Network Engineer / Architect V

Network Engineer / Architect V (Contract)

Location: New Jersey (08540) – Onsite 3 days per week
Work Type: Contingent / Contract
Duration: 6 months (40 hrs/week)
Category: Engineering – Scientific
Positions: 1

Role Summary

We are seeking a senior-level Network Engineer / Architect to support large-scale enterprise IT and network initiatives for a client based in the New Jersey area. This role is responsible for the full lifecycle of network infrastructure , from architecture and design through implementation, operations, and ongoing support. The position involves working on highly complex technical challenges, influencing architectural direction, and collaborating closely with senior stakeholders.

Candidates must be local to New Jersey and able to work onsite three days per week .

Key Responsibilities

• Provide daily operational support, including resolution of escalated network incidents and application of break-fixes and proactive maintenance until permanent solutions are implemented
• Participate in and support software deployment activities, including new modules, upgrades, and production fixes
• Architect, design, configure, test, implement, review, support, and present on-premise and cloud networking solutions
• Maintain and improve the enterprise network facilities portfolio through lifecycle planning and investment roadmaps
• Identify technical requirements and deliver cost-effective network solutions that meet business objectives, improve productivity, and enable growth
• Validate new requests against existing architecture to ensure compatibility and alignment with business needs
• Identify and automate tasks where appropriate
• Develop and communicate reusable architecture policies, standards, regulatory guidelines, procedures, and metrics
• Ensure designs and implementations meet security and QA standards , performing root cause and impact analysis to recommend fixes
• Maintain existing Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Stay current with emerging technologies and future trends in networking

Required Technical Skills

• Strong hands-on experience with at least three (3) of the following technologies:
  • Cisco Switches
  • Cisco Routers
  • Cisco Firewalls
  • F5 Load Balancers
  • Cisco Wireless Controllers
  • Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
  • Cisco Network Access Control (NAC)
• Proven experience in network operations support and troubleshooting
• Experience designing, developing, coding, implementing, operating, supporting, and managing network projects, solutions, and/or IT systems
• Ability to apply architectural principles, methods, and tools to address business challenges

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with scripting and infrastructure as code , including tools such as Ansible
• Advanced professional training and certifications, including (but not limited to):
  • Cisco CCT, CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, CCIE
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Organization Change Management
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • Business process modeling / re-engineering
  • ITIL
• Knowledge of:
  • Cloud Services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
  • Directory Services (LDAP, ONS, DNS, Active Directory)
  • Configuration Management Databases (CMDB)
  • ServiceNow
  • SolarWinds
  • Cybersecurity
• Knowledge of the Utility industry

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 6+ years of experience as a technical engineer and/or architect
  • Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• 2–3 years of experience in network operations support and troubleshooting and/or similar software development experience
• 2+ years of experience working as a consultant for internal and/or external clients, translating business requirements into network solutions
• 1+ year of experience applying architectural principles to:
  • Define solution and architecture roadmaps
  • Manage product lifecycle and replacement initiatives
  • Develop business cases
  • Evaluate new technologies and develop proofs of concept
• Strong communication, leadership, and consultative skills, including teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation

About the Team / Company

This role supports enterprise-scale IT initiatives for a client headquartered in the New Jersey area and involves close collaboration with internal stakeholders, senior management, and technical teams across multiple functional areas.