Network Principal Engineer

The Network Principal Engineer is a position responsible for designing and testing corporate network solutions, including elements of switching, routing, wireless, next generation firewalls, load balancers and SDWAN solutions, across the enterprise corporate sites. This role involves a high level of collaboration with other technical staff.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Architecture Team and the Development Teams to translate company needs into network infrastructure solutions that will suit those needs and requirements in terms of performance, resource usage, scalability, resilience and observability. The proposed solutions may include Core networking (routing and switching) using either ACI or Nexus traditional based networking, Cisco SDWAN, load balancing and firewall solutions.
• Work with the operations team to design solutions based on pipelines, scripts and playbooks to continuously reduce the human tasks required to operate the production services (toil).
• Based on the high level design (HLD) provided by the Architecture Team, work on the low level design (LLD) for the required solutions/projects. The LLD should describe how the network will be implemented, the detailed specification for each component and how they will be connected in order to meet the network functional and non-functional requirements. Additionally, needs to take into account the requirements of the others operations teams.
• Understand the functional and non-functional requirements of the networking systems, including performance, scalability, availability and security requirements.
• Identify the hardware, software and components that will be required to support the networks. This may include switches, routers, next-gen firewalls, load balancers, management controllers like APIC, Identity service managers or monitoring tools, among others.
• Design the details of the overall architecture of the network, including the placement of components and the interfaces between them. This should take into account the HLD, the requirements of the systems connectivity and security, as well as any constraints or limitations of the environment.
• Collaborate in the definition of the configuration of the different components to meet the requirements of the system’s connectivity and security.
• Define the tests for the networking elements to ensure that it meets the functional and non-functional requirements. In some cases may involve high availability testing, performance testing, scalability testing, security testing and other types of validation.
• Document the LLD, including the architecture, configuration, and testing results. This documentation will be used by operators to manage and maintain the network elements over time.
• Keep abreast of the latest advancements in network technologies and broader industry trend. Stay updated on the latest developments in network infrastructure, protocols and security measures while also maintaining awareness of evolving technologies in related areas such as cloud computing, virtualization and software-defined architectures. Incorporate this knowledge into the LLD process to drive innovative and comprehensive solutions that align with industry standards and leverage cross-functional synergies.
• Provisioning, operational tasks (performance, scaling, organization, routine patching, security…) and decommissioning of network infrastructure.
• Support on-call members when necessary.

Requirements

• 5-7 years network engineering / designing related experience or equivalent knowledge.
• Cisco CCNP, CCDP or CCIE knowledge, having the certification is a plus.
• F5 BigIP LTM and ASM knowledge.
• 3 years of next generation firewall related experience (Palo Alto preferred) or equivalent knowledge.
• Certification in Palo Alto Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) is a plus
• Operating and design knowledge of common LAN and WAN technologies.
• Cisco SD-WAN knowledge.
• IP and layer-4 protocols knowledge.
• Cisco IOS, NX-OS and ACI mode knowledge.
• Cisco Catalyst and Nexus switching platforms knowledge.
• Cisco Wireless LAN Controller and wireless technologies knowledge.
• Cisco ISR/ASR routers and common routing protocols. (BGP, OSPF and EIGRP)
• Cisco management tools (ISE, APIC, etc.) knowledge.
• Network routing, VPN, and VRF knowledge.
• Ability to create detailed and well-structured LLD documentation.
• Experienced using different design methodologies (i.e. SD, OOD, SOA, DDD, CBD, MDD, etc.).
• Knowledge of Design Frameworks (i.e. SDN, Microservices, service-oriented, containerization or event-driven architectures) and able to apply best practices to develop efficient and scalable designs.
• Strong documentation skills, including the ability to use diagrams and technical writing.
• Strong Analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to assess trade-offs, anticipate potential issues and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Strong attention to detail ensuring all essential components, configurations and specifications are accurately covered. Able to identify potential risks or oversights and ensure that the design is complete and comprehensive.
• Strong collaboration, communication, interpersonal skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams, stakeholders and subject matter experts. Ability to actively participate in discussions, understand requirements and communicate design decisions effectively.
• Strong time management skills in handling multiple design project simultaneously. Able to prioritize tasks effectively, meet deadlines and manage the workload efficiently.
• Experience guiding and mentoring junior engineers, conduction knowledge-sharing sessions or providing technical leadership in design-related initiatives.
• Linux systems and Linux network stack knowledge is a plus.
• Experience with automation frameworks such as Ansible or Terraform is nice to have.
• Experience with GIT or similar repository tools.
• Able to communicate fluently in written and spoken English.