Sr. Network Engineer

Position Summary:

The Senior Network Engineer designs, implements, and optimizes network infrastructure across campus, data center, and cloud-connected environments to ensure secure, scalable, and high-performance connectivity.  This role leads the delivery of complex network solutions, applies advanced technical judgment to troubleshoot and resolve critical issues, and contributes to the design and continuous improvement of network architectures.  The role provides technical leadership, mentors others, and ensures reliable network services across large-scale environments.  Work is performed independently with accountability for the delivery and quality of technical solutions.

About the Work Unit:

Vanderbilt University Information Technology is a human-centric organization that advances our university by delivering innovative solutions and frictionless experiences through collaboration.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Network Design & Delivery

• Designs and implements network solutions across large campus, data center, and cloud-connected environments using established architectures and standards to deliver scalable and reliable connectivity.

• Leads the delivery of complex network initiatives by coordinating technical work, dependencies, and implementation activities to ensure successful and timely outcomes.

• Designs and optimizes routing, switching, segmentation, and authentication services using established designs and configuration standards to ensure secure and efficient traffic flow.

• Designs and optimizes wireless and high-performance network environments, including research and high-throughput data flows, to maintain performance, capacity, and reliability.

• Contributes to the design and improvement of automation and delivery workflows by applying scripting, APIs, and tooling to increase efficiency and reduce manual effort in network configuration and deployment.

Analysis & Problem Resolution

• Leads technical response for complex and cross-domain network incidents using monitoring data, logs, and diagnostic tools to restore service and stabilize network performance.

• Conducts root cause analysis by evaluating network behavior across systems and environments and driving corrective actions that reduce recurrence and improve reliability.

• Acts as an escalation point for high-impact or ambiguous issues by providing technical direction and coordinating resolution across teams to ensure timely service restoration.

• Identifies patterns in recurring issues and improve operational practices, tooling, and workflows to reduce incident volume and enhance network reliability over time.

Performance Engineering & Capacity Planning

• Performs advanced performance analysis and capacity planning by evaluating network behavior and utilization to ensure infrastructure can support current and projected demand.

• Identifies bottlenecks and systemic limitations by analyzing traffic patterns and performance data to implement targeted improvements that enhance throughput, latency, and user experience.

• Evaluates the impact of new services, applications, and traffic patterns on shared network platforms and adjust designs to maintain performance and service quality.

• Uses operational and performance data to inform engineering decisions and implement improvements that reduce recurring issues and improve overall network reliability.

• Uses data‑driven analysis to support informed engineering decisions and reduce reactive work.

Standards, Automation & Security Integration

• Develops and refines technical standards for routing, segmentation, and network security controls.

• Designs and implements automation solutions for network provisioning and configuration management using scripting, APIs, and tooling to reduce manual effort and improve consistency.

• Ensures network designs and implementations meet security and access control requirements by applying and validating configurations during deployment to maintain secure network services.

• Improves engineering practices and documentation by identifying gaps and implementing updates that increase consistency and reduce configuration errors.

Collaboration, Influence & Knowledge Sharing

• Reviews network designs and changes proposed by others by providing constructive feedback focused on scalability, security, and operational readiness to improve implementation quality.

• Mentors engineers through design discussions, incident reviews, and shared problem-solving to strengthen team capability and technical consistency.

• Collaborates with security, infrastructure, and application teams to coordinate complex changes and manage cross-team dependencies and risks.

• Produces clear technical documentation that supports knowledge transfer, troubleshooting, and long-term maintainability of network services.

Working Conditions and Operational Requirements:

Hybrid Work Arrangement:

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, combining on‑campus and remote work. Employees are expected to be on site at least one day per week and for activities that require in‑person presence, such as team collaboration, service delivery, or campus events. Specific on‑site expectations are determined in coordination with the supervisor and must align with departmental needs and institutional policy. Remote work privileges may be revoked at any time.

On-call Responsibilities:

The position includes rotating on-call duties for after-hours incident response and requests.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not include direct supervisory responsibility but may provide informal guidance or mentorship to colleagues as needed. The role reports administratively and functionally to the Director of Network Design and Engineering.

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is necessary

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology or related field is preferred

• Advanced networking or automation certifications (e.g., Cisco CCNP, DevNet Professional, Aruba ACP, or equivalent) are preferred

Experience and Skills:

• 5-7 years of progressive, relevant experience in Network Engineering is necessary

• Advanced expertise in enterprise network design, routing, switching, and high‑availability architectures is necessary

• Demonstrated ability to independently resolve complex, ambiguous network incidents using structured root‑cause analysis is necessary

• Experience with network performance analysis, capacity planning, and scaling to support growth is necessary

• Proficiency in network automation, configuration management, using scripting or infrastructure‑as‑code approaches is necessary

• Strong understanding of network security principles, segmentation models, and enterprise access control requirements within enterprise environments is necessary

• Ability to influence peers, provide technical mentorship, and collaborate across teams without formal authority is necessary

• Demonstrated commitment to VUIT’s Guiding Principles is necessary

Information Technology’s Guiding Principles:

• Trust and Respect- VUIT cultivates a community built on trust, mutual respect, and inclusivity, where all members feel valued and supported. We prioritize honesty, dignity, empathy, and a willingness to listen and understand. 

• Professionalism- VUIT strives to maintain a culture of maturity, accountability, and integrity to best represent the University and self. Have a sense of humility and poise in your work and daily interactions.

• Collaborate- VUIT commits to being inclusive in solution design where we value sharing within and partnering across the university. We are intentional about including our colleagues and preventing silos. 

• Bias-to-Action- VUIT is seen as a changemaker by exhibiting a decisive, self-starter, take-action approach with a willingness to make decisions without excessive deliberation. Personal initiative is recognized as a key part of the creative process.

• Communicate- Communication (written, verbal and non-verbal), within and outside VUIT, is open, thoughtful, welcoming, clear, proactive, concise yet complete, always honest, and delivered kindly.

• Innovate- VUIT pledges to be bold and challenge the status quo by inspiring a culture of creativity that promotes growth and advancement for the university. 

• Celebrate Each Other- We are intentional in showing appreciation for the work of others by valuing and acknowledging meaningful contributions at all levels of the organization.

• Optimize- VUIT will practice continuous and thoughtful optimization of our solutions and services to increase our human and technological capacity. Capacity drives innovation.