Senior Network Engineer - UniFirst
About The Position
The Senior Network Engineer is the technical authority for UniFirst Corporation’s enterprise network, responsible for designing, implementing, and supporting data and voice communications across office locations, wireless networks, the Internet, Microsoft Azure, and remote connectivity. The role leads network architecture decisions, establishes operational standards, and serves as the network team’s top escalation point. It is accountable for network security, availability, and performance, and leads projects and vendor relationships from planning through production while mentoring IT staff in building a secure, reliable, and cost-effective environment. The position leads network architecture, administration, operations, security, capacity planning, and lifecycle management across WAN, wired and wireless LAN, firewalls, load balancing, Azure hybrid connectivity, and Cisco VoIP. It also drives project implementation, documentation, change management, automation, vendor coordination, and staff training. The role participates in an on-call rotation and follows a hybrid work arrangement with occasional travel to company facilities.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- At least 8 years of experience managing Cisco routers and switches in an enterprise environment.
- Strong knowledge of routing protocols, including BGP and OSPF.
- At least 3 years of experience working with Cisco wireless.
- At least 5 years of experience with Palo Alto firewalls or F5 BIG-IP, including design and advanced configuration.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure networking, including virtual networks, hybrid connectivity (VPN/ExpressRoute), network security groups, and Azure Firewall.
- Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences and manage equipment vendors.
- Demonstrated success designing, installing, customizing, implementing, and maintaining network systems developed internally and/or with outside vendors.
- Experience designing, implementing, and providing Tier 3 support for WAN, wireless, routed networks, and LAN across company facilities.
- Demonstrated experience leading network projects and mentoring or providing technical guidance to other IT staff.
- CCNP or equivalent experience required.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Participation in the on-call rotation, including availability outside normal business hours for maintenance windows and critical incidents.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with both Palo Alto firewalls and F5 BIG-IP is preferred.
- Cisco VoIP experience.
- Experience with network automation or scripting, such as Python or Ansible.
- CCIE, Palo Alto PCNSE, F5, or Microsoft Azure certification, such as AZ-700 Azure Network Engineer.
Responsibilities
- Lead the design, configuration, and management of routers, switches, and WAN equipment, including SD-WAN and carrier circuits.
- Monitor the WAN for outages, serve as an escalation point, and work with vendors to resolve issues through root cause analysis.
- Design, manage, and configure hardware associated with wireless and wired LANs.
- Architect, manage, and configure Palo Alto firewalls, including security policies, VPN, and remote-access standards.
- Architect, manage, and configure F5 Big-IP LTM equipment, including load balancing and application delivery.
- Design, manage, and secure hybrid network connectivity between on-premises systems and Microsoft Azure, including virtual networks, VPN Gateway/ExpressRoute, Azure Firewall, network security groups, and DNS.
- Support intrusion-prevention monitoring and partner with the information security team on remediation, audits, and vulnerability management.
- Serve as the Tier 3 escalation resource for complex WAN, wireless, and LAN issues, and mentor junior network staff in troubleshooting.
- Administer and lead the evolution of the company’s Cisco VoIP phone system.
- Lead planning, technical design, and implementation for network installations, upgrades, and migrations, including project scoping and timelines.
- Define and maintain network standards, documentation, change-management practices, and configuration baselines.
- Use automation and scripting to improve configuration consistency, monitoring, and operational efficiency.
- Plan network capacity and lifecycle, evaluate new technologies, and make recommendations on architecture, budgets, and vendor selection.
- Manage relationships with equipment vendors and carriers, including contracts, support, and SLA performance.
- Train IT staff on network infrastructure, standards, and operational procedures.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
