Network Engineer III

Job Summary: 
 
The Network Engineer III is responsible for evaluating, supporting, implementing and monitoring Network Management Toolsets also, implements complex multi-site network solutions, leads projects, and serves as an escalation point for the team. 
 
Essential Functions: 

• Design and implement data center switching/routing architectures (Cisco and Arista) including spine-leaf fabrics, MLAG/VXLAN, and inter-DC interconnects 

• Own physical capacity planning for owned and co-located data centers: rack/power/cooling capacity forecasting, cabinet and cross-connect layout standards, and structured cabling design 

• Manage relationships and SLAs with co-location providers and circuit/carrier vendors, including contract renewals, remote-hands escalations, and facility maintenance coordination 

• Lead data center build-outs, expansions, and equipment refresh/lifecycle projects, including coordination of electrical, mechanical, and physical security requirements with facilities and co-location partners 

• Own the Aruba SD-WAN architecture across the branch portfolio: policy design, QoS, path conditioning, and Orchestrator administration 

• Lead cloud connectivity initiatives (Direct Connect/ExpressRoute, transit gateways/virtual WANs, cloud routing strategy) in coordination with cloud infrastructure and security teams 

• Serve as the primary network point of contact for cross-functional projects with the Security team, translating network architecture and traffic requirements into clear inputs for firewall, segmentation, and zero-trust initiatives without performing the security configuration itself 

• Lead root-cause analysis for major or recurring network incidents and complex multi-domain outages (LAN/WAN/DC/cloud) 

• Develop network standards, reference architectures, and lifecycle/capacity plans for switching, routing, and SD-WAN platforms 

• Lead and review changes for high-risk or complex maintenance windows; act as escalation point for Level I/II engineers 

• Evaluate new technologies and vendor features (Cisco, Arista, Aruba) and provide recommendations to engineering leadership 

• Perform any other job related duties as requested. 

 
Education and Experience: 

• Associates degree is required 

• Equivalent years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of required education 

• Seven (7) years of network experience is required 

Competencies, Knowledge and Skills: 

• Advanced computer and networking skills 

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite to include Word, Excel and PowerPoint 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Effective listening and critical thinking skills 

• Strong interpersonal skills and high level of professionalism 

• Effective problem solving skills with attention to detail 

• Ability to work independently and within a team environment 

• Training/teaching skills 

• Technical writing skills 

• Time management skills 

• Leadership experience and skills 

• Ability to develop, prioritize and accomplish goals 

• Expert-level Cisco IOS and Arista EOS skills: advanced routing (OSPF, BGP), spine-leaf/VXLAN-EVPN fabrics, MLAG/vPC 

• Deep Aruba SD-WAN expertise: Orchestrator policy design, application-aware routing, multi-circuit failover, and SD-WAN-to-data-center integration 

• Strong understanding of cloud network architecture (AWS/Azure/GCP networking constructs, transit gateways, hybrid routing, BGP over Direct Connect/ExpressRoute) 

• Strong working knowledge of firewall and security architecture concepts (zones, micro-segmentation, NGFW policy logic, IDS/IPS placement) sufficient to design networks that meet security requirements and to partner effectively with the Security team — not hands-on firewall rule authorship 

• Proficient with network automation/scripting (e.g., Python, Ansible) for configuration and validation tasks 

• Strong understanding of data center physical infrastructure design: power redundancy (N+1/2N), cooling architecture, structured cabling standards (e.g., TIA-942), and DCIM tooling 

• Working knowledge of physical and environmental security controls in data center/co-location facilities (badge access, cameras, environmental sensors) sufficient to coordinate with facilities/security teams and co-location providers, not to manage those systems directly 

• Strong incident command and root-cause analysis skills across complex, multi-vendor environments 

Licensure and Certification: 

• Arista Level (L3) required 

• Arista Level (L5) preferred 

• Cisco CCNP required 

• Cisco CCIE preferred or 

• Cisco CCDE preferred 

Working Conditions: 

• General office environment; may be required to sit or stand for extended periods of time 

• May be required to work additional hours and/or outside normal business hours as needed to meet deadlines. 

• Regular movement between multiple building sites will be required. Must be able to work a flexible schedule to support changing and emerging physical security protection situations. 

• Reside in the same territory they are assigned to work in; exceptions may be considered, due to business need. 

• Flexible hours, including possible evenings and/or weekends as needed to serve the needs of our members and may refer members to other CareSource resources. 

• Up to 15% (occasional) travel may be required to travel to different locations, including homes, offices, or other public settings, to perform work duties