Senior Network Engineer

American Electric Power • Gahanna, OH

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company! We’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you! The Senior Network Engineer is responsible for the operational support, stability, and lifecycle management of enterprise network services, with a primary focus on F5 load balancers, Infoblox DDI (DNS, DHCP, IPAM), and Firewall platforms. This role serves as a senior escalation point for complex incidents, supports on‑call operations, and partners closely with application, security, and infrastructure teams to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable network services. Location: Prefer candidate to live within 50 miles of Columbus, OH

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering or network operations
• Strong hands‑on experience supporting: F5 BIG‑IP (LTM required; DNS/GTM a plus)
• Infoblox DDI (DNS, DHCP, IPAM)
• Enterprise firewall platforms (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, or similar)
• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, switching, and network security principles
• Proven experience supporting production environments and participating in on‑call rotations
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills across layered network services
• Experience working within ITIL or ITSM frameworks (Incident, Change, Problem Management)
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related technical field is required.
• 7 years of relevant work experience is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in large, complex enterprise environments
• Familiarity with network monitoring and observability tools
• Experience supporting application delivery and security teams
• Relevant certifications (F5, Infoblox, Cisco, Fortinet, or equivalent)
• Cisco CCNA/CCNP

Responsibilities

• Provide senior‑level operational support for F5, Infoblox, and enterprise firewall platforms
• Serve as an escalation point for complex incidents, performance issues, and service outages
• Participate in a 24x7 rotating on‑call schedule, responding to priority incidents and outages
• Lead troubleshooting efforts across DNS, load balancing, and firewall services to restore service quickly and safely
• Perform root cause analysis and contribute to incident reviews and corrective actions
• Administer and support F5 BIG‑IP platforms, including LTM and DNS/GTM as applicable
• Manage virtual servers, pools, nodes, iRules (as required), SSL profiles, and traffic policies
• Perform software upgrades, patching, certificate management, and capacity planning
• Support application onboarding, migrations, and changes involving F5 services
• Operate and support Infoblox NIOS platforms and Grid architecture
• Manage DNS zones and records, DHCP scopes, reservations, and IPAM data
• Troubleshoot DNS resolution, DHCP lease, and IP address management issues
• Support lifecycle activities including Grid upgrades, optimization, and monitoring
• Ensure DNS and IPAM data accuracy and integration with enterprise processes
• Support enterprise firewall environments, including rule changes, NAT, and security policy updates
• Participate in firewall lifecycle activities, migrations, and platform upgrades
• Troubleshoot network connectivity and security‑related issues across firewall zones
• Partner with security teams to ensure policies align with security standards and operational requirements
• Execute changes following established change management and ITSM processes
• Support hardware and software lifecycle initiatives across F5, Infoblox, and firewall platforms
• Develop and maintain operational documentation, standards, and procedures
• Assist with defining monitoring requirements, alerts, and operational health checks
• Work closely with application, server, security, and operations teams
• Provide mentoring and technical guidance to junior or mid‑level engineers
• Contribute to continuous improvement of operational processes and support models
• Ensure high availability and performance of application traffic flows

Benefits

• competitive compensation
• comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees

What This Job Offers

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