.
Western Midstream is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in recruiting, hiring, developing, compensating and promoting applicants and employees. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for employee's and applicant's disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.
To learn more about our Pay-for-Performance Compensation and our comprehensive benefits package, click here
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