Network Engineer Project lead

**Title: Network Engineer - Project lead

Job Location: Columbia, SC

Position Type: W2 Contract

Work Mode: 100% Onsite

Openings: 3

Interview Process: 1 Round Virtual** Primary Skills: Enterprise Networking, Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, Fortinet, Switching, Routing, Wireless Networking, TCP/IP, Network Security, Firewalls, VPN, Network Troubleshooting, OSPF, BGP, VLANs,

Spanning Tree, High Availability, Network Infrastructure, Network Monitoring, Network Documentation, Network Automation, Python, Ansible, APIs

Requirements: 2+ years enterprise network technologies including switching, routing, wireless and TCP/IP; 2+ years configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting Cisco, Juniper, Aruba and Fortinet devices; 2+ years network connectivity, performance and security troubleshooting; 2+ years network security including firewalls, VPNs and access controls; 2+ years network infrastructure installation, configuration, racking, stacking, cabling and testing; 2+ years technical documentation and network diagrams; 2+ years routing technologies including OSPF, BGP, VLANs, spanning tree and high-availability architectures; Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; US Citizen or Legal Resident; fully onsite availability; on-call and occasional after-hours support.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Network Engineer Project Lead to support daily network engineering operations, enterprise wired and wireless infrastructure, network security, incident response, field deployments, maintenance, and service improvement.

The position requires hands-on experience supporting enterprise network environments and the ability to troubleshoot complex connectivity, performance, and security issues while working collaboratively with engineering, architecture, security, infrastructure teams, vendors, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor, maintain, and support enterprise wired and wireless network infrastructure.
• Configure, deploy, rack, stack, cable, and test network equipment.
• Support switching, routing, and network connectivity services.
• Diagnose and resolve network connectivity, performance, and security issues.
• Perform root-cause analysis and field-based troubleshooting.
• Validate network configurations and coordinate equipment repairs.
• Participate in on-call support and incident response.
• Perform system upgrades, patching, configuration changes, and performance optimization.
• Maintain network diagrams, operational documentation, incident records, and runbooks.
• Support firewalls, VPNs, and other network security controls.
• Assist with security-related incident response.
• Collaborate with network engineering, architecture, security, infrastructure teams, vendors, and stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Experience supporting large-scale enterprise or higher-education network environments
• Wireless network administration and troubleshooting in dense-user environments
• Experience with firewalls, VPNs, NAC, and MFA solutions
• Familiarity with network monitoring, logging, and performance-management tools
• Experience with network automation and scripting using Python, Ansible, and APIs
• Experience with network upgrades, migrations, and lifecycle replacement projects
• Experience working in ITIL-based environments, including incident, problem, and change management

Education & Certifications Required: Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.

Preferred Certifications: CCNA, CCNP, JNCIA, JNCIS/JNCIP, ACNT, ACSA, ACMA, FCA, FCP. Additional Requirements

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong customer-service skills
• Ability to communicate technical information effectively
• Ability to collaborate with technical teams, vendors, and stakeholders
• Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Experience mentoring junior technical staff
• Ability to provide technical leadership during operational incidents