Network Engineer – Data Center & Security.

About This Opportunity

CTI Staffing is partnering with a growing IT integration and managed services organization to find a Network Engineer for their data center and integration center operations based in Hanover Park, IL.

This team manages network infrastructure supporting large-scale client integration, staging, and deployment work, keeping switching, routing, wireless, and security running smoothly across multiple concurrent client environments. It's a chance to work hands-on with modern data center networking in a fast-paced managed services environment.

What You'll Do

• Manage and support network infrastructure across multiple data center and client-specific environments
• Maintain highly available switching, routing, wireless, and security platforms
• Monitor performance and proactively identify optimization and scalability improvements
• Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls
• Design and document enterprise networking solutions, including spine-and-leaf architectures
• Serve as a technical escalation point for network issues affecting client environments
• Support client hardware, software, and infrastructure deployment projects
• Collaborate with engineering, security, and project teams to deliver client solutions

Requirements

What You Bring

Must-Have:

• 5+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering, data center operations, or managed services
• Strong hands-on experience with Cisco switching, routing, and wireless technologies
• Demonstrated expertise deploying and supporting Palo Alto Networks firewalls
• Experience managing complex multi-site, multi-client network environments
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, NAT, VLANs, VPNs, and QoS
• Experience configuring and troubleshooting BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects and competing priorities
• Strong customer service orientation and communication skills

Nice-to-Have:

• Cisco CCNP Enterprise certification or equivalent experience
• Palo Alto PCNSE certification
• Experience with spine-and-leaf architectures and modern data center designs
• Familiarity with Nexus 9000 and Cisco Catalyst platforms
• Experience with cloud networking (Azure/AWS connectivity)

Technical Environment:

• Cisco switching/routing, Palo Alto NGFW, spine-and-leaf/VXLAN architectures, enterprise wireless, cloud connectivity (Azure/AWS)

What Success Looks Like:

• Stable, well-documented network operations across multiple client environments within the first 90 days
• Trusted as a technical escalation point for network issues by month 3
• Contributing to data center modernization initiatives (spine-and-leaf, automation) by month 6