Network Operations Specialist

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of progressive hands-on experience in enterprise network operations or engineering.
• Demonstrated expertise across routing protocols: OSPF, BGP, EIGRP; VLANs, STP, and layer 2/3 switching.
• Proficiency in firewall policy management on at least two vendor platforms (Cisco and/or Palo Alto).
• Working knowledge of SSL/TLS inspection, URL filtering, and application-layer security controls.
• Experience with ITSM tools (ServiceNow, BMC Remedy or equivalent) for incident and change management.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills in complex, multi-vendor network environments.
• Ability to work off-hours for scheduled maintenance windows and emergency incidents.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce clear technical documentation.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting or automation language (Python preferred) for network task automation, data parsing, and API integration.
• Hands-on experience with Ansible or similar configuration management tools for network device provisioning and compliance enforcement.
• Familiarity with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines for managing and deploying network automation code.
• Experience using REST APIs or NETCONF/YANG to interact programmatically with network devices and management platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active industry certifications: Cisco CCNP / CCIE, Palo Alto PCNSE, Aruba ACCP/ACMP, F5 201/301, Zscaler ZCCA-IA, or equivalent.
• Experience in large-scale financial services, insurance, or regulated enterprise environments.
• Experience with Terraform for network infrastructure-as-code workflows.
• Knowledge of network automation frameworks such as Netmiko, NAPALM, or Nornir.
• Exposure to cloud networking (AWS, Azure) and hybrid connectivity models.
• Knowledge of NIST, PCI-DSS, or SOX compliance requirements as they relate to network controls.