Data Center Network Engineer

Responsibilities of a Data Center Network Engineer

• Provide enterprise-level support for a large-scale networking infrastructure.
• Offer expert knowledge of data center infrastructure hardware such as Nexus 9000 series switches, Fabric Extenders, UCS chassis’, and UCS Fabric Interconnects.
• Manage vPC, FCoE, Catalyst VSS, MPLS L3VPN, eBGP/iBGP, OSPF/EIGRP, DMVPN, FlexPod design philosophy, and other data center-centric technologies.
• Perform installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of the data center environment.
• Monitor availability and reliability of the data center network using DX NetOps Spectrum, SolarWinds Orion, and Cisco DNA Center.
• Execute engineering best practices in network builds, integration, testing, and documentation, adhering to DISA STIGs.
• Perform regular system maintenance for IAVA vulnerabilities and CCRI compliance.
• Ensure compliance with current DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs).
• Assist with identifying and investigating malicious network activity.
• Create and track network issues/requests using the ServiceNow ticketing system.
• Create, update, and maintain detailed network diagrams.

Essential Skills for a Data Center Network Engineer

• In-depth understanding of Cisco’s Nexus switching, ASR routing, and UCS compute platforms.
• Experience with VPN technologies and a solid background with TCP/IP.
• Ability to troubleshoot all supported network protocols.
• Experience creating and maintaining custom Python scripts.
• Working knowledge of Linux and Cisco DevNet.
• Familiarity with cloud computing and its supporting pillars (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).

Qualifications to Become a Data Center Network Engineer

• Active Secret Clearance required.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, MIS, IS, Engineering, or related field.
• Compliance with DoD 8570.01M, maintaining at least one baseline certification (e.g., CCNP Security, CASP+, CISA, CISSP) and one computing environment (CE) certification (e.g., Cisco CCIE, CCNP Data Center).
• At least 10 years of practical experience working with network and systems technologies.
• Expert level understanding of data network systems, routing, switching, VRF, MPLS, and layer 2 protocols.