Senior Network/Security Engineer

Description
JOB TITLE: Senior Network/Security Engineer
REPORTS TO: Director, Network/Security Services
LOCATION: Remote but must be located in the Chicago Metro area for onsite support for our customers
DATE: February 2024
For 40+ years, Meridian IT has been helping medium and enterprise businesses solve their complex technical IT problems. Through a unique strategic perspective, deep expertise, and a personalized proactive approach, Meridian IT is the top IT solutions provider in the industry.
Offering best-in-class cloud, hybrid, and on-premises data storage solutions, backup and recovery solutions, security solutions, hyperconverged infrastructure, contact center solutions, flexible pricing models and award-winning managed services, Meridian IT works with each client to create a customized plan to help solve their IT obstacles.
Meridian IT is part of Meridian Group International. Meridian Group International is a privately held organization headquartered in Deerfield, IL. Operating since 1979, Meridian Group International is a leading IT service provider and equipment leasing and finance company across 4 continents.
Position Summary
The Senior Network Engineer is a technical resource responsible for assisting peer Engineers with implementing end-to-end solutions to complex business networking and communications problems for new and existing clients. The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for components of lifecycle of an engagement (Onboarding to Decommission) as delegated by Management and Project teams. The ability to properly and professionally manage customer expectations and to calmly handle stressful and complex troubleshooting scenarios are requirements of this position.
The Senior Network Engineer will also work on assisting our managed service customers, as well as respond to ad-hoc support requests. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates to advance their networking career by working with other engineers and customers in multiple technologies in various industries.
Duties and Responsibilities
Post-Sales Implementation and Operational Work

• Provide assistance to team members with project execution;
• Provide assistance to managed service customers within the agreed upon SLAs in our managed service contracts;
• Assist with verifying received hardware inventory, performing initial equipment staging, assisting with physical deployment of switches, creating documentation during onboarding and maintaining it, performing software updates, scripted triaging of tickets;
• Assist with the management of monitoring solution used by Meridian;
• Remain up-to-date on the latest network technologies and trends, continuously improving your skills and knowledge;
• Lead and manage the design, implementation, and optimization of scalable enterprise-grade network solutions, including routing, switching, security, remote access, and automation, from plan to close;
• Provide expert efficient troubleshooting and problem-solving for network outages, performance issues, and security concerns;
• Collaborate with other engineers and teams to integrate network infrastructure with IT systems and applications;
• Develop and implement network automation solutions using scripting languages and APIs;
• Mentor and train junior engineers on network best practices and troubleshooting techniques;
• Develop and maintain comprehensive network documentation, including diagrams, configurations, and procedures;
• Participate in network project planning, budgeting, and execution;
• Install, configure, and troubleshoot network devices such as routers, switches, firewalls, and load balancers;
• Optimize network performance through bandwidth analysis, traffic shaping, and QoS techniques;
• Implement and maintain robust network security measures to protect against various threats.

Risk Management

• Escalate issues to the Project Management Office and Director, Network/Security Services before they jeopardize the success or financial viability of an engagement;
• Participate in quarterly meetings with the Infrastructure team to discuss recent engagements, challenges and opportunities; incorporate improvements into the pre-sales process.

Communications

• Manage cross-functional interdependencies;
• Responsible for clear and timely communication to multiple stakeholder groups;
• Responsible for communicating the details of an opportunity / engagement to both the business and technical teams.

Miscellaneous

• Participate with the Project Management Office in project post mortems and collaborate on recommendations reports in order to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 7+ years experience as a Network/Security Engineer;
• Bachelor's degree in a business or IT-related field is preferred but not required;
• CCIE Cisco certification;
• PCNSE certification is a plus;
• Experience with wireless technologies;
• Experience with Cisco ISE;
• Experience with Cisco ACI;
• Experience with Aruba and Cisco wireless;
• Proficiency in MS Office (Including Word, Excel, Outlook, Project, PowerPoint, & Visio);
• Familiarity with Voice over IP systems such as Cisco Call Manager is a plus;
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex network issues and propose effective solutions;
• Strong critical thinking;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interface at varying and appropriate levels of management;
• Excellent customer relationship management skills;
• Ability to break down technical concepts into business terms;
• Strong team player with emphasis on soft skills and relationship building;
• Proven ability to solve technical challenges under stressful conditions;
• Well organized, thrive in a sense-of-urgency environment, leverage best practices, and innovate through any problem with a can-do attitude;
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and interruptions with minimal impact on productivity;
• Demonstrate a high level of independent judgment and initiative;
• Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule;
• Must be detail-oriented and proactive in identifying and resolving potential problems;
• Ability to obtain and maintain both pre- and post-sales technical certifications from manufacturers (e.g. Cisco, Juniper, HP, etc.).

Meridian Group International, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.