Network Engineer

Sr Network Engineer Location: Denver, CO 80203 (40% onsite, 60% offsite) Duration: One-year contract position • Must stay and work in Colorado with Valid Colorado Driver's License required. Travel to remote work sites is required. Majority 1 day in state travel in the Denver area, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins. If drive time exceeds 3 hours an overnight stay will be approved. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with State Travel Policies and will be entered and approved within the client site. Minimum required qualifications and experience: • 7+ years of hands-on professional experience in network operations and support • 5+ years configuring routing and switching for local campus and wide area networks • 5+ years of managing Network monitoring applications • 5+ years of managing Cisco Wireless Infrastructure • 3+ years of managing Cisco Catalyst Center/DNA Center (and automation) • 3+ years professional experience in network design, architecture, and implementation • 3+ years of acting as the technical lead on network projects • Experience with developing network topologies and diagrams • Experience with creating technical project documentation, method of procedures, and technical reference guides • Associate degree or equivalent network certifications in computer and information technologies related field • Demonstrated excellence in communications, team work, and customer service skills Highly desirable qualifications and experience: • Bachelor degree in computer and information technologies related field from an accredited college/university • Cisco Professional and/or Expert certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or Cisco Certified Internet Expert (CCIE) • Professional networking experience with Cisco Catalyst Center • Professional networking experience with Wireless Technologies • Professional networking experience with Cisco Identity Service Engine (ISE) application • Professional networking experience with Data Center technologies • Professional networking experience with Software-Defined Access technologies • Professional networking experience with Software-Defined WAN (SDWAN) • Professional networking experience with scripting and automation A Duty: Network Lead on Enterprise Projects - 55% Serves as the technical lead for enterprise-level network initiatives, defining architectures, proposing solutions, and establishing operational procedures that support all State agencies. This role requires deep knowledge and expertise in Network Services including Cisco Catalyst Center (Cisco DNA Center) and automation-driven network management to deliver secure, scalable, and efficient services across the enterprise. 1. Develops comprehensive project documentation, including network architecture diagrams, security models, automation workflows, and compliance standards. 2. Creates and manages detailed project plans, timelines, and implementation schedules to ensure timely delivery of network modernization initiatives. 3. Evaluates, documents, and improves existing and new systems and procedures, with a focus on intent-based networking, assurance, and policy-driven automation. 4. Leads adoption of advanced Catalyst Center features such as automated provisioning, template-based configuration, powered assurance, path trace analysis, application telemetry, and proactive issue detection. 5. Provides technical mentorship to team members, fosters knowledge sharing, and delivers advisory services to customers and IT leadership to influence enterprise network strategy. Additional duties include providing technical input, mentoring team members, and offering technical guidance and advisory services to customers and IT staff. Examples of regular, ongoing decisions: • Determines how Catalyst Center's policy-based segmentation and automation workflows are applied across agencies to balance security, compliance, and usability. • Decides on automation strategies (e.g., configuration templates, zero-touch provisioning, software image management) to reduce operational overhead and ensure consistency. • Evaluates advanced telemetry, assurance, and analytics data from Catalyst Center to proactively recommend optimization and prevent service degradation. • Reviews technology roadmaps and makes recommendations on lifecycle refreshes, cloud integration, and hybrid architectures. • Advises IT staff on implementation strategies and guides technical project execution. • Analyzes product performance and costs to recommend the most effective solutions. Typical challenges and resolution approaches: • Aligning complex business needs with secure, scalable network architectures. Uses Catalyst Center's assurance and simulation tools (e.g., path trace, what-if analysis) to validate design decisions before deployment. • Communicating highly technical automation workflows to non-technical stakeholders. Develops clear executive summaries and visualizations from Catalyst Center reports to bridge communication gaps. • Balancing cost efficiency with the demand for cutting-edge, resilient networks. Performs ROI and TCO analysis by comparing manual operations with Catalyst Center automation benefits, and recommends phased adoption strategies. B. Duty: Network Subject Matter Expert - 25% Designs, configures, administers, and deploys mission-critical network hardware and applications to deliver Network as a Service (NaaS) for State agencies. Engineering scope includes routers, switches, data center devices, wireless LAN controllers, SDN devices, and network security/management applications. Responsibilities include: • Capacity planning for LAN, WAN, WLAN growth and operations. • Establishing hardware and software standards. • Evaluating industry best practices and recommending technologies that improve efficiency and streamline operations. • Coordinating with operations teams to ensure network security compliance. • Contributing to strategic and tactical goals for network operations. • Engaging in long-range planning and technology adoption. Examples of regular, ongoing decisions: • Leads design, recommendations, solution, and implementation of new network projects. • Configures and deploys modern network architecture to meet requirements. • Recommends alternative solutions for stakeholders. • Continuously reviews industry trends and advises on adoption of new technologies. Typical challenges and resolution approaches: • Designing and implementing solutions that align with complex business requirements. • Developing configuration methods and procedures in areas where no prior standards exist. C. Duty: Network Engineering Escalation - 10% Provides technical oversight, advanced troubleshooting, and serves as the escalation point for network operations teams. Resolves complex issues related to core Enterprise network services and infrastructure. Examples of regular, ongoing decisions: • Diagnoses and resolves highly complex technical issues. • Coordinates with network operations teams and vendors to restore service. • Assists during major incidents impacting Enterprise network services. • Collaborates with vendors and OIT teams to resolve escalated problems. Typical challenges and resolution approaches: • Running diagnostics to resolve non-typical malfunctions. • Interpreting user-reported issues to identify root causes across hardware, software, or communications. • Establishing new procedures and methods where none exist. D. Duty: Other Duties as Assigned - 10% Supports projects and tasks as directed by the manager. Examples of regular, ongoing decisions: • Assists with project scheduling and customer meetings. • Reviews and revises vendor quotes for hardware, licenses, and software. • Prepares executive summaries for leadership to inform network strategy. Typical challenges and resolution approaches: • Delivering presentations on network project plans and addressing stakeholder questions.

Created: 2026-03-04