Network Engineer

The Network Engineer provides engineering and support services to LEARN (Lonestar Education and

Research Network) members with a focus on the successful operation and function of an enterprise

infrastructure providing high-speed Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity and an ISP

environment consisting of optical transport, network routers, switches, and firewalls.

The Network Engineer operates within an IT service management environment and is accountable

for timely incident resolution, participation in formal change management processes, and the

creation and maintenance of accurate technical documentation throughout the engineering and

project lifecycle.

• Design and implement advanced configuration of network routers, switches, and firewalls, as well as network management tools and related systems.
• Provide enhanced operational support for production network services, including incident triage, troubleshooting, service restoration, and formal incident closure.
• Track and monitor incident and service request resolution timelines to ensure adherence to defined service level expectations and operational priorities.
• Identify recurring operational issues, service risks, and process gaps, and contribute recommendations for improving service reliability and response effectiveness.
• Troubleshoot physical and optical network issues, including fiber paths, transponders, multiplexers, amplifiers and DWDM line and client optics.
• Resolve incidents in accordance with established incident management processes and defined service level expectations. Participates in incident reviews and post-incident analysis.
• Proactively monitor alarms, alerts, and notifications related to the operational health and status of the enterprise, to maintain reliability and ensure availability of network resources.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain change requests for production-impacting work and execute approved
• Communicate effectively with LEARN members to clarify requirements, provide technical updates, and deliver timely, accurate information.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve technical documentation, including standards, standard operating procedures (SOPs), Method of Procedures (MOPs), network designs, diagrams, and system records.

• Operates with a high degree of ownership, accountability, and process discipline in a collaborative engineering environment.
• Work closely with project management office, engineering peers, staff, vendors, and partners across K–12, higher education, and research networks.
• Frequent interaction with network, fiber, and service providers; other regional and national networks; content & cloud/application & infrastructure providers.
• This position requires regular field work and participation in operational responsibilities, including scheduled on-call support.

• Bachelor's degree + 3 years' experience or 7 years of equivalent combination of education and experience
• Network Engineering certifications are preferred.
• Proven working experience with network routers and switches is required, (Juniper and Nokia experience is preferred).
• Proven work experience with advanced service provider and WAN router configurations utilizing logical systems, BGP in a multi-homed environment, IPv4, IPv6, ISIS, OSPF, MPLS, LACP, LDP, L2 and L3 VPN, VPLS, EVPN, QoS, 802.1q, 802.1p and IP Multicasting technologies.
• A working knowledge of networking protocols, with a thorough understanding of TCP/IP, IPv4/v6 address management, and DNS.
• Experience with next-generation firewalls and security devices is strongly preferred.
• Experience with network management and monitoring systems (ex: perf
  
  SONAR, Net Box, Libre
  
  NMS, RANCID, etc.) and diagnostic tools commonly used within the service provider networks.
• Experience performing work in an enterprise data center environment, with carrier-grade Point-of-Presences (POPs) experience highly preferred.
• Familiarity with Linux or BSD system administration skills. Familiarity with fiber optic wiring, transceiver troubleshooting, and operating network test and diagnostics equipment.

• Demonstrated understanding of IT service management…