Job Description

Sr Network Architect

Job Description:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Network Engineer to support an enterprise network environment, including both Campus and Data Center networks spanning multiple sites. This role will serve as the final escalation point for all complex network issues before vendor engagement, requiring expert-level knowledge of advanced networking technologies.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of Cisco Nexus switches, vPCs (Virtual Port Channels), and LAN/WAN technologies. The Data Center environment heavily leverages Cisco VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN) with BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) and OSPFv3 (Open Shortest Path First version 3). They must be able to troubleshoot and resolve issues involving vPCs, OSPFv3, BGP, and advanced VXLAN configurations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and maintain a highly available enterprise network including Campus and Data Center environments.
• Expert support for Cisco Nexus switches utilizing vPCs and VXLAN, including the ability to troubleshoot, configure, and optimize complex VXLAN environments.
• Cisco VXLAN troubleshooting :
• VXLAN Tunnel Endpoints (VTEPs) : Ensure proper encapsulation and decapsulation of VXLAN traffic between endpoints.
• Overlay Network : Manage and troubleshoot virtual Layer 2 networks (VXLAN segments) running over a Layer 3 underlay infrastructure.
• VXLAN Network Identifier (VNI) : Ensure accurate configuration of the 24-bit identifier for VXLAN segments to scale up to 16 million segments, significantly beyond the traditional VLAN limit of 4,096.
• VXLAN Redundancy using Anycast IPs : Troubleshoot and maintain redundancy configurations using Anycast IPs in VXLAN networks for high availability.
• Advanced BGP and OSPFv3 Routing : Troubleshoot complex routing issues involving BGP and OSPFv3 redistribution with route-maps, ensuring proper loop prevention and optimized route selection.
• Cisco FlexVPN : Implement and maintain site-to-site VPN connectivity using Cisco FlexVPN with OSPFv3, ensuring secure and reliable network connections across multiple sites.
• QoS (Quality of Service) : Design and troubleshoot QoS policies to support real-time network traffic, including voice, video, and multicast across the enterprise network.
• Final escalation point : Serve as the final technical escalation point for network issues, ensuring thorough troubleshooting and resolution before engaging with external vendors.
• Mentorship and leadership : Act as the senior technical lead, mentoring and guiding junior network staff while fostering a collaborative learning environment.
• Government leadership communication : Regularly report to government leadership, providing updates on network health, project progress, and critical issue resolution as part of supporting a DoD mission-critical environment.

Technical Expertise:

• VXLAN :
• In-depth understanding of VXLAN architecture and its scalability benefits for multi-tenant data center environments.
• Proficient in troubleshooting VTEPs, encapsulation/decapsulation processes, and VXLAN overlay networks.
• Strong ability to configure and maintain VNIs for scalable Layer 2 segments and ensure efficient routing between VXLAN segments.
• Expertise in deploying Anycast IPs for VXLAN redundancy, ensuring high availability in the network.
• Routing Protocols : Advanced skills in BGP and OSPFv3, including multiple redistribution techniques between the two protocols, using route-maps for filtering and preventing routing loops.
• Cisco FlexVPN : Experience establishing secure site-to-site connectivity using Cisco FlexVPN with OSPFv3 as the routing protocol.
• QoS : Expertise in configuring and troubleshooting QoS for real-time traffic (voice, video, and multicast), ensuring low latency and high performance across the network.

Northern Technologies Group is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Extensive experience with Cisco Nexus switches , vPCs, VXLAN (with BGP and OSPFv3), and Cisco FlexVPN.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex network issues involving vPCs, OSPFv3, BGP, VXLAN, and VPN technologies.
• In-depth knowledge of route-maps and loop prevention techniques for redistributing routes between BGP and OSPFv3.
• Proven ability to manage QoS for real-time traffic, ensuring optimal performance for voice, video, and multicast applications.
• Previous experience in supporting DoD contracts and mission-critical environments .
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to mentor junior staff and communicate effectively with government stakeholders.
• Active DoD security clearance is required.

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