Lead Network Engineer

Ares Operations • New York, NY

16h

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Lead Network Engineer to join our Network Engineering team as a senior individual contributor , to be part of the group responsible for the architecture, design, operation, and evolution of the firm's global network infrastructure. This role requires deep technical expertise across enterprise routing, switching, cloud networking, data center architecture, and network security technologies. The successful candidate will lead complex network engineering initiatives, design and implement scalable and resilient architectures, and serve as a subject matter expert across enterprise networking platforms. The ideal candidate will bring expert-level proficiency in routing and switching, strong troubleshooting capabilities, and proven experience designing large-scale enterprise and cloud networking environments. This role also requires strong collaboration skills to partner with infrastructure, cloud, cyber security, and application teams to deliver highly available and secure networking platforms.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering and architecture
• Extensive experience designing and operating large-scale enterprise network environments
• Proven experience delivering complex infrastructure transformation or modernization projects
• Expert knowledge of enterprise routing and switching protocols and platforms including BGP, OSPF, Cisco Nexus, Cisco IOS, and Cisco ACI.
• Strong experience designing and operating Azure networking environments, including hybrid connectivity, segmentation, and cloud network architecture.
• Experience implementing and supporting enterprise network security solutions including Palo Alto firewalls, Cisco ISE, and network access control technologies.
• Proven experience designing data center network architectures, supporting high availability, scalability, and performance for enterprise workloads.
• Experience deploying and supporting Prisma SD-WAN and Meraki wireless networking solutions within enterprise environments.
• Experience designing network disaster recovery architectures and highly available network infrastructures.
• Experience with network monitoring, telemetry, and self-healing network capabilities to improve operational visibility and reliability .
• Strong communicator who can explain network technologies and approaches , trade-offs, and lifecycle considerations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively with collaborators who have diverse backgrounds, roles, and communication styles.
• Comfort giving and receiving constructive feedback as part of a collaborative engineering team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent documentation and architecture design skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Experience working in global enterprise environments , preferably in financial services or other highly regulated environment
• Familiarity with ITIL processes
• Willingness to travel ( approximately 10 – 2 5 %)
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering , Computer Science, Telecommunications, or related field
• CCIE or equivalent expert-level networking experience

Nice To Haves

• Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert or equivalent cloud networking experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Architect , design, and implem e n t enterprise network infrastructure across data centers, cloud environments, and global offices.
• Design and operate highly available routing and switching environments leveraging technologies such as BGP, OSPF, Cisco Nexus, Cisco IOS, and Cisco ACI.
• Architect and maintain hybrid cloud networking solutions, including Azure networking connectivity, segmentation, and security integration.
• Design and maintain secure network architectures integrating Palo Alto firewall platforms, Cisco ISE identity services, and network access controls.
• Engineer and optimize SD-WAN and wireless networking environments, including Palo Alto Networks and Cisco solutions
• Design and implement data center networking architectures supporting high-performance application workloads and resilient connectivity.
• Develop and maintain network disaster recovery strategies, ensuring business continuity across critical infrastructure platforms.
• Lead technical troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex network incidents, including deep packet inspection and performance analysis.
• Evaluate new networking technologies through product assessments, proof-of-concept testing, and architecture validation.
• Develop reference architectures, high-level designs (HLD), and low-level designs (LLD) for current and future network platforms.
• Implement monitoring, observability, and self-healing network capabilities to improve operational efficiency and system resilience.
• Partner with vendors to drive feature enhancements, product improvements, and scalability initiatives aligned with the firm’s evolving infrastructure requirements.
• Collaborate with infrastructure, cloud, and security engineering teams to ensure network designs align with enterprise security frameworks and compliance requirements .
• Define network performance metrics and reporting frameworks to communicate operational health and improvement initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers while contributing as a hands-on technical expert.

Benefits

• Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.
• Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees