Level IV - Network Support Tech

Smart Choice Communications • Saint Petersburg, FL

5d

About The Position

SmartChoice is seeking a Network Engineer for its Infrastructure team to maintain, upgrade, and secure the enterprise networking environment, primarily using Cisco IOS/IOS-XE and Meraki cloud-managed platforms. The role focuses on planning and carrying out firmware upgrades across switches, routers, firewalls, and wireless access points to support performance, security compliance, and feature availability. The position also serves as a senior escalation resource and mentor for other engineers, and works directly with customers on networking requirements and upgrades.

The position includes supporting routine network operations such as monitoring, incident response, and capacity planning; coordinating maintenance windows and change communications; troubleshooting upgrade-related problems; and documenting configurations, procedures, and lessons learned. The role collaborates with the Security team to address firmware vulnerabilities.

SmartChoice describes a collaborative, innovative work culture with opportunities to take on new challenges. Physical requirements include prolonged sitting and computer use, and lifting up to 25 pounds at times.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least 3 years of hands-on experience administering Cisco IOS, IOS-XE, or NX-OS network devices.
• Demonstrated experience performing firmware or software upgrades on Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, ISR, or ASR platforms in a production environment.
• Working knowledge of the Meraki Dashboard, including firmware scheduling, staged upgrades, and network-wide configuration policies.
• Solid understanding of BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, STP, VLANs, VRFs, and ACLs.
• Experience with TFTP/SCP/FTP file transfers for IOS image management and ROMMON recovery procedures.
• Familiarity with ITIL-based change management and maintenance-window coordination.
• Strong troubleshooting skills using CLI tools (show, debug, packet capture) and protocol analyzers.
• Ability to explain technical network issues to junior engineers as a learning and coaching opportunity.

Nice To Haves

• Cisco CCNP or CCIE certification (Enterprise, Security, or Data Center track).
• Cisco Meraki Solutions Specialist or ECMS certification.
• Experience with network automation tools such as Ansible, Python (Netmiko/NAPALM), or Cisco DNA Center.
• Familiarity with Cisco Smart Licensing and Smart Net Total Care for entitlement tracking.
• Exposure to SD-WAN platforms such as Cisco Viptela or Meraki SD-WAN.
• Experience with monitoring platforms such as SolarWinds, ThousandEyes, or Cisco Prime Infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule, and execute firmware upgrades on Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, ISR, and ASR platforms in accordance with change-management procedures.
• Manage Meraki Dashboard firmware policies for MX security appliances, MS switches, MR wireless access points, and MV cameras.
• Maintain a firmware compliance matrix and track network hardware end-of-life and end-of-support milestones.
• Review release notes, known caveats, and security advisories (PSIRTs) to determine upgrade urgency and compatibility.
• Develop and test rollback plans, pre- and post-upgrade validation scripts, and health-check procedures.
• Coordinate maintenance windows with stakeholders and communicate status updates throughout upgrades.
• Troubleshoot and resolve upgrade-related issues, including boot failures, feature regressions, and interoperability conflicts.
• Document network configurations, upgrade procedures, and lessons learned in the team knowledge base.
• Support day-to-day network operations, including monitoring, incident response, and capacity planning.
• Collaborate with the Security team to remediate vulnerabilities identified in Cisco and Meraki firmware.
• Serve as a senior escalation resource and technical mentor for L1–L3 engineers, supporting issue resolution, knowledge transfer, and skill development.
• Work directly with customers to support networking requirements and upgrades.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Generous paid time off.
• Employer-matched 401(k).
• Monthly cell phone stipend.
• Employee Assistance Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior