Sr. Lead Network Engineer - Cisco NDFC / Data Center Networking
Job Description
Sr. Lead Network Engineer – Cisco NDFC / Data Center Networking
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Location: Downtown Chicago, IL (Hybrid – 3 Days Onsite)
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Job Type: Long-Term Contract with strong potential to convert to fulltime
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$70-75/hr W2
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We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Sr. Lead Network Engineer to support a leading global financial institution. This individual will play a key role in complex data center network deployments, large-scale migrations, and Tier 3 production support across global infrastructure environments.
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The ideal candidate has extensive Cisco data center networking experience, hands-on Cisco NDFC expertise, and a proven track record of working with application and infrastructure teams to successfully migrate complex network environments.
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Sr. Lead Network Engineer - Key Responsibilities
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- Implement, migrate, and troubleshoot Cisco Nexus and Catalyst data center networks.
- Execute large-scale network migrations, coordinating with application, compute, storage, and infrastructure teams.
- Deploy and manage Cisco NDFC (Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller).
- Implement and support enterprise SD-WAN solutions.
- Support hybrid cloud connectivity across Azure, AWS, and colocation environments.
- Provide Tier 3 troubleshooting and resolution of complex production network issues.
- Collaborate with network architects to translate requirements into technical designs and implement solutions.
- Support network deployments across global data centers and enterprise environments.
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Sr. Lead Network Engineer - Required Qualifications
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- 10+ years of hands-on enterprise network engineering experience.
- Hands-on Cisco NDFC experience – Nexus is required.
- Expert-level Cisco Nexus, Catalyst, BGP, OSPF, and Layer 2/Layer 3 networking.
- Strong data center routing and switching experience.
- Proven experience executing complex, large-scale network migrations involving application teams.
- Hands-on enterprise SD-WAN experience; Palo Alto Prisma preferred. Cisco Viptela, VeloCloud, or Silver Peak experience considered.
- Experience with cloud connectivity, including Azure ExpressRoute and/or AWS Direct Connect.
- Advanced Tier 3 network troubleshooting and production support experience.
- Strong communication skills and ability to independently execute complex engineering initiatives.
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Preferred Qualifications
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- CCNP or higher certification.
- AZ-700 Azure Network Engineer certification.
- Experience with global network deployments and colocation facilities.
- Understanding of Palo Alto firewalls, Infoblox, and F5 load balancers.
- Exposure to network automation and scripting tools such as Python, Ansible, or Terraform.
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If you have strong Cisco NDFC experience and enjoy working on complex enterprise network transformations, we'd like to hear from you.
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Interested? Apply directly or contact skouz@prairieinc.com to learn more.
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Prairie Consulting Services / Naperville, IL
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