Network Engineer SME

Cognizant Technology Solutions•Chesapeake, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Cognizant is seeking a Network Engineer (SME) for a full-time opportunity in Chesapeake, VA. This is an onsite role . Applicants must have valid US work authorization. We are unable to offer visa sponsorships. Responsibilities: Operations & Troubleshooting Serve as the highest escalation point for complex network incidents. Perform root‑cause analysis and implement long‑term corrective actions. Optimize network performance, capacity, and reliability through proactive monitoring and tuning. Security & Compliance Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement secure network architectures. Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, PCI‑DSS). Support segmentation, firewall policies, VPN solutions, and zero‑trust initiatives. Cloud & Modern Networking Design and support hybrid and cloud‑native networking (Azure, AWS, GCP). Implement SD‑WAN, SASE, and network automation solutions. Integrate network services with virtualization platforms (VMware NSX, Hyper‑V, etc.). Documentation & Governance Maintain detailed network diagrams, inventories, and configuration repositories. Establish and enforce network standards, policies, and best practices. Provide technical leadership during audits, assessments, and major projects. Collaboration & Leadership Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across teams. Lead network‑related projects, migrations, and modernization efforts. Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Requirements

Qualified candidates must have 10 years of experience with the skill sets below:
Routing & switching (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, STP, VXLAN)
Firewalls (Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point)
Wireless technologies (Cisco, Aruba)
SD‑WAN and SASE platforms
Strong understanding of Network Security Principles.
Experience with cloud networking (Azure/AWS/GCP).
Ability to lead complex troubleshooting and architecture discussions.
Network monitoring tools (SolarWinds, DNAC, NetBrain, etc

Responsibilities

Serve as the highest escalation point for complex network incidents.
Perform root‑cause analysis and implement long‑term corrective actions.
Optimize network performance, capacity, and reliability through proactive monitoring and tuning.
Collaborate with cybersecurity teams to implement secure network architectures.
Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, PCI‑DSS).
Support segmentation, firewall policies, VPN solutions, and zero‑trust initiatives.
Design and support hybrid and cloud‑native networking (Azure, AWS, GCP).
Implement SD‑WAN, SASE, and network automation solutions.
Integrate network services with virtualization platforms (VMware NSX, Hyper‑V, etc.).
Maintain detailed network diagrams, inventories, and configuration repositories.
Establish and enforce network standards, policies, and best practices.
Provide technical leadership during audits, assessments, and major projects.
Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across teams.
Lead network‑related projects, migrations, and modernization efforts.
Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.