Network Engineer

Scrubbed the delivery-partner branding and internal shorthand (assuming "Cavalry" is the delivery org's internal name, not something meant to go out on a public posting) — here's the version ready to post:

POSITION SUMMARY

This specialist owns the technical execution and advisory quality of the network-management and routing workstreams within the program. Day to day, this means operating, integrating, and rationalizing the client's Cisco and adjacent tooling; producing credible technical recommendations and documentation; presenting and defending those recommendations to a detail-oriented executive sponsor; and coordinating across the client's network, security, and PMO teams as well as our delivery organization. The role reports into our delivery leadership and works alongside the assigned Program Manager and Service Delivery Manager.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Routing, Switching & WAN

• Support and optimize a large-scale enterprise and OT/SCADA network spanning thousands of routing devices across corporate and control environments.
• Apply deep working knowledge of BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and modern WAN design, including SD-WAN underlay/overlay behavior and local internet (DIA) breakout strategies.
• Provide architectural input on segmentation, path selection, redundancy, and capacity planning in a regulated, high-availability environment.

Cisco Network-Management & Monitoring Tooling

• Cisco SD-WAN (Catalyst SD-WAN / Viptela) — configuration, POC support, and operational rollout across router sites.
• Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center) — inventory, assurance, topology, and automation workflows.
• Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) — policy, onboarding, and integration.
• Cisco Umbrella / Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) — DNS security and internet breakout controls.
• Cisco Firepower / Firepower Management Center (FMC) — awareness and coordination on firewall management workstreams.
• Cisco Catalyst 9K platforms, including containerized (Docker) agent deployment models.

Broader Network Management & Observability Stack

• ThousandEyes — enterprise and endpoint agents, synthetic and network-layer test design, and monitoring baselines.
• Infoblox (DDI — DNS/DHCP/IPAM) and NetBox as network source-of-truth and automation targets.
• F5 BIG-IP (ADC/LTM) health and rationalization, including awareness of CDN offload strategies (e.g., Akamai).

Advisory, Documentation & Program Support

• Produce clear, executive-grade technical recommendations, health-check analyses, HLDs, and status artifacts that withstand scrutiny.
• Present findings to CIO/Sr. Director-level stakeholders and defend technical positions with data.
• Work within formal artifact review and approval governance, hitting defined SLO windows and sign-off gates.
• Partner with the Program Manager and Service Delivery Manager on scope, sequencing, dependency management, and decision drop-dead dates.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 8 years in enterprise network engineering, with demonstrable, recent, hands-on depth in Cisco routing and network-management tooling (not just design or oversight).
• Production experience with the majority of the platforms listed above — SD-WAN, Catalyst Center, ISE, Umbrella, SolarWinds, and ThousandEyes in particular.
• Strong routing fundamentals: BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and large-scale WAN operations.
• Demonstrated success in a consulting, professional services, MSP, or IT service provider setting — working billable and client-facing, accountable to external stakeholders. This is a firm requirement, not a nice-to-have: strong technical candidates whose experience is exclusively internal/in-house enterprise IT are not a fit for an embedded, client-facing consulting role.
• Proven ability to author and present technical recommendations to senior executive audiences.
• Experience operating in change-controlled, governed environments with formal approval workflows.
• Must be able to work onsite in downtown Houston on a full-time basis.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in energy, utilities, midstream, or other critical-infrastructure sectors.
• Familiarity with OT/ICS network environments (SCADA) and awareness of NERC CIP and related regulatory drivers.
• Exposure to NDR platforms (e.g., Darktrace) and network automation (NetBox APIs/SDK, scripting).
• Relevant certifications: CCNP / CCIE (Enterprise), Cisco SD-WAN, ThousandEyes, SolarWinds SCP, or equivalent.